Why do big corporate supermarkets pay their employees so little?

Question

The benefits might be okay, but the pay stinks! I started working for one 11 years ago, starting at $5.00 an hour. I only left once for medical reasons, and I'm still making only $7.75 an hour. Gimme a break! This is 2006! And don't tell me I should look for another job, because it's not that easy when you're already working.

Answer 1

I worked for a larger supermarket. Not only did they pay crappy, but they engaged in illegal practices (such as not getting lunches unless you worked 8.5 hours). You also got your raises based on your hours worked and I rarely got scheduled enough hours to get a raise. It was a joke.

Answer 2

Its all about profit I'm guessing I can't think of any other reason then that and let's be honest the waltons are most likely white trash plus tons of money they don't think of the longtime run just how much money they'll make this year and don't realise with happier workers they work better but they wouldn't know that most likely because they were born rich , I hate my job and sometimes go really slow and do a bad job but not to mention they give me 5 hours a week and pay me 8.90 that's not even minimum wage cause I'm under 18... I wonder what someone at mcdonalds or walmart does when they don't like their job....drop the burgers by accident and pick them back up?and I have a union so every paycheck I get they take 10 dollars off so I make 38 dollars for 5 hours its a joke and the union does ABSOLUTLEY nothing for me they can still fire me whenever they want so yeee all about money for the slaves and the owners....

Answer 3

Yes, managers tend to get larger bonuses, yes they tend to do less labor, and yes you may feel it is unjust. However, they also tend to spend more hours weekly than you do at actual work. It's not uncommon for managers to spend long hours working from places other than the office. What you don't see is the long hours spent preparing information for presentations, publications, budgets, and participating in corporate tasks groups that debate policies, regulations, projects, etc... One other aspect is the manager’s role in explaining to the higher levels why his team/crew/region failed to reach a particular goal or standard.

Management is also the first one to vouch for your actions and barter for a higher rate of pay or even promotions. I would highly recommend not biting the hand that can make life easier for you.

I am a middle manager at a large corporation and I do not hesitate to go to bat for an individual that is an all around performer that gets along well with his comrades. The biggest mistakes that employees make are negative communication. Negative communication only weakens an organization. You can bring up an unfavorable situation by proposing a better solution, and not complaining about the way things are. When you tell another individual something in confidence, it is usually passed onto others, so be careful. I am the first one to help an individual better themselves. The more capable you are at your particular job the easier it is for management to do his job.

It is more difficult and unproductive to replace an employee. Management does not want to spend the time to review, council, or retrain a new employee unless they have to. It's much easier to provide the recourses and to train the current employee with additional skills/knowledge/experience, so that he can perform at a higher level. I do not mind paying someone more money or giving them a higher rating if they deserve it. However, for the individuals that do not present a diversely talented contributor and continue to provide negative communications, it's easier to let them go than to deal with the cancer that is holding a company from its potential.

Most people become a product of their environment. However, all it takes is one person to radically change that environment. Does your environment control you or do you have the passion to change your environment?

Use any excuse you want. You are the only thing that keeps yourself from a better working environment that pays more and results in true gratification.

I highly recommend learning as much as you can to develop your skills/knowledge/experience to create value to your personal profile. It is also a good practice to search for career opportunities within the company as well as outside the company. At times you can find jobs that offer more. Then use that information for bartering if you want to stay where you are currently employed.

One of the most important things I look for in an employee is one that demonstrates the interest and ability to get involved with a variety of issues/items.


I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.
Bird Dog

Answer 4

So let me see if I understand this. In 11 years, you have not developed any job skills that would enable you to get a better job. You expect me to feel sorry for you. boo-hoo

>>>"because it's not that easy when you're already working"

Nothing worth it is easy. You, gimme a break. You are an excuse maker. Your motto should simply be:

"It's not my fault, I am a victim"

You want somebody to do something for you, and thus you sit there a loser and complain about it. That is why you are making $7.75 / hour.

If you have time to sit on the Internet to complain about it, then you have time to look for another job.

.

Answer 5

The answer is not in finding a better job, but make yourself more emplyable. Get an education. And don't tell me it's too hard to do that while you are working. if that's your excuse then you deserve ever penny of the $7.75 you currently earn. but not a penny more. Get some ambition. Take night courses. Millions of people do it every day. Do you think that company vice presidents of stop getting educated? no. the ones who want to become president continue with university courses getting their 2nd, 3rd or 4th masters degrees. perhaps even doctorates. Above and beyond everything.. If you had time in your day to post this question, then you have time in the day to better yourself a your local college. Or even mature learning at high school if you don't yet have your high school diploma. If you don't have a high school diploma yet, please don't use the excuse that it too late for that. One of my staff members who just turned 50 this year, just completed his high school diploma. he said it was the most rewarding thing hes done in a long time

Answer 6

This kind of work is basically unskilled labor. There's no special skill required and staff is really easy to find when they need new hires. You can't realistically expect to make a whole lot more than your current salary doing unskilled labor. It's just not financially "worth it" to pay someone $10 or $15 an hour to stock shelves.

Answer 7

Because they can. If you have the same health benefits that you had five years ago, the increases in costs to your employers are much more than you ever get in raises.

Of course many similar jobs don't have benefits, which is why states are suing Wal-mart to force them to provide health care. Otherwise, medicaid winds up covering thousands of people with full time jobs.

Answer 8

You should have found another job 8 years ago. They do this to keep more profits for themselves.

They could care less if you don't have anything. All they care about is that you punch that time clock on time.

Answer 9

Supermarkets make lousy profits because of all the competition. So they look to see what they can squeeze some money out of in expenses. Their favorite target is their employees.

Answer 10

because in the big world of the Supper Market, the turn over rate is so high that if you don't like the pay you will leave and some one else will take the job and be happy with the pay