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Walgreens is too conservative and too capitalist, and the corporate culture at the Lincolnshire location is one of the worst I have seen in a 10 year IT career.
Its bad enough there are no Casual Fridays for people making less than $50k that other companies offer.
The problem within IT- WAG (I'm using their NYSE stock symbol. WAG is huge now with over 7000+ stores and has in my opinon, lost the mom and pop shop aspect of care, compassion and kindness to its employees and contactors it used to be known for as a small chain decades ago- in favor of ROI only. After 30 years+ as a customer- CVS and other places- will probably get my Rx business today, going with whoever is cheaper in an ROI world. When companies drive down salaries of employees or contractors, so is driven down the products said people buy- and where they buy- from based on cost.)
WAG is more worried about ROI than creating a positive, healthy, or fair- work environment, let alone any attempt to want to create a partnership or loyalty with its contract staff. They play off of 'preferred contracts' and 'preferred vendors' pushing costs down and worker stress to highs- they should never get to that other companies- DON'T DO.
Its the republican/self-serving method and why the occupy movments are happening today. What WAG and other fortune 500s *DO* to the 99%.
One WAG employee berated contractors into thinking they are not going to have time for a lunch break, when it is their right BY LAW to take 30-60 minutes, unpaid.
They also allow new hires to have their names made fun of if a current employee doesn't know- a new hire's name.
They also run their mouth over-sarcastically about drinking and encourage people to drink, off the job site.
Its bad enough the contract company that brought me in- flat out LIED about length of term. 2 years comittment of work for the new hired employee? Yeah right- try 9-12 months. Trying to push 2 years worth of work into a 9-12 month term. They create a hostile work environment- from the top down. I was better off where I was at before coming to WAG- and unfortunately- believed their hype.
Additionally- the project training was very disorganized- expecting new hires to write documentation and basic groundwork from day one- that should have been designed by WAG itself prior.
Each new hire should have been brought into a new store scenario and other aspects that were not provided 'hands on'. 30 people crowded around a server rack where one cannot see what is being deomnstrated- is not the correct way to train. Making training videos for as large of a project as it was- would have been- the right way to do things and definitely- less time consuming.
Bottom line. If you are in IT, want to have some sick day, personal day, and vacation day benefits, healthcare, and a positive even somewhat- less-stressful work enviornment other fields have, look elswehere. WAG's IT will drive a person to drink, and its bad enough- when they ENCOURAGE it.
If you are looking for a team scenario and collaboration where you are treated with some decency, respect and encouragement- definitely- look elsewhere.
Remember WAG:
It is not about ROI for the company and 'do as I say, not as I do'.
But ROI from the employee's perspective and how you treat them, in to make the employee more productive- get it right WAG.
These statements are all factual. Names are withheld to protect the people's identity of those involved, including- my own.
The only pro was the salary- the only way to get someone that is working is to pay them more than what they were making elsewhere. Sadly I fell for this tactic and now I am out a job I was better off at- before going to WAG.
It is hard to be in retail, but after 19 years of retail I am pleased to say I like what i am doing. The expectations are high especially for EXA, which is basically proving you can run a store yourself before they give you one. I started as a Senior Beauty Advisor making slightly higher than minimum wage. I worked my way up through the company and was recognized for my hard work. Sure there are certain managers that are difficult, but it made me a stronger employee. I am now working hard to get my own store within the next few years. Walgreens has been good to me through all my personal trials and supported me bettering myself.
Cons: Budgeted hours, employee retention
Pros: Recognition, customer service focused, competitive salary
A lot of the reviews on here seem to come from people who think Walgreens is absolutely horrible, but I beg to differ. I've worked at 3 different Walgreens over the past 2 1/2 years, and I have to say, I like the company. I like what we stand for, and the way we treat our customers. Of course there are some things to be desired, but I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that we're a HUGE national company, and sometimes the things that look good on paper to the corporate offices don't work so well in real life at a store level. Thankfully, management within the stores tends to be competent. Of course sales are important, and though sometimes expectations are high, I've never known anyone to get fired for not reaching sales goals. I started out as a Beauty Advisor one summer, and had to transfer to a different store (because of school) which was very easy, since Walgreens is everywhere, which is a big perk. I worked part-time while going to school, and the management was always very flexible when it came to my hours- they even let me transfer back to a store near my parents' home for a few weeks during the Christmas holidays! Each Walgreens that I've been to has been very different, ranging from a 15-year-old store that still boasts a separate liquor department, to a 1-year old store that was very sleek and new. There's usually a different clientele and ambiance at each store, but I've always been lucky to find a sincere family dynamic amongst everyone that works at a particular store. Sure, there are some nit-picky managers, some rude/difficult customers, but for the most part, as long as you are sincerely engaged with the customers while you're there and show true work ethic, everyone else will notice and reward you for it. I was most recently promoted to Senior Beauty Advisor, I moved to a different store and was warmly welcomed. The department needed a lot of work, and I feel good that I've been helping turn things around. To be perfectly honest, I don't think the wages are fabulous, but I understand that there's been a lot of cutting back. I was actually already making more as a Beauty Advisor than the starting salary of a Senior Beauty Advisor. Thankfully, my store manager recognized that the added responsibility of managing my own department warranted higher pay, which I received.
Overall, I feel like Walgreens is a friendly, safe environment. On the whole, they take good care of their employees, and as long as you actually give a damn when you come to work, everything else should fall into place :)
Where do I even start!?!? Well, I have been working for this company for over 2 years now and have had nothing but problems since day 1. I just now FINALLY got promoted to HPS (Head photo specialist) after all of the bullsh*t I had to endure just to only get 9.50 an hour! I have to say for the ridiculous amounts of stress and way too high of expectations on a daily basis, thats not NEARLY enough! Most management dont give a crap about their employees and it shows by hounding them constantly to meet impossible deadlines and receiving nothing but criticism for one little thing that was done wrong. The employees themselves for the most part are nice and friendly because we all have the "were all in this together" mentality, but you can tell if you walk into any store by the looks on their faces that they don't want to be there. The pay starting out is a JOKE and doesn't get much better. Now being a HPS i get called by the idiot managers on my days off and time off because they're too f*cking stupid to figure it out or take the time to learn when shown! (Which happened today) There are politics just like at any other job and the boss is very quick to throw you under the bus when sales goals aren't met. because hey, people just jump to buy dove candy bars and batteries that have been sitting in the stockroom for months when they're getting their pictures developed! Overall, in a nutshell, this place will suck the life out of you and kill your morale on a daily basis. I know because a negative aura seeps over me as soon as i walk in knowing the crap i will have to suffer from be it stupid customers that clip a thousand coupons and hold up your line or aimlessly trying to meet impossible deadlines that everyone KNOWS can't be done! Like I said at the beginning...I wish that I could get out!!!
Pros-Vacation time is reasonable, employees are nice and friendly (but raging on the inside)
Cons-Crappy holiday hours, mgmt doesnt give a crap, ridiculous work loads, constant pressure, not enough staff, NOT ENOUGH PAY (minimum wage starting out) unrealistic expectations, EVIL!
(Advice to anyone who gets a job here: GET OUT ASAP!!!!)
this is my first job. started as a BA, then at 18 i got transfered as a PS. i wouldnt call it a promotion since it was only a .50 cent raise and with that position comes with a lot of stress. im a hard worker and did everything i was asked to do and later on i learned to do other things without being asked. as years pass by i watched employees come and go, yet i was still there. on warehouse, smart fills days i try to make sure all totes and full cases are done before i leave (i actually cared and wanted to make sure our store manager will be glad the next day. ps all managers always try to please him). when our EXA was gone for 3 months its usually me and the store manager running the store(+reg 1 clerk and BA). we didnt always have an asst manager and floor person because hours are cut. every pages for a manager from reg 1 to cos to rx to vendor check in i would try to get because its usually stupid pages like a price check, item location, rain check bla bla bla.and the only reason why i would go out of my way is to ease the stress level from the store manager(which im not even appreciated for). unlike other emp who doesnt care about this place i actually did.
all employees gets along for the most part, we are all from different ages and we are all friends but yes theres always drama here and there and everybody have their own little group, managers always have their favorites. i am a favorite of some of the asst managers but thats because im a hard worker. some employees are favorites because they are sexually appetizing! it disgust me! this place pisses me off bec. theres a couple emp that doesnt punch in or punch out and when asked they will just lie on what time they came in and yet managers believe the person without checkiing the tape!! some asst managers know of this and reported it to the store manager yet he would say maybe the emp is forgetful. oh fuck really? how can somebody forget to punch in or out 3-4 times a week? yet Lost prevention hasnt noticed anything? there are so much more going on in this store. emp are spoiled and gets away with everything! even stealing!
im so tired of the store that i asked to be transfered to the Rx. trained and scheduled 1 day a week as a PT but no PT pay because walg rule is you have to work in a certain dept 3times a week before they could give you a promotion.. its been 5 months now and decided to leave this company for good, but finally got offered to get the PT pay. we'll see if theyll actually give it to me (since it took them 7 months to raise my pay from BA to PS)
2007 started at 8.25 BA
now at 10.00 PS
started off as a BA, after 4 years of being number 1 PM earner (from $30.00 to $170dailyin PMs)in COS got promoted to MGT.
we are understaffed for the amount of work our store manager wants us to complete with a day. As a closing manager i have about 3 hrs less than our morning shift manager do the same amount of work.
i would say i lack training in photo and pharmacy because i really dont know how to troubleshoot photo when it breaks down and it happens every other week. I also happen to be a COS SWISS but unfortunately my store manager doesnt include cos swiss resposibilities into his daily notes so i kind of have to run cos department in between completing his assignments.
cons: understaffing, lack of training, daily notes staffed with too many assignments.
I worked for Walgreen's for a couple of years, and in that time I found a company which only cared about its bottom line. Employee's were never given positive reinforcement, only criticism. Hours were promised and then cut. Workload was ridiculous. The company is one of the worst at understaffing a store and then expecting the few they have to perform miracles. ALL employees hate their jobs and it shows in how they treat customers. At one point everyone in the RX had an application out at another place. It is not worth the stress, the disrespect, and the constant loss of holidays with family. As an manager I cleaned bathrooms! Too cheap to get a janitor or janitor services. I like where I am now a local hometown store which gives off holidays because they understand that that is a time for the family. I hate to say it but they are just not a company you could turn into a career. They could work harder at being better to their frontline employees.
iF THERE IS A POSIOTION UNDERPAID TRY BEING AN EXA. iN CHARGE OF EVERYTHING LITERALLY. eMPLOYEES, CUSTOMERS, PAYROLL ,SCHEDULE AND MOST IMPORTANT SWISS (FOODORDERING,ALCOHOL,CANDY,FOOD VENDORS, TOBACCO, AND DRINKS) WITH THIS GOES ADVERTISING, MERCHANDISING,OUTDATES, SMART COUNTS AND A BOSS WHO WILL COME DOWN LIKE THE TITLE EXA MEANS CNA'T MESS UP OR FORGET.yOU HAVE NO CONTROL OF WHAT IS BEING ORDERED YET YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF FOOD.
ALSO, YOU ARE LUCKY IF YOU GET A RAISE BECAUSE IF YOUR BOSS DOES NOT GIVE YOU A GOOD PERFORMANCE YOU ARE STUCK WITH THE SAME PAY. FOR ME IT'S BEEN NOT A PENNY IN TWO YEARS WHILE 85% GOT A LEAST $.50 IN EACH YEAR. POLITICS RULE AND GOOD LUCK GETTING A GOOD STORE MANAGER i'VE HAD 10 IN 8 YEARS AND AND 4 OF 10ARE GOOD BUT THAT LASTED JUST A FEW MONTHS.
EMPLOYEES TRUST AND ARE CLOSER THAN TO THE STORE MANAGER
Walgreens has COMPLETELY taken advantage of the bad economy expecting more for less. Our store is completely understaffed and at least 80% of my coworkers either have a second job or are looking for another one as a way to get out! The only way the manager shows appreciation for a job well done is by ignoring you(even though it makes you feel stupid and worthless its better than getting yelled at). Managers are always playing with their phones and joking around but when you stop working to catch your breath (not being on the phone or talking to anyone) you will get yelled at and interrogated as to why YOU are not doing anything. Most managers at this store tell customers we are out of items when they don't want to go in the stock room and look for them. If there is an open position that you want, you better believe they are going to hire someone with absolutely no experience for that position instead of you. The people that enjoy working there are usually the ones that hang out with the manager outside of work, most likely have 5 children and happen to mysteriously get promoted to the head of their department.
Pros: close to where I live. not much mental energy wasted.
Cons: very stressful from customers as well as management and coworkers, low pay for the amount of work expected, unprofessional mgmt
I work in the cosmetics department. Even though we are the first 3 aisles of the store, then people head to the rest of the store to finish they're shopping, we are expected to ring up a third of the days sales at our register. This is something managment hounds us over. At the same time we have stocking, cleaning, resets, showing customers to other areas of the store and helping them with their selections there, helping at the front registers if there's more than 3 people in line, demonstrations to man, price changes to do, etc. Many of our customers are there to get perscriptions and/or photos, and they don't want to pay at 2 different registers. Walgreens also has "suggestive sales item" for each department that they demand you push. Most of the time these items aren't so easy to sell. For example sunscreen, in March, in Michigan, in a down economy. Or body wash that they've had on sale for the last 3 months. But MGT will still hound you to get those sales up. They promise you commissions on the make-up you sell, but you only get that money if you can get the customer to pay you at the cosmetics register. If they're waiting on a perscription, say good bye to that $ you just worked to earn. ALso, no matter how hard you work, how much you get done, never a thank you, or job well done. Just more pressure to get more done.
Pros-Overtime pay if you work over 10 hours in a day, but they never let that happen. 5 days vacation pay after a year, 10 after 2 years, 1 personal day, and 6 sick days, and 6 paid holidays a year for full time employees. Oh and benefits if you can afford them. If your an adult living on your own, not part of MGT, without a second income, you probably can't.
Starting wage-Minimum wage, my 20 years of previous experience meant nothing. Then look forward to a $.25 raise (if store manager approves) every 6 months. So after 2 years you could be making $1 more per hour. After another couple years you might catch up to what the kids flipping burgers are making. From what I'm told, it's not this bad all over the country. Walgreens is just taking advantage of the high unemployment rate in Michigan. Oh and don't believe when they say that they promote from within, and that you don't need a degree to be an assistant. I don't have a degree but have 20 years in the field, 5 years of it being a store manager and 7 assistant managment experience, but no degree. Last year they hired many new assistants in the area a few had no retail or customer service experience, but did have degrees. My store manager even recommended me, and I was interviewed, but passed over because I didn't have a degree. Which I was informed of at a later time.
Walgreens can be a very good company if not for the EXTREME matter of favoritism. Im sure not all situations are the same, but the drama that goes on at store level is so ridiculous. It would be great to say that had work will get you everywhere in this company, but not here...its all about who you know or who you are related to. Now that the economy is what it is, its even more pathetic. If your plans are to find a company to move up in and make a future of, then this is probably not for you unless you have connections here.
salaries to my position got cut anywhere frome 5,000 to almost 10,000 for some long termed employees, while store managers continued to get their larg bonuses created for them by lower level mgts. It's unfortunate to say, but most store managers, Not All, decide to spend most of the time in the office talking on the phone all day...while many EXAs, which are not bound to the time clock, take advantage of that to come in late, take extended lunches, and leave early at thier convenience. AGAIN NOT ALL MANAGEMENT AND STORES ARE LIKE THIS, but for the most part it is. GOOD LUCK.
If you enjoy working for an hierarchal system, in an environment full of rumors and drama, this is for you. There have been rumors spread by the STORE MANAGER, to OTHER stores about me. I started when I was 16 years old and in high school, and I would be working 30-35 hours a week. This is insane, and I believe it breaks some labor laws for minors. When I was working overnights, while in college, I worked an 11 hour shift, and on days where I was sick, the Store Manager told me that overnights do not get sick days like all other employees. Nor do they get vacation time, unless there is coverage. As an SBA I was verbally abused, and expectations were horrendous with what duties they wanted me to do.
I started at 6.75 and I got up to 9.00 after two years, but that was after a lot of influence and noticing when to put my voice in for promotions. Bonuses weren't always given like they were supposed to, and I should have been around 10 dollars, when I left.
An assistant manager is where you start off if you're a recent grad. You’ll primarily be stocking shelves, handling cash, watching over things, and following the store manager’s directions. Expect to work 45-50hrs a week and all holidays. Expect heavy lifting and being on your feet all day. This is not an easy job by any means. The long hours and hard work continue as you move up along with high stress as there is pressure to meet many store goals.
