CVS Caremark Reviews in Phoenix, AZ Area

Pros

CVS Caremark is a good company to work for. They pay decent, for AZ, and give a lot of flexibility. You get to work from home one day a week after 6 months of employment.

Cons

Problem in my division is upward mobility. I feel that I will have to switch departments for a promotion. The people in the top stops have been here for 10+ years and I don't see them leaving.

Advice to Senior Management

Provide additional opportunities for promotion. Also, pay the employees more.

Pros

1. Paycheck
2. 20/30% discount in the retail stores
3. No issues getting most tools that I need for my job (headset, computer, office setup, etc).
4. Really nice fitness center IF you are located on the Shea campus

Cons

This company seems to be built upon the silos from multiple acquisitions, and little to no thought seems to have been part of the process to integrate systems or all these multiple mergers. Job duplications. Sr leaders building their kingdoms. For MedD, they have a 1 star rating with CMS (as bad as you can have). The senior leaders seem to make decisions without weighing alternatives. IT support is horrible, with multiple support requests having to be created for multiple departments, & you have to chase them down to get them complete. I even overhead one of the managers telling her employees that a specific person (by name) wasn't hired due to not passing the background check. Thi is by far one of the worst companies that I've ever worked for. I feel for the customers that are caught up with the various system, and do not plan to be here long.

Advice to Senior Management

Improve the communication flow. When you are making decisions that impact our customers, be more open and honest in communications. Depending on the group you are in, you hear different messages. That creates a lot of confusion for employees. Make sure that you leverage system "experts" in key technical decisions. OPEN and HONEST communications without thought to building kingdoms

Pros

Good starter job
Decent training within the manager training program

Cons

Stores run on a very small staff. You are expected to be able to do everything within unreasonable time frames when you have to assist customers.
You can quickly be transferred from store to store with no previous knowledge or desire. The store can even be quite a distance from where you live.

Advice to Senior Management

When promises are made, don't give lip service to them and then do the opposite. Care a bit more about the associates and not your bonus.

Pros

CVS has great job opportunities not only in the front store but also in the pharmacy. Great career path or just a great job all by itself.

Cons

Some of the cons associated with CVS would be the employee personnel that are hired at CVS. Usually some of your fellow co workers are not always there and the scheduling of said employees is sometimes ridiculous. If your a hard worker and dont mind being all by yourself besides one person then this is the job for you.

Advice to Senior Management

Figure out a new scheduling strategy and also have some more restrictions on upper managements credentials so not just anyone can become a store manager.

Pros

It's a paycheck
401K match is good
You get a Discount at CVS - 20% off non CVS brand, 30% off CVS brand

Cons

-Yearly pay increases average 1-2% for reviews that are above average, that's when there isn't a wage freeze like in 2009
-Within the last year, CVS Caremark has reduced the PTO accrual rate, hitting employees that have been with the company over 10 years the hardest...nice way to say thanks for your commitment
-Upper management disrespect and degrade employees, HR is useless, HR is there to protect the managers not the employees
-If you have any type of medical issue that requires time away from work, even with approved FMLA, they will find a way to get rid of you.

Advice to Senior Management

We understand the economy is bad right now and there are 20 other candidates lined up to replace you (direct quote). But that doesn't make it right to use that as leverage to mistreat, bully, reduce PTO and tuition reimbursement and "stick it" to your employees while your company draws a profit.

Pros

Peers are mostly great. Decent benefits & cafeteria.

Cons

Very poor IT management, bullying style, constant on-call with LOTS of issues, outsourcing of help desk to India with accompanying poor communication issues

Advice to Senior Management

Replace 90% of the IT managers that were in-place with Caremark before the merger with CVS

Pros

solid company, hence reliable in terms of security.
flexible work hours provided
different departments within pharmacy to gain experience in

Cons

poor vacation/sick day policy
huge pay cut compared to retail
fewer chances of promotion
very strict attendance policy--no room for emergencies at all; makes it stressful for unplanned life events

Advice to Senior Management

The attendance policy can be made lenient. Employees can do their best if the management has the flexibility to support their needs.

Pros

Great if you get good management and like the people you work with. Decent working environment. The work isn't exciting (corp.) but your friends at work can get you through the day.

Cons

I use to like working here, but it's going downhill fast. Cutting jobs, cutting vacation time, tuition reimbursement, etc. Don't tell us that you need to cut costs then brag about booking 11 billion in PBM profits for 2011. Don't use the leverage of a bad economy to squeeze your employees out of PTO (that is earned - not a true benefit) and other benefits just to please Wall St. Don't give money away (Home Makeover show) and then cry poverty and enforce cost cutting (employee and benefit cutting really). You want to cut costs, start charging for coffee (we get it free). I'd be happy to pay for coffee if it meant saving the company money and jobs. I'm tired of hearing that we're lucky to have jobs. Talented people with healthy skills are happy to have jobs, not lucky.

Advice to Senior Management

Said it all in the above. Shed the condescending attitude and truly value your employees. Your ugly head is showing. BTW, didn't see you on the Best Places to Work list. Tom??? Should have left Caremark alone. CVS just screwed it up.

Pros

discount, pay is ok. Will hire un-experienced workers. Clean workplace. Not too difficult to work your way up. Good learning job.

Cons

Managers are very stressed because of such high demands set by district manager and higher. Very few employees. Expect to have pretty much the same responsibilities as managers with lower pay. CVS offers training but plan on learning yourself. No limitations to job requirements.

Advice to Senior Management

District managers should have some idea of how to run a CVS, its not as easy as they must think.

Pros

Given real, actionable assignments. Accommodating HR department.

Cons

lower pay than other pharmaceutical internships.

Advice to Senior Management

understand difference between strategy and operational effectiveness.