Salvation Army – “This is not retail...”

Pros

You sometimes meet interesting people while working on the cash register. Generally don't have time to stand around and be bored.

Cons

Managers who schedule you to work when they know you're scheduled at your other job and then write you up for not being there. Managers who are inexperienced and don't know how to deal with people, don't know how to manage within State and Federal laws and aren't willing to listen to suggestions. Low pay and NO raises, no unemployment if let go or laid off because they're a 501(c) organization. Medical insurance is adequate but somewhat biased toward men--i.e. pays for cervical cancer screening once every three years but prostate screen is covered every year.

Employees are expected to put out same number of pieces of clothing per week whether they have the stock in the store to do those numbers or not, or regardless of whether or not there is room on the racks to hang that many pieces. Employees are written up and/or fired if it numbers aren't met and that threat is ALWAYS hanging over everyone's heads. Very stressful work environment that really doesn't need to be. A few small changes could relieve a lot of the stress and wouldn't be that difficult to implement if management were willing to listen.

No air conditioning in the store because Senior management says it's not needed--was 83 degrees outside today and 92 degrees inside the front part of store. What's July/August going to be like? No public bathrooms because Senior management says we don't need them. Tired of cleaning urine from the sales floor--the store employees don't get paid enough to deal with potentially hazardous bodily waste.

Advice to Senior Management

Your employees are human beings. Try showing some compassion and treating them as such. Not all of us are in your alcohol/drug abuse/ex-con programs--I've never touched the stuff and never been arrested for anything and resent being treated as if I'm some sort of subhuman moron because I work for you. I wouldn't be working for you if we didn't have a 15.6% unemployment rate and I could find anything else.
Educate your managers on the laws. Even 501(c) orgs. are not above State and Federal labor laws. If an employee's Dr. says they need an accommodation for a medical condition that the IL Supreme Court has, in previous cases, ruled is a reasonable accommodation for the position the employee holds, then it needs to be followed. The manager handing the Dr.'s note back and implying that the employee will no longer have a job if they expect the accommodation to be followed is a lawsuit waiting to happen.