Strack & Van Til Reviews

Former Employee – worked at Strack & Van Til full-time for more than a year

Pros – Easy work, you get hours, not terribly boring. Some managers and co workers were very helpful and knew what they were doing.

Cons – The management is very close minded to suggestions and seemingly corrupt. They're content to sweep an issue under the carpet as oppose to addressing it. Our back room was a disaster, always overstocked and never organized. An absolute pig stye. We often find items that expired years ago, and no one seemed to care. I had to call off several days for military reasons, and they are legally not allowed to penalize me for this. What do they do? Write me up and claim the company is more important than my military obligations. Also, the gossip situation is rampant. We have two managers in particular who will stand up front for a half hour at a time and whine or gossip about other employees and their personal lives. I've even had costumes point this out. I actually left the front end for a position in the back because I was so sick of the constant gossip and whining about little things instead of sucking it up and dealing with it. I could go on about many other issues, but these were the most prevalent. Also, doing the garbage was hideously gross. No one else will change a bag, just pile it on. Many of the other employees were demoralized and cared little because of these problems.

Advice to Senior Management – Listen to suggestions, learn that some of us trying to make a career outside your store (military in my case) and be flexible, clean up the back room, and stop acting like a bunch of middle schoolers.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Strack & Van Til part-time for more than a year

Pros – You will be hired depending on location ... east chicago , Indiana is hard up for good workers.

Cons – Pay is not indicative of work done. Hardly any regard or merit is given to employees rather the customer is always right even when they are wrong or come in drunk or high or want something for free so they complain and management always gives in to them.

Advice to Senior Management – Be fare with employees who help make your profit margins attainable and be more generous with wages for work performed by your employees

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company

Former Employee – worked at Strack & Van Til part-time for less than a year

Pros – I got a pay check.

Cons – I'd have to get my managers to pay me for hours that I worked all the time. They treat their employees like They're not even people. The stracks I worked at hire a lot of educable slow people and treated them so bad and worked them like dogs. I had a friend tell me he liked being in the bakery because the people up front are so mean to him. If anyone has a brain about themselves don't work here. The company is corrupt and only meant to bring in little people so the big people up top can live it up large.
They are not flexible! I worked back in the bakery and they had no one to take my place if I needed to take off. I missed Family get togethers, birthdays, and vacations and I always tried working with them. I asked for a week off and I ended up having to work half of our family vacation because they would not give it to me. I still live with my parents and I didn't have a car so my whole family had to cut the vacation short because of me and my 'Part Time Job' Then when one of the people I work with had to call off work for some time I was stuck with a newbie and they worked me to death plus I have several health conditions (as so did the new girl working with me) that they knew about. we worked late every night because we couldn't finish our work, we were working over 40hrs on a 'part time job' Then they decided to move me to night shift and the new girl had been working there for less than a month and I 8 months. I told them I couldn't work 9pm-3:30/5am shifts that i couldn't get home and my health probably couldn't take that. They tried getting me rides with strangers I didn't even know! I'm not getting in the car with strange people I don't know. Then my manager told me to call off all week so I did, and she kept putting me on that schedule for 3 weeks. Then she went to the store manager and told him I just didn't want to work, which is not true because I need the money I'm getting married early next year. Plus, trying to find your union rep. to help out like he's paid to do, good luck finding him. He called the day after I quit and I called him for two weeks. So he told me If I don't come into work that night he was going to fire me so I quit. So much stress has been lifted of me since then and my health has improved! The had no values of their merchandise, or how it looked or tasted. The product could be dropped on the floor or months in our freezer and we would still package it and put it out on the floor (I always chucked the bread if it fell on the floor I didn't care that's the right thing to do). The bread I baked was Months some times years expired! Everything was filthy, Pans floors and equipment. I also run my own business so I couldn't imagine running my company like they do! People need to read this, people need to know what they're buying!

Advice to Senior Management – You should take care of the people that are the face of your company. Listen to them, and actually be flexibly like you say when people apply and they'll return the favor. I worked so hard to gain the approval of my employer and they beat me down, all the time except one which was the only person I could talk too.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at Strack & Van Til

Pros – Insurance, medical benefits for part time employees.

Cons – They treat employees as dispensible at any time. Union participation is required, although Utility clerks get no benefits from them.

Advice to Senior Management – Crack down on those who don't do the job. Give recognition when a job is well done. Watch customers more than employees. Get some Security.

Current Employee – been working at Strack & Van Til

Pros – Hours are available for those looking to work, as the overnight stocking crew is always shorthanded. The turnover rate is astounding, so if you show up on time and do your job, the job security is solid. Overnight hours allow you to still carry on your personal life during daytime hours.

Cons – The pay is minimal with little chance for increases or promotions. I was hired as a part-time employee but have been working 40 plus hours per week. They have still failed to switch my status to full-time and as such, have denied me benefits despite working there for several months at the 40 plus hours pace. Management is extremely busy and not awfully responsive toward fielding ideas on how the store could be run better. They consistently over-order supplies which makes you job harder in stocking them, despite not needing the merchandise for weeks or even months in advance. The backrooms and warehouse are in disarray because of ordering issues.

Advice to Senior Management – Listen to your foot soilders. The people actually stocking the shelves should have input on which products we need more of and which do not sell. Senior store management often doesn't step out of the office and pay attention to what's going on in the sales floor. Give your best employees who show up regularly and do their job well proper benefits or consider them for a pay raise.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Strack & Van Til

Pros – The co-workers at the store are nice, well-reserved people. A lot of hours are given each week, and the paychecks are generous.

Cons – Management is not helpful, and they are not nice. There are not many scheduled days off, and scheduled days can be very, very long.

Advice to Senior Management – Management should listen to employees more and deal with issues with a diplomatic approach instead of interrogating. Attitudes should be nice and positive.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Strack & Van Til

Pros – -Simple work.
-Promotion opportunities.
-Union(for some).
-Health Benefits.

Cons – -Low wages unless you are in high management.

Advice to Senior Management – Keep up the good work.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend