While the scholarship program itself is a fantastic benefit for students, the actual experience of trying to accrue the necessary hours is incredibly disappointing and frustrating. Despite maintaining wide availability, I constantly had to plead with management just to get the hours I needed, often feeling as though the company does not truly prioritize retaining scholarship recipients. This frustration was compounded by high management turnover, which made it impossible to rely on consistent leadership or build stable relationships. To make matters worse, corporate policies frequently prevent local management from scheduling adequate staff, resulting in a "skeleton crew" on the front end that struggles to handle daily operations. Ultimately, the company feels like a shell of its former self, prioritizing virtue signaling over the genuine well-being and support of its employees.
Working the front end has become an exhausting experience defined by high expectations and very little support. Cashiers are now expected to maintain high speeds and juggle the entire checkout and bagging process without any assistance, a stark contrast to the standard of service maintained in the past. This is made even more difficult by the poor quality of the current paper bags, which lack handles, tear easily, and cause paper cuts, yet customers are still charged for them. Furthermore, the work environment has become increasingly rigid and unsupportive, particularly concerning medical needs; in one personal case, my requests for accommodations were met with hostility and suspicion rather than understanding and willingness to cooperate, creating significant stress. Without a system to rotate employees through different tasks, the monotony of the register leads to rapid burnout, making the position difficult to sustain.
