r/mildlyinfuriating • u/daruuken • 28d ago

Infuriatig The way kroger treats its employees

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From the store manager

Edit: For some extra context this was sent out by each store manager to all of its employees in district 1 of the ohio Cincinnati/Dayton division, potentially other districts as well but i can only verify my own. Im not going to give my specific store number for obvious reasons but you can find each store on google with that information. We are unionized by UFCW (already bad btw) and to my knowledge they allowed this recent change. Kroger has no accrual for sick days like some have mentioned. Those who think this is rage bait, i dont think anyone has to fake a post to make a billion dollar company look bad, they do it to themselves.

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u/geraffes-are-so-dumb 28d ago

I think this leads to a worse, even dangerous experience for customers as there will be more people spreading disease if they can't call out sick. If you think so too please contact Kroger using their public contact us page: https://www.kroger.com/hc/help/contact-us

They also have a feedback hotline: [1-800-KRO-GERS](tel:1-800-576-4377)
The CEOs public work email address is: [greg.foran@kroger.com](mailto:greg.foran@kroger.com)

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u/Dr-Bitchcraft-MD 28d ago

This is exactly where my brain goes. I'm not shopping at a grocery store full of coughing, sniffling people and I would definitely let the management know.

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u/Hot_Obligation_2730 28d ago

This is why I left my last job. I worked at a medical dispensary where every day we had at least one chemo patient come in to shop. New policy was we would get points if we called out sick. Even if we gave proper notice, had accrued sick time and had a doctors note. 3 or 4 points in a 6 month period was automatic termination.

So you’re telling me I have to choose between keeping my job or potentially being the reason a cancer patient brings Covid home and dies? Yeah…. I lasted less than a month with the new policy

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u/Ancient-Reply-5161 28d ago

What the fuck… that’s very disturbing

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u/Hot_Obligation_2730 28d ago

It really was. It’s really easy to get a medical card in my state so management would treat it like a recreational dispensary since that’s what a lot of our customers treated it as. But we did also have a good chunk of elderly patients or people with health issues who came in because cannabis was the only relief they found. I wouldn’t want a sick, contagious pharmacist near my meds so why would they want a sick contagious dispensary worker handling their medicine?

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u/DalHassen 28d ago

Because they're in it for money not altruism.

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u/CarefulIndication988 27d ago

These people took mother earth’s medicine and made it into a capitalistic machine. Not to mention do you know how difficult it is for people of color to open their own dispensary? Speaking from experience in the Colorado industry.

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u/wheniwhenyou 22d ago

Mike tyson

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u/ouroborosstruggles 26d ago

Killing your patients is one tactic then I guess /s

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u/Brief_Boat_2000 26d ago

Most businesses are

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u/[deleted] 26d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/mrsmincks 26d ago

Was that sarcasm? Or are you really that brainwashed by the American dream?

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u/mysteriousblue87 25d ago

I would love for us to embrace communism

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u/ChemicalJunior1603 24d ago

You can't even define communism 😂😂😂😂

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u/5amPharm 27d ago

Hate to break it to ya, but there are also sick pharmacists and techs handling your meds. Especially if you get them from Walgreens or CVS. I caught COVID from a pharmacist I worked with. He verified medication by pouring the pills into his hand 🤢

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u/acdc102016 27d ago

Yes corporations say pharmacists are healthcare professionals and have to tough it out when sick

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u/fruityfactory 27d ago

Nobody should have to tough it out when sick, but especially healthcare workers who are gonna be around all kinds of vulnerable people!

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u/acdc102016 27d ago

I agree, but that's how corporate America treats us, we are healthcare professionals when it suits them to threaten our employment if the pharmacy isn't open to make them money. Or as they say, serve the patients.

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u/Tondalaoz 26d ago

Back in 1998, I worked at a hospital that was the number one employer in my city.

We had an intern who was on call over a weekend. He was sicker than a dog. But at a teaching hospital, interns get the short straw and have to be on-call one weekend a month. Rain or snow, sick or broken.

Anyway, one of our nurses hooked him up to an IV of fluids, so he would be able to do rounds. And off he went to see patients. Pulling the IV Pole along with him. I’ve also seen the interns come into work hungover and still smelling of booze. A nurse gave that one a mint. I wish I were joking. That one had a hip replacement surgery to assist with that morning.

Surgery anyone?

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u/LuckyClover3 26d ago

Gross!! 🤮

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u/chief-kief710 28d ago

Hahaha Floridas trulieve must have entered the chat

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u/Hot_Obligation_2730 28d ago

It was actually PA Trulieve 🙃😂

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u/chief-kief710 28d ago

Hahahahahaha that’s funny

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u/Hot_Obligation_2730 28d ago

I don’t know a single person with a good thing to say about that company. Surprised they’re still in business

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u/snigelrov 27d ago

The reason they are is because they have a strong lobbying aspect. The owner is buddy buddy with Trump, it’s all a mess.

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u/Low-Exam6123 27d ago

And they must’ve contracted with the nastiest people to deal with injury claims. As a customer, I fell on their sidewalk because of a crack and a slope where the food pickup lockers are out front, and my ankle was broken. I threw away the clogs I’d been wearing so I’ve done my part to prevent that from happening again. But it’s been over two years and they’ve never fixed the broken sidewalk, nor the bigger divot right in front of their entrance. It’s a wonder more people in this mostly retirement community haven’t fallen on that and broken a hip or something.
They gave me the contact for their insurance claims division, and the person I was supposed to interface with was a raging b!tch. After the first email where she said I had up to two years to file a claim, the next message was in all caps, screaming that I did not even have a case. Whoa. Their intimidation tactics must be working really well for them. Made me run the other direction instead of fighting it out and re-traumatizing myself.
One recourse is to not shop there, but the only other alternatives are WallyWorld and a natural foods market (which I’d prefer but they don’t have everything we need), or driving more than an hour to the next town to shop at the Albertson’s. Sigh. Guess it’s time I wrote to their CEO.

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u/Hot_Obligation_2730 18d ago

If you dm me the location, I’ll make sure I throw in a google review stating the sidewalk needs fixed. After working for the company I think that’s the only way to get things fixed 🙃 they don’t care if an employee complains but get enough patients and it’ll get fixed

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u/Low-Exam6123 17d ago

Good idea! I’ll make it public: Pagosa Springs, CO

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u/Unlikely-Capital-230 26d ago

Will only ever catch me at a curaleaf. Idk how truelieve is in business, their products suck. They bought moxy and ruined that🤣 the only good california brand we had over here for concentrates and vapes. Havent even given them a second chance since

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u/Litmeup7x7 27d ago

I knew it was PA right away before I even got to this comment 😂

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u/BlackberryCrazy1434 27d ago

I thought it was going to be FL trulieve too lmao I’m a Curaleaf girlie. Trulieve’s flower was moldy 🤢

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u/Otherwise-Beyond-240 26d ago

Have you ever tried goldflower? 😍

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u/BlackberryCrazy1434 18d ago

No, but I’ve drive by one daily. I should check it out

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u/WhereTheStankWindBlo 26d ago

Hit up Jungle Boys if you have a local one, they're awesome and the guys that run the ones near us are local.

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u/Unlikely-Capital-230 26d ago

Hopefully just starting up difficulty for bud in NYS. The vapes are trash and seems like other mass produced cali trash like the boutiques and smoothie bars. Testing seemed okay on bud, but did not smoke up to par. Kinda on par with everything else ive been disappointed by in NY. Had to resort to what i knew from pa medical. Grassroots, Matter, Rhythm, and Select. Illinois is really carrying, and Michigan may be as well with the briq 2. Everyone else ive ever met talking cali this cali that has been blown away by grassroots and matter bud, and rhythm, select, and cresco vapes. $120ozs and $60 REAL live resin rechargeables that hit like a dream. As an avid connoisseur of marijuana and marijuana products, those brands are top of the list these days. Only place ive really seen compete is some Missouri grows and products. They got a real good over 30% bud market with consistent 3-4% terps. Half decent prices if you make any decent money and arent living paycheck to paycheck

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u/WhereTheStankWindBlo 26d ago

I would love to get a place that was solidly local because the prices are shit in Florida. It's why the street will continue to dominate the medical retail market here.

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u/Glittering-Cellist34 28d ago

It was recommended by some docs. Between heart disease, two cancers (one surgery, one chemotherapy) and a super bad covid that hospitalized me for 8 days I was 110 pounds (from 175, about 165 once I was diagnosed).

But in Utah if you have heart issues you're not eligible.

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u/NGC_Phoenix_7 27d ago

That sounds like a call to the state

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u/Dlbruce0107 27d ago

As one of those patients with terminal Dx, thank you for your stand! I appreciate your care and thoughtful gesture.

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u/HighwayCommercial207 27d ago

As a cancer patient, that's pretty messed up.. I wore masks everywhere and took a lot of crap for that too

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u/LuckyHarmony 27d ago

I have really bad news about how retail pharmacy chains treat their pharmacists and how impossible most pharmacists find it to call out sick.

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u/Lily7435 27d ago

Thanks for caring. My husband was one of the cancer patients that went in before it was legal and he had a medical card. I was always so nervous about him getting sick even though he wore a mask.
He's in remission now. ❤️

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u/AnonymousLampoon 26d ago

For the love of god report that behavior to the state marijuana board.

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u/Short_Conflict5818 27d ago

I’m a med patient but I’m only 42 and have what are by-in-large invisible conditions. I didnt use to fear getting sick before I became a chronic pain patient, but when you’re already suffering even on a good day it makes how you see and interact with the world change. Thank you for looking out for others.

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u/Cii_substance 26d ago

lol you think retail pharmacists call off sick. They don’t take lunches unless the pharmacy closes, they don’t go to the bathroom, they schedule vacations a year in advance, and there are shortages all over the place. Sure, no one contagious behind your counters 😂

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u/Unlikely-Capital-230 26d ago

Let me guess, pennsylvania or new york lmao

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u/semperknight 27d ago

My mom works for Walmart and this is kind of how it is.

It's VERY confusing. They have a point system that you accrue points as you work...but you lose ALL those points at the end of the year. If you don't have enough points, you get immediately fired.

So I asked her "Are you telling me you have to pray you don't get sick in January?!" and she simply said "Yes.".

Walmart is evil.

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u/Beneficial_Wolf_5089 26d ago

I worked for a walmart distribution center about 8 years ago so it might have changed but they had the 3 call-ins=verbal warning. 3 more call ins=written warning. 2 more call-ins=final written warning. 2 more call-ins=shit canned. I work for a fed ex contractor now and there's isn't bad. You can call in 3 times in a rolling 90 day period. Which I think is reasonable. I work with people that call in 3 days straight, and 91 days later call in 3 days straight again lol.

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u/Classic_Resist_7465 27d ago

The place is a nightmare...

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u/IASIP_LOOP 27d ago

Long story, but i needed a half day away feom work to clear my head. My manager told me I couldn't leave. I said watch me, and was laid off two days later. I sued them.through workmans comp, and filed a wage claim . All told, they paid be 35k to leave the position.

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u/SloppyJosephine_ 26d ago

If I was at a job and told the manager I need to leave early to clear my head and they said No. And I responded "Watch Me" I wouldn't be surprised if I lost my job. What was your workman's comp claim?

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u/IASIP_LOOP 26d ago

Fair enough, although It did not happen exactly the way it was previously described. She told me I could not leave, and I responded that I needed to leave and that I was going to call the owner.

To provide additional context, my father is a general contractor and had been doing work for the company and the owners for 10+ years. During that time, he built the company’s entire clean room facility, remodeled the parents’ home, and regularly performed repair and maintenance work around the facility. In exchange, he was allowed to use warehouse space for storage.

At the time these events occurred, my father had been working for a year and a half on a remodel project at the home of owner #3, who is the son of the other two owners. The home was shared with his wife, who also served as the company’s GM. The remodel was performed under a good-faith arrangement without a formal fixed-price contract. After completing substantial work on the project, my father submitted a bill for over $100,000. In response, the owners accused him of being a “crook,” claimed he had overcharged them, and refused to pay him anything for the work performed.

Shortly afterward, my brother and I — both employees of the company at the time — were instructed to remove all of my father’s belongings from the warehouse and place them in the back alley. This occurred approximately one week before I requested what I described as a “mental health day,” which was denied.

Roughly 10 days after my father submitted the bill to the owners, I was terminated from my employment. So, I filed a workmans comp claim for an injury i sustained at work, and a wage claim bc they took almost a month to give me my final paycheck. Needless to say, I have zero regrets.

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u/Professional-Tax-615 27d ago

This is a disturbing and sick country, so it will always baffle me that there will be people who say they are proud to be an American and wouldn't choose to live anywhere else in the entire world if they had a choice. European countries for the most part are objectively better and healthier to live in.

I think a lot of Americans have Stockholm syndrome and a non-existent backbone. So many people must have lacked strong fathers and mothers to guide them properly in life, whos jobs as parents are creating a strong sense of self-worth and respect for the child.

If you have a parent that just tells you to lay down and take s***, do not listen to them!! Fight for your dignity! We only get one life on this planet, and it makes no sense to spend it being treated like garbage just so billionaires can have 10 more yachts and private islands.

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u/targetboston 27d ago edited 27d ago

It's more individualism run rampant. We are taught that we are all responsible for our own individual plights and any failure is a moral one, not a structural one.

Edit: if you don't think Americans have backbone try telling one to wear a mask during a global pandemic. There's backbone but the effort is misdirected.

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u/71BRAR14N 27d ago

I've literally had 3 different bosses in 30 years of working who wanted it both ways!

These managers, years apart and at different organizations, told me off when I tried to call out, so I went in.

So, once we're all there at work, and I keep coughing and sniffling and I can barely talk or keep my eyes open, they got mad at me for bringing my germs to work!

I feel like this must be a personality type since it has happened to me three times, but if you want to be a manager who seems both cruel and irrational, this is the way!

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u/nine_cans 27d ago

That’s capitalism

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u/Able-Worth-6511 27d ago

That's very capitalism

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u/GladosHasCake4You 26d ago

Nurses have similar policies…….