Almost no opportunity for advancement. When an opportunity does arise, don't expect the most experienced person to get the job. There's a lot of favoritism among managers, and their favorites will get the promotions.
Constantly understaffed. There are never enough cashiers at work, even on "Lucky Number Tuesday", which is generally an extremely busy day. This means sales clerks are called away from their departments to help cover the registers, often for long stretches of time (20-30 minutes per call is not unusual). These same sales clerks are also expected to keep their departments stocked and tidy, and their seasonal resets and regular planograms are to be completed in a timely manner, which is difficult when they are constantly on a cash register.
Corporate management is out of touch with the day to day operation of these stores. Dress code is outdated. Men are expected to wear ties (which could be a safety hazard if they were to get caught in the cardboard baler); women are expected to wear blouses (and look "nice"--quote from management). Shoes are to be polishable, which means they are likely not practical for 8 hours of wear on concrete floors. Nearly all of us complain of foot/leg/hip pain caused by inappropriate footwear. Even the janitor has to wear nice clothes. Our freight often arrives covered in black soot. Stocking shelves frequently involves kneeling or sitting on dirty concrete floors.
