Never work here - Anonymous employee Trader Joe's Employee Review

1.0
Apr 9, 2018
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I guess the pros are that you get a paycheck every two weeks. Some bosses are cool and some shouldn’t have a job.

Cons

FAVORITISM!!! If you haven’t been working here that long and someone else pretty much dedicated their career to be a long lasting Trader Joe’s employee then you’re SOL. Managers will speak down to you as if you are a nobody. They expect you to bow down whenever they “have a talk” with you. I hated the captain here. He was such a hypocrite and sexist. That’s probably why he got transferred within a 6 months period of being here. It’s so hard to get into this company. You need to know so many connections just to get a call for an interview. A 15 minute break doesn’t exist at the Encino Trader Joe’s. If you clock in too early for your break; you get a write up but it’s ok if you arrive late to work several times if you’re favorited by a certain manager. Trust, this place is a circus. On top of that, the customers are completely rude. This is ENCINO, all of the rich and famous come to this store. So not only are you being treated like you’re worthless but the CUSTOMERS demand you to wait on them hand and foot and if you don’t, guess who they go run and tell? The managers. So you don’t benefit in any situation here. This place will break you mentally. No matter how strong you may think you are. Not only that but they hire kids legit teenagers that are still in high school who can’t work that many hours, that can’t be cashiers, that’s can’t stock, etc because they are limited from school and/or their parents to do minimal work so that puts more hours with others who already work full time and have a family or go to school. Nobody has time to do anything because they play with your hours.

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5.0
Jul 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
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Pros

Great place to work all around

Cons

Nothing really bad to say

4.0
May 27, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-Great way to meet people, socialize, and learn customer service -Always tasked with different things every hour -Friendly crew who will always help you to learn and get better at your job -Get a slight pay raise every 6 months -No outside commitments and amazing benefits if you work full time (about 28 hours a week for every 6 months) -Will take time, but find your friend group, stay with them and have fun, you can't please everybody -Care for your body, do not overdo it with physical labor, its a retail job and you only have one fragile body for yourself, get help or insist about your pains

Cons

-Not many, unless you are stuck in a bad store with bad management -I had some good luck of working in 3 great stores, so YMMV -Sometimes can get cliquey like you are back in high school -Getting promoted up to store management may involve buttering up and being a "yes-person" -Care for your body, do not overdo it with physical labor, its a retail job and you only have one fragile body for yourself, get help or insist about your pains

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