Pros
TJ's sell's real food without artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, gmo ingredients. No food is imported from China. Every item goes through exhaustive testing panels before it hits the store's shelves. Excellent health benefits including dental, prescription drugs, vision, even for part time employees. Company paid retirement package where company (currently) matches 15.4 % of gross yearly salary and places this money into a 401k for you , with a six year vesting schedule. Fast paced, seldom place to work. Great pay for supermarket work.
Cons
Company is extremely focused on opening new stores and as a result is hiring large amount of off the street hires for Mate,(Assistant Mgt) positions. If you are ex Target or Starbucks, TJ's wants you! 85% of promotions used to come internally from former part time crew , now it is far more difficult to move up that way. TJ's is dangerously close to losing the spirit and mentality and corporate culture that has made it such a hit for so long. Reviews used to be given four times a year for everyone. Now it is twice a year for pt crew and yearly for ft crew. Bonus incentive program has become a joke unless you are a store Captain. There is no longer a formal store training program for management, you are expected to sink or swim pretty much on your own. Captains are under great pressure to bring in good numbers and are easily dismissed after years of loyal service. Work to life balance is abysmal. Management works ten hour shifts, often with only nine or ten hour turnarounds. Get a good data plan for your cell phone, because you'll be texting your family all the time. Even store Captains unload trucks, so the work is physically demanding and each store has a long list of employees out on Workman's Comp. Current restructuring plan places newly hired off the street Mates in charge of pt crew and Merchants whom often have many years with the company and better understand company values. Company is cutting back on payroll per store again, leading to a feeling of never having the time to do the job right. Store cleanliness and food safety suffer.