Trader Joe's Culture is changing and not in a good way - Anonymous employee Trader Joe's Employee Review

1.0
Oct 15, 2015
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good food and most of my co-workers were really cool. I used to work for Safeway and it was lightyears better than that.

Cons

The cons definitely outweigh the pros. This is a physically-demanding job so if you don't like standing on your feet for a long period of time or lifting up heavy objects then the job isn't for you. I started about three years back as a deckhand (bagger and cart wrangler) and then worked my way up to a cashier and overall a more involved role in the store. I could definitely see the culture change and probably the biggest change myself and other workers saw was the company cutting back on benefits. And this was a real head scratcher because the company is making more money than they ever had so I'm guessing they are reducing benefits to cut back on spending therefore increasing profit. I also was thrown under the bus a lot of the time and slanderous rumors were thrown around often at me for no apparent reason. Even though most people were cool deep down a lot of them do not like their job because they don't get paid a lot and their bodies hurt and they are struggling to make ends meet with their dismal salary. That is why it is best to get a college degree and shoot for the stars instead of sticking with complacency and repetitious retail jobs like Trader Joe's. It is best to always be careful who you are around because there are about 90 other workers and saying one thing could spread like wildfire. Also do not ever let your performance review tell you that you aren't a good worker it is just a piece of paper and management has to think of at least one flaw in your work. Since I am in college it was a good part-time job but I strongly do not recommend it as a full-time job. Get a degree and look for a higher calling.

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5.0
Jul 18, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
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Pros

Great staff and management, common sense company values/practices. Great teamwork

Cons

It’s a lot of work, very physical

5.0
Jul 15, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

This company really does care about its employees. There's a reason why people make a career out of their time here. It is the most fun job I've ever had. They hire amazing, hardworking people with great personalities. Management is always willing to help. Theres fun tastings of new products all the time. Customers are generally always in a good mood. The job is physically demanding, but I am in the best shape of my life lol. They schedule you to change what you're doing every hour, so the 8-hour day goes by fast.

Cons

They can definitely play favorites. The same people get the shifts that they want, and when you first start, you can get stuck closing for quite some time.

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