FMJ's Corporate Office is the absolute worst! Avoid at ALL Cost.
Pros
There are very few. - Discounts at Fred Meyer are a pro. - Sample Sales are a pro. That is really it. Beyond that, there are really no benefits to working here. Trust me.
Cons
Let's start by saying, if you love working in a collaborative, fun and pleasant environment where employees are not only encouraged but liked, then Fred Meyer Jewelers corporate office is NOT the place for you. Seriously. If you like getting up and going to work happy and ready to take on the day, run don't walk from Fred Meyer Jewelers Corporate Office. You might be wondering why, maybe even saying, this person is clearly a disgruntled employee. I can say with confidence this is just not the case. I worked for FMJ through all the good times and there was a time when that was the case. For roughly 7-8 years of the 15 years I was there, this was the case. The remaining was like I did a stint in a maximum security prison. The business was built by a man who cared dearly for every single person who worked for or under him. He retired and left the keys to the shiny red Ferrari (aka the business) to a real piece of work who really was like the Big Bad Wolf in Granny's clothing and with the new regime came total destruction. The people of FMJ, the workers and a few really really loving and caring managers (and there are a few) really are wonderful. That is, who hasn't been fired, lost their jobs because of countless excuses. Really, in the larger view it would appear they cleared out anyone who was making higher wages (do to time of service) and benefits. I don't know the exact count but in about a 3 year span, roughly 20-25 employees were terminated. Not in a staff reduction or reorganization but picking them off one by one, like a game. It was like the Hunger Games of FMJ. If you didn't cross every T and dot every I... gone. Taken into a little conference room and given a pink slip. I was one of a handful who got out while I could. I could sense the end coming my way. Being written up for everything they could find including clocking in early. Which is another great point, nowhere in my time at any business have I ever seen people standing around waiting for a clock to hit a time. Yes that's right, people lined up to quickly run their time card through so that you got right on the dot because if you were early or late - it was counted as an offense. You got so many offenses and boom, in the room you go. There are many other things that people having received "written warnings" for including but not limited to performance evaluations, even when you reached your goals did you try your best, did you exceed - no? That's a warning. Best of all is time and attendance. Strictest policy I have ever seen, they have an admin who is watching, hovering and ready to pounce on everything from clocking in, to calling in sick (even to care for your children) and it doesn't matter if you have sick time, vacation etc. and many people have hours and hours of sick time and come in deathly ill in fear it could be a reason to get fired and it is. You could be written up for missing a period in an email - that would be deemed failure to communicate. Trust me. This has gone on and many people have received countless warnings and there have been excessive amounts of turn over. The staff and tone of this office is built on fear and intimidation all from the President Peter "Pete" Engel and a few of his henchman. Along with the firing of long time employees and scaring people into showing up to work everyday, they really enjoy paying you just enough to live and enough to have you fear leaving because could you do better? But never giving raises beyond "the scale" and the scale is set for every person who's not a hand selected manager. There are no promotions within, more demotions so they can pay the next man less wages or the best of all, for many of the worker bees - TEMPORARY WORKERS (gasp) are replacing permanante positions and those people are even easier to get rid of and never pay a working wage OR offer benefits. Are you excited to work here yet? Lastly, there is no care about you as a human. They'd prefer (like Pete) for you to be a male, no children, no family and no life. It would be even better if you lived in your car in the parking lot to ensure you are not stuck in traffic. No one cares that your children have a basketball game or a choir concert or if you have ebola - you better get your butt to work. Having worked at FMJ's corporate office for many years and then leaving (escaping really) for better, much better, basically I arrive at work now and it's like Disneyland. I'm paid for what I do. My manager's show appreciation and have built a path for promotions and advancement, I can't believe I lived in this hell hole for as long as I did. Best decision in my life was leaving the office at Fred Meyer Jewelers. They might be conflict diamond free but the office is like slave labor in itself - and they should really fire Pete and start over. The Fred Meyer side of things is great and should really teach FMJ how to run a business where employees are engaged and happy.
