employer cover photo
employer logo
employer logo

Ocean State Job Lot

Engaged Employer

Ocean State Job Lot reviews

2.9

38% would recommend to a friend

(931 total reviews)
avatar

Marc Perlman

34% approve of CEO

35% positive business outlook

Ocean State Job Lot has an employee rating of 2.9 out of 5 stars, based on 931 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The Ocean State Job Lot employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Retail & Wholesale industry (3.4 stars).

Reviews by job title

931 reviews
2.0
Dec 9, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Pay for management has improved. They offer decent healthcare. They have a 401K program, but have NO company match. **If this is your career path, please make other plans to supplement your retirement.

Cons

Negative work environment. Heavy workload. Terrible inventory control. Lots of management turnover. Policies are constantly changing with a lack of any consistency. Corporate treats staff like they are easily replaced. Ownership is aged and out of touch with the needs of the stores. The store have really old and outdated fixtures (many are rusty, dirty and damaged) but they will spend big bucks on camera systems to watch all the employees from the comfort of the corporate office, They have zero understanding of demographics . Corporate stocks and markets every store the same regardless of the location. They push staff hard to get donations and signups for their loyalty programs. They deride any team member that does not meet the corporate goals.

avatar
Ocean State Job Lot Response
5mo
Thank you for your nearly 10 years of service and for your leadership in the Boston market. We appreciate your positive feedback regarding our competitive pay and healthcare benefits. We also value your candid perspective on our store operations and environment. We are currently focused on modernizing our facilities and improving the synergy between our corporate support teams and store locations. Feedback from experienced leaders like you is essential as we work to evolve our inventory processes and workplace culture. We wish you the very best in your future endeavors.
3.0
Nov 19, 2025

It’s Okay

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Flexible schedule and great customers.

Cons

More full time employees are needed. More merchandise gets put out with more full time employees. More money will be spent by our customers.

avatar
Ocean State Job Lot Response
5mo
Thanks for sharing your experience! It is great to know that our flexible scheduling works well for you and that you enjoy the customers in Bennington. We hear you regarding the need for full-time support to keep merchandise moving. We are always looking at ways to optimize our labor allocation to support store standards and sales. Thank you for your constructive feedback.
1.0
Nov 14, 2025

Company has tanked

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

steady hours, each store has at least one associate who cares

Cons

Required overtime that you cannot use sick time to replace I.e. scheduled 45 hours and need to leave early? You eat the difference. Indifference in corporate level. Best friend game. If your store manager is close with corporate heads, don’t expect any help from HR.

avatar
Ocean State Job Lot Response
5mo
Thank you for your 5 years of service with Ocean State Job Lot. As an Area Team Leader, you have played a significant role in our operations, and we want to acknowledge the dedication required to reach that tenure. We hear your frustration clearly, particularly regarding freight volume and payroll. The nature of the closeout industry is unpredictable—when great merchandise becomes available, we move on it to provide value to our customers. However, we understand that this influx of inventory puts a heavy physical and mental strain on our store teams. We are actively working on balancing our desire for aggressive inventory acquisition with the operational realities our teams face on the ground. Regarding your concerns about HR impartiality, Loss Prevention visibility, and payroll policies: We take these comments seriously. We strive to ensure our HR team is an objective resource for every associate, regardless of store relationships. We would like to understand your specific situation regarding sick time and overtime usage, as we want to ensure policies are being applied correctly and fairly. Please feel free to reach out to Senior HR Business partner Ed Kruger at e.kruger@osjl.com so we can discuss these matters confidentially.
Viewing 28 - 30 of 931 Reviews

Glassdoor has 959 Ocean State Job Lot reviews submitted anonymously by Ocean State Job Lot employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Ocean State Job Lot is right for you.