Does Ocean State Job Lot pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Ocean State Job Lot employees rate their compensation and benefits as 2.9 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Ocean State Job Lot. This rating has decreased by 3% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Ocean State Job Lot?

38% of Ocean State Job Lot employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Ocean State Job Lot 2.9 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.0 for culture and values and 2.5 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Ocean State Job Lot?

Sales Associate (90) , Front End Supervisor (65) , Department Head (30) , Store Team Leader (29) , Sales Associate/Cashier (27) , Store Manager (26) , Area Supervisor (23) , Cashier (22) , Area Team Leader (18) , Assistant Manager (18) , Field Merchandiser (17) , Operations Supervisor (15) , Retail Sales Associate (12) , Manager (9) , Stock Associate (9)

What are the pros of working at Ocean State Job Lot according to real employee reviews?

"great benefits and always new jobs being offered to existing associates" ((in 62 reviews)); "Coworkers are great and you get 30% off the store" ((in 44 reviews)); "Flexible hours and pretty easy job." ((in 37 reviews)); "Work life balance is great" ((in 14 reviews)); "Ocean State Job Lot provides employees with a friendly work environment and a leadership team to guide them to success." ((in 12 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Ocean State Job Lot according to real employee reviews?

"Management is poor." ((in 63 reviews)); "conflicting instructions from different managers." ((in 35 reviews)); "Bloated upper management that seems to exists solely to usurp direction from other upper management" ((in 15 reviews)); "They give very small raises." ((in 15 reviews)); "Short breaks, stressful as short handed." ((in 11 reviews))

What are employees saying about Ocean State Job Lot layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Ocean State Job Lot layoffs and their outlook for job security at Ocean State Job Lot in 2026.

What are the top reviewed Ocean State Job Lot locations?

North Kingstown , Boston , Providence , Warwick , Salem , South Plainfield , Ballston Spa , Clifton Park , New York , Manchester , Berlin , Valatie , Centereach , Poughkeepsie , Concord , Bristol , Cranston , Woonsocket , Medway , Wareham , Weymouth , Southwick , East Northport , North Babylon , Bennington , Hooksett , Milford , Bloomfield , Hartford , Windsor

Ocean State Job Lot reviews

2.9

38% would recommend to a friend

(931 total reviews)

Marc Perlman

34% approve of CEO

35% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

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Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

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

1.0

Mar 2, 2024

Not Employer of Choice or Inspiring

Area team leader

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The pros are too few now even to mention.

Cons

I accepted a job that I thought would be different, based on the awards the company had won. However, in less than three months, the store's operating hours changed multiple times during the holiday season, leaving staff unable to enjoy their holidays. Moreover, staff and salary managers are not allowed to enter the building until 10 minutes before the store opens, which poses safety hazards. Many employees were hired with the expectation of flexibility, but now they are forced to choose between keeping their jobs with no work-life balance or looking for a new one. The company claims to prioritize its mission, vision, and values, but it is not listening to its employees.

Ocean State Job Lot Response

2y

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback on Glassdoor. We appreciate you bringing your concerns to our attention, as they help us identify areas for improvement. Regarding your concern about entering the building 10 minutes before opening hours, we assure you that this policy is not meant to pose any safety hazards. This change in scheduling strategy allows us to have more associates working together to support each other, and allows us to better service our customers. Leaders can now work more closely with the team as the consolidated hours allows for more leadership overlap, freeing up time to support the training and development our associates, and engage more frequently with customers. We acknowledge that the recent changes may have caused frustration, and we are genuinely committed to listening to and addressing your concerns. We encourage you and any other team member to reach out to your leader or HR Business Partner to discuss your concerns and suggestions further.

1.0

Jun 16, 2023

Family owned company who will do anything to save a dollar

Talent acquisition coordinator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Easy job duties due to the out of date processes, technology, and general lack of leadership skills

Cons

Out of touch management at all levels. Many manager and executive level employees have been with the company for 10+ years and whole heartily lack awareness outside of their bubble. HR continuously hosts companywide meetings to hype up their expensive and outdated benefits. I was truly baffled every time someone from HR was VERY enthusiastically describing the PTO policy, which is the bare min allowed by federal law... Family owned, privately held company with an annual revenue of $700M that pays college educated corporate workers $18/hour. I wonder who pockets a majority of that revenue?

Ocean State Job Lot Response

3y

Thank you for your feedback on your experience with us. We are proud of the total rewards we offer our associates. Our PTO benefits are aimed to provide enhanced protection for our associates including complimentary short and long term disability. Our sick accrual policy is expansive and allows for an industry leading accrual total and substantial carryover balance. We continue to offer exceptional benefits including a 30% associate discount, free vacations, pay for performance increase and profit sharing.

1.0

Dec 16, 2022

Houston We Have A Problem

Store team leader (stl)

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good Discount on crap merchandise. Health Insurance is adequate. Reduced hours was a nice gesture.

Cons

Completely unrealistic workload and levels of miscommunication from the office is embarrassing. Freight levels make no sense and create unsafe stores, yet we a great game about safety and work life balance. Spend less time building cafe's in the office and more time hiring people who know how to run the business. Your focus up there is so off base and only concerned with being able to use buzzwords to make you look like something your are not and will never be. RD1 spends her time shopping she even commented on it while responding to a LinkedIn post, talk about an embarrassment.

Ocean State Job Lot Response

3y

Thank you for your feedback on your experience with us. We have an open door philosophy and strive to create a positive experience for all of our leaders and associates, and we are disappointed that your experience was inconsistent with our culture and values. We would like the opportunity to discuss your experience further, please contact Tom McMullen, the Director of Human Resources, at t.mcmullen@osjl.com

Viewing 34 - 36 of 931 Reviews

Jobs at Ocean State Job Lot

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Temporary Seasonal Store Associate - Part Time - Shifts available (Evenings 3/4pm to close) must have weekend availability!)