I began working for Ocean State Job Lot at minimum wage, which at the time was $7.75. It being one of my first jobs, I bit the bullet and found every opportunity I could to improve my pay rate. At each review I consistently met as well as exceeded the company's standards in terms of cashier productivity, customer service prowess, and overall knowledge of the store and its products. At the conclusion of my first year, I received my first raise after favorable reviews. I began making $7.91 an hour. Months later, minimum wage was raised in Rhode Island to $8.00, thus I began making $8.00. When I brought this injustice up to my store manager about my making merely what a starting employee would make after my having been there for over a year he simply stated, "But you're still making more than before." A few months later I asked my store manager if my pay could increase given my dedication to the company. He said he would try at the next review. At my year and a half review I was one of four employees in more store to get a raise. I reached $8.20 an hour. While I was grateful for this news, I was dismayed that 85% of my fellow co-workers would not be seeing a boost in their paychecks come the next week. Recently (May) I was approached by my manager with news on a Thursday night. He told me that in December of 2013 I was paid 8 hours more than I had worked. The company's mistake, our district manager alerted my store manager about their blunder from the prior fiscal year. In keeping with the company's longstanding goodness to its workers, the 8 hours were deducted from my paycheck the following day, a warm Friday in May. Amidst calling out for skus on unpriced priced items, not leaving a 2x2 ft space of register for all of December for hours at a time, and getting the shorthand of the stick time and time again by this company, I am glad to say that I am leaving Ocean State Job Lot. My heart goes out to my co-workers whose lives have one way or another landed them in a truly disorganized, unkempt, and dissatisfying working environment. As a college student with more sense of the world and my generation in particular, I can say with confidence that this company will most assuredly bottom out and be exposed for the lack of quality in merchandise as well as treatment of their employees.
In the words of Marc Perlman:
"Our sales associates are a dime a dozen."
Well, Marc, this concludes my two cents,
Save the extra 10, it's on me.
:]
