Forty-hour weeks have a totally different meaning in the retail industry. I started out as a closer at a hypermarket finishing at eleven pm. The department I worked in meant that I did everything from watering plants in the garden center, to duplicating keys, to simply keeping the shelves organized. I eventually became cashier trained and helped on the grocery side when it was extraordinarily busy. Being employed as a retail hourly paid clerk for almost three years was taxing for many reasons but there is one exception that would result in a comeback for me.
Long hours on my feet
Working an eight-hour shift was equivalent to nine hours at the store, two ten-minute breaks, and one hour of unpaid lunch. So, I was on my feet for the entirety of my shift. Honestly, it did not bother me, since it kept me active. A fellow co-worker used to joke that he did not need to go to the gym because he worked there. I also managed to consistently accumulate ten thousand steps daily. After a while those hours on my feet started taking a toll on my body.
Monotony
The tasks were simple enough. Initially, all I did was R&R or ‘Returns and Recovery’ as it was called in retail parlance. The first ‘R’ meant going to the customer service area, taking customer returns and then sorting them. An item was either in a saleable condition in which case we put it back on the shelf, or it was not salvageable which meant we put it in the salvage bay in the stock room. The second ‘R’ was all about making the store presentable. I have never folded so many towels in my life but it lead me to a revelation. As I was folding, I said to myself, “I am not a drug addict, why am I constantly recovering?” Another task which became extremely monotonous was what I call the ‘Seasonal crap’. Prior to every season; Valentine, Back to school, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas we received too much inventory which we merchandised. We sold some, and at the end of the season we put them on clearance. The remainder was then repatriated to the warehouse. After going through all the seasons for three years, I had had enough.
Corporate far removed from the ground
Then there was the important people effect. Corporate offices were distant plane rides away, and it seemed that the corporate citizens were completely unaware of the reality as it existed at the store level. They are only concerned about an inflated bottom line, which in turn resulted in great rewards through bonus payouts for them. They are aloof, and even when they visit the stores, they keep their distance from the common folks, AKA employees. Unrealistic expectations, coupled with top down pressure, result in demoralised employees. So I became disenchanted to say the least.
Health Insurance
Having said all these negatives, affordable health insurance could reel me back in to retail. Health care in the United States is ridiculously expensive for whomsoever pays, employer or employee. Fortunately, the Trade Unions have managed to negotiate what I consider to be affordable health care for its members. Five dollars was deducted from my weekly paycheck which amounted to twenty or twenty-five dollars per month, depending on the number of weeks in any particular month. For this small fee I was covered for medical, dental, and optical. In comparison, I would have to bear the three hundred and eighty dollars cost alone without the job. So I may very well resort to retail employment to have some peace of mind, if illness befalls me.
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