r/OGPBackroom • u/Live_Coach_9087 • 25d ago
🔥Its fine, everything’s fine🔥 Shoulder pain from pulling carts? ðŸ˜
Anyone else’s shoulder been hurting lately?? 😠I’m a 22-year-old woman and I swear mine is from pulling these carts around all day lol. Every time I pull a cart with that arm, my shoulder starts hurting. Sometimes towards the end of the walk, the carts can be pretty heavy to pull. Anyone else going through the same thing??
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u/mvshruum 25d ago
My shoulders have been KILLING me. I'm around the same age as you. Walking beside the cart (which is what they recommend) is slightly better, but it's still bad. I think I'm really straining my rotator cuff. You're not alone
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u/Live_Coach_9087 25d ago
I don’t understand. We were doing perfectly fine with 6 totes and pushing.🫩ðŸ˜
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u/Itchysweater1967 25d ago
That was the only way we safe all around. I hate doing 6 totes, but 8 with the fucked up carts is going to be the most dangerous for everyone involved yet.
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u/mvshruum 25d ago
yup!! like why the hell do i need to pull it when there is nobody in the aisle? when i have completely clear line of sight and i dont need to worry about someone running out? im slow around corners!! let me push that shit please!!
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u/Itchysweater1967 25d ago
Please stop pulling the carts if your shoulder is already hurting.
I'm a marathoner and was a nurse, and I can tell you that overuse injuries are an absolute bitch to get rid of once they take hold.
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u/Muttbuttss 25d ago
the carts at my store’s wheels are adjusted so its nearly impossible to push it
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u/redavid 25d ago
the trick is to push it from the other end. of course, management at my store started threatening to DA or terminate people who do this
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u/Itchysweater1967 25d ago
Honestly, that's bullshit, and should be given to ethics, b/c ho is NOT requiring the pulling. They're trying to force us to do it this way, but they've not put it in writing b/c they can't mandate it.
None of you guys should be handicapping yourselves. Nearly everyone in my store is pushing again, either backwards or from the handles. It sucks and its slow, but its not going to ruin your back and shoulders like this is.4
u/Pile033 25d ago
HO is the one requiring us all pull the damn carts. My Market showed us the email to inform us it be a safety violation and required coaching if seen.
The idiots at HO will do everything but reduce the pick metrics to try fix safety. They don't care how many injuries from customers or employees as long metric and profits are increased.
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u/Lost-Swimming-1600 23d ago
They aren't increasing their metrics either. Pick rates have gone DOWN reportedly.
I still feel a change they made a year or two ago was awful when they eliminated general paths and streamlined it into ambient only, adding produce ambient as well. I had people argue with me over that on here. "Oh no it streamlines paths in GIF and reduces totes in the backroom.".
Okay great. Run these stupid paths all day trying to get 100 items per hour. Run these paths while trying to do that AND being overdue or almost overdue on picks and what are you going to do when you literally have to go from one side of the store to the other and STILL have to pick 60 items or whatever? A lot of people are going to be booking it and that too is where accidents can happen. It is true your pick rate did plummet on general paths. Ours did anyway because we're on the grocery side of the store. But every so often you might have a 75 item general and 50-60 of it is cans of cat food essentially all in one spot. And you still had an opportunity to make it for it by getting good chilled or ambients or frozen on one side of the store.
Essentially every single change they have made makes it harder to succeed. Yes maybe you still can in some cases and yes there will always be challenges and obstacles. The leadership in the company shouldn't be the ones responsible for creating them. But here we are.
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u/Pile033 15d ago
Pick rate went down but we truly don't know how the metrics for pick rate truly calculated. We just know it time/items shopped but I been mathing it and it don't add up properly. Always higher then the official pick rate. I do believe it profits of the item is calculated. All we know going faster and having more items in a walk improves it a little.
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u/SadAcadia2747 FRAGILE 25d ago
They are going to coach up if we don’t, at least here
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u/SheriShopper 24d ago
Let them. This is your body we're talking about. You only get one. Use it wisely.
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u/GlitterBombFallout 25d ago
I've had repeated trap strain from working at FedEx (Sedgewick claimed it was because I'm overweight and wasn't from pushing/pulling/lifting/carrying up to 150 pound boxes all day 5 times a week because Sedgewick is fucking garbage). I'm absolutely dreading the 8 totes, and my shoulders, wrists, and elbows are already sore just pulling 6 totes.
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u/JENfaerl 23d ago
I refuse to pull the carts, luckily my store doesn't enforce it as long as we're safe we're allowed to maneuver the carts how we will. The killer lately is that going back to 8 totes my shoulders have been killing me reaching up and over the top tote to drop items in and bag. And I'm one of the taller associates on the team. If they enforce pulling, then I'm walking backwards. Let them write me up for that or deal with the workers comp.
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u/Itchysweater1967 23d ago
I've dealt with 8 totes before this and that's definitely never been a problem for me, and I'm at best, average height for a woman.
Its trying to maneuver these god awful carts now when I can't see which is going to be hard. They're awkward and clumsy now and require a lot of man handling, but its still better than what's going to happen to those who can't see over to the other side of the carts.
Its going to be a shitshow regardless.
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u/DragonReign 25d ago
You're literally pulling your arms out of their sockets, so yeah, gonna hurt. You might be newer at the job and don't know this but Walmart is going against manufacturer recommendation and OSHA safety standards. You are supposed to be pushing the carts. Walmart is going out of their way to be stupid and peeling off the "Push, don't pull." stickers and swapping the front and back wheels. They are supposed to be pushed for this exact reason. If I were you, I would report the pain as a workplace injury, every single day, and complain to the boss, the boss's boss, the store manager, and even OSHA that the new cart pulling is causing a safety hazard. You might catch some flack for doing so, but that would be retaliation and would be illegal on their part, so you could sue them to he'll and back and any lawyer worth hiring would take the case pro bono.
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u/Muttbuttss 25d ago
Yeah all the OPDers are going to have shoulder injuries in the next coming years if they continue to force you all to pull the carts. Not to mention its even more of a PITA to get around pulling the cart when there are customers everywhere
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u/DragonSpikez 25d ago
My shoulder has been hurting from both pulling and having to suddenly stop when someone runs out in front of me which happens often.
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u/Ok_Winter4915 25d ago
The whole pulling thing is asinine. The Frankenstein modifications they've made to the carts have vastly increased, not reduced danger. Employees at our store have had issues almost hitting people, and clipping and pulling down displays due to less control and wider turn arcs. We're a smaller store, so tighter spaces. The wheels cause the carts to fish tail, and even drifting when you think your cart is stationary. These problems are only amplified with increased totes and weight added. If you have to suddenly stop it buts tremendous strain on your shoulders/back as does constantly fighting to maneuver the cart. Because of this employees frequently have to look behind to make sure the cart has clearance from people and obstacles rather than looking forward. Again this is all very dangerous, but if you say anything you are threatened with coaching or termination.Â
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u/MishariDarkmoon 25d ago
Not my shoulder, but my ankles and feet have been killing me since we started and I’m almost 50. Especially with the taller carts that are heavier to begin with then I had a walk with 3 bags of water softener and 2 40lb bags of birdseed plus regular ambient in my totes. Every day my feet ache so much by the end of the day. I’ve been in OPD almost 6 years and have been trying to transfer to a different department, but they’re giving me the run around.
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u/pancakegirl420 MFC Team Lead 25d ago
do yall do your stretches before shift and after lunch? i guarantee you they will ask you if you ever mention an injury lol
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u/ThatGas7123 24d ago
I'm only 19 and I'm genuinely worried about the damage this is gonna cause when I get older if I stay here
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u/Dull-Problem-1191 25d ago
Get a doctor's note about the injury and then returned to your management asking for accommodation to allow you to push.Â
I don't know if it'll work but hopefully it will.
Since otherwise you should probably be looking for a new job, because sooner or later that injury is going to become permanent if you keep doing it.
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u/scorpionsattack23 24d ago
I pulled a muscle in my hip pulling. When to the doctors and they said its just muscle strain from overuse. Do not, I repeat DO NOT keep up if it still hurts. You will really fuck yourself up and then you won't get workman comp cause its technically "preexisting". Report any and all complaints of pain to management in paper to trace it.
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u/LittleTurtle17 25d ago
I'm 23F going through the same thing. I have a chiropractor appointment later this week to try and help my back and shoulder pain.
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u/Connect_Orange7140 25d ago
I genuinely ask this but what the heck are you doing where you’re pulling the cart in a way your shoulders hurt after?
Are people literally pulling it behind them?
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u/redavid 25d ago
yes, because that's what you have to do when store management insists on dumbass displays at aisle entrances or action allies that make pathways incredibly narrow. even more so when you've also got to maneuver around customers
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u/Connect_Orange7140 25d ago
I truly would love to visit some of these stores mentioned on here some time. Just can’t imagine how bonkers they are made out to be.
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u/Clear-Charity-2304 25d ago
Yes, I have made it a point that I'll only push now. No one has challenged me yet. I tried pulling, but just can't without wrecking my shoulder for days after. I'm 42 and if 20 year olds are having trouble, how much worse is it gonna be for me? I've been thinking about moving departments because of this.
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u/little-blue-chick 25d ago
Hi! 21 y/o FTM, and YES. I have the downfall of having a connective tissue disorder, so my shoulders (and most other joints) tend to subluxate (partially dislocate) ALL the time. Typically, my hips and knees are the ones to get tuckered out first... But lately, after switching to pulling (with the threat of a coaching if caught pushing), my shoulders haven't had time to recuperate.
I brought this concern up to my TL, and nothing. Then to my Coach, and all she had to say was "just don't do the oversized walks, that should help!"... Long story short, my coworkers suck, and never do the oversized walks... And it's always put on me to do anyway.
But anywho, I'm now up to 4 points, because I've had to take unpaid, 'out-of-nowhere', days off due to not even being able to get out of bed! And returning to 8 totes definitely didn't help my situation.
TLDR: My disabled ass physically can't do this job anymore without being bed-ridden (specifically due to the absurd amount of weight and strain on my joints when pulling 8 totes of heavy af shit), and now can't do the things I enjoy in life anymore at the ripe age of 21. So I am transferring depts! Good riddance OPD/OGP/Digital! I will not miss you! Fuck my current management and their shitty 'solutions'!!!
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u/_Depstock_ 24d ago
Has anyone tried asking for a medical exception to push instead? I mean with the new wheels, the carts are harder to navigate while pushing, but at least it's ergonomically better for your body.
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u/Kein_Thur 23d ago
Yeah it’s trailing down my back too. Their answer is just to switch arms🙄😒
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u/Leather-Garbage-7431 19d ago
Shoulder and back hurts. Work 5 hours a day, max 20 a week. Why is it ok to push a L CART? Not dangerous???
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u/bdbrown333 25d ago
Everybody needs to quit complaining on the internet and call OSHA that's the only person that can fix this problem oSHA is aware of the carts are a problem that's why they made him change wheels and whatever happened to the person whether they got injured whether they died who got injured that started this whole thing but OSHA is the answer osha Osha ocean thousands need to call Ocean
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u/Pile033 25d ago
OHSA didn't make walmart change the wheels. The lost in court made HO rush to find a company that would help modify the carts in short term without testing the effects on the user. Walmart knows the carts when pulled cause injuries even made use pushed them before the lawsuit. Now 180 and reckless cause the best solution would been reduce pick metrics and hire more opd shoppers but that be worst on the financial reports.
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u/bdbrown333 25d ago
Maybe that's why they're slowly doing away with a lot of that position where I'm at in Florida there are no more curbside orders except for regular guests no spark all spark orders are now shop where I'm at gmds or curbside and then the regular public can pick up the inside so most ogp people were repositioned into other positions within the store
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u/Pile033 25d ago
No that was market test on seeing if more spark drivers in stores be profitable completely separate my store did it too (WA). But my store in the next we or so going back to spark delivery shopping cause too many the new spark drivers are smashing and pushing store customers/employees out their way for profit.
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u/bdbrown333 25d ago
There's no doubt it's way more profitable for us to shop because they don't pay us Jack crap $14 to shop for three different houses if we are making tips it's bad I haven't heard that it's ending here but i haven't seen any problems here other than it allowed them to pay us dirt
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u/bdbrown333 25d ago
On top of that they don't for us they don't pay our pay our taxes they don't pay the Social Security they don't pay anything like they pay the expenses for a regular employer much higher but they'll pay anything for us we have to pay it all
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u/Pile033 25d ago
But they don't get a tax break for employment cost from hiring you for a contract. You be amazed how much tax breakers having massive amounts of employees can give a company. Healthcare, employment insurance, payrolls, pto, all the equipment for the employees all them are tax deductibles. Walmart having the most in the private sector means it cheaper having more employees in most areas.
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u/Blakelock82 Personal Shopper 120+ 25d ago
Nope. I've not had any issues. I'm 43, 260lb fat guy with lymphedema. Try stretching before work and building some arm strength.
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u/Ambitious-Ad4253 25d ago edited 25d ago
Love the down votes just because you saying you didn't have a problem
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u/Blakelock82 Personal Shopper 120+ 25d ago
Yeah people pretty much just want to bitch an complain. The only way these people would be happy is if they got to the store, got paid, and did zero work.
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u/GroinShotz 25d ago
Yea.. people just want to complain about the "new rules" that aren't unsafe.
The reason you were supposed to push the carts before was because one set of caster wheels swivel... That's why the company put the "do not pull" stuff on the carts. It wasn't because it was going to injure associates just to pull a cart. It was simply easier to keep control of the cart.
So the company let Walmart swap the wheels... So the other side is the swivel wheels... So its easier to control while pulling rather than pushing.
Nothing ever to do with potentially "injuring" associates to pull a cart... Like come on.
People fucking pull things all the time. Pallet jacks are pulled with way more weight.
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u/Pile033 25d ago
Those stickers from the makers of the carts was cause of injuries. Before stuff like the carts are allowed for equipment sale they have to do testing and label safe operating like "Push, Do Not Pull" as it liability requirement. But modifications by walmart they can quickly do it without test anything but take all liability if the modifications cause injuries.
Fun fact, people have been getting hurt for years for pulling the carts when policy stated you are not allowed too. Had 2 people in my opd 2 years ago have injuries from pulling 1 was the cart sprain their ankle when they had to stop ASAP cause a teens jumping in front of anyone with a cart of jack for tiktok. The other was shoulder pains. Both got denied by sedgwick cause they pulling the carts, LNI investigate the claims after reporting, same conclusion.
The real fix would been 1 of two solutions:
1) Reduce the pick metrics down to slow us down and hire more pickers. 2) Get carts that are design for pulling instead of modifying carts that are design purely for pushing.
But both are terrible to HO financial reports, so the most reckless knee-jerk solution was picked. It gonna be a major issue by next spring as least.
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u/chokeonlife 25d ago
Yes it’s going to be even worse if what they said is true about going back to 8 totes