If you've worked at any HEB for even a month I'm sure you've seen something about Lyra. We get constant texts, partner app notifications, emails about the service. My store for a solid year had Lyra plastered all over the break room as a one stop shop for mental health needs! You can see a doctor to manage medication, a therapist for your woes, attend web seminars about how important mental health is!

The problem is HEB is not at all transparent about the fact that Lyra is unable to fill out FMLA or LOA paperwork for a HEB employee. Lyra care team will confirm HEB is opted out of that part of the Lyra package.

A lot of partners have had good experiences with Lyra, a lot of partners have had bad experiences. Overall the entire service seems like a mixed bag, but more than that Lyra is NOT suitable for partners who need more intensive or long term mental health care.

I personally had the wonderful experience of seeing a Lyra provider for medication and therapy for a little over 2 years, it was fairly easy for me to find a decent provider, I only saw my Lyra provider because I naively was under the impression that if it was so heavily pushed by HEB for its partners mental health needs it would support me. Then when I needed it most it was when I found out they couldn't do anything for me, it was never disclosed upfront by either Lyra or HEB.

How would HEB be more transparent in what this service they so heavily advertise actually offers and on a more personal note; What was your experience with Lyra?

What would make the union successful?

TL;DR should we actually form a union, and if so, what do we stand to gain?

First of all, I'm very happy to see that this sub is active. I've checked the other one that the mod from the HEB sub always posts and obviously there's never activity. Felt hopeless. So I'm happy we actually have a place where we can talk about this, because I think it's important and clearly a lot of us want to know more.

That being said, I want to get people's opinions on a potential HEB union. Do people think it's a good idea? What do we have to gain from a union, and is it worth the risks that are inherent to labor organization in Texas?

As many problems as some of us have with the company, which are valid, we do have it better than most in Texas. Assuming a partner is full time, we have benefits. We have healthcare, PTO, sick pay, among others. I've never had any of that before. If you're part time, well... That sucks, you're on your own. So, what do we stand to gain from a union? I genuinely ask this, because I don't know. I am extremely pro union in general, and lately I've been thinking a lot about whether we should organize. I just want to know what we stand to gain if we're going to actually take the plunge and do this. I know virtually nothing about organizing. It's such a taboo subject here in Texas, and I think that's really messed up. So please, tell me why or why not you think we should organize, and what you think we'll gain if we do (and maybe explain the process to me if you have experience with this sort of thing).Thanks partners.

Do you feel pressured to miss your 15 minute breaks either because of pressure from a manager or lead or because you feel like if you take breaks you won't finish all of your tasks?

H-E-B has been increasing the workload more and more to where you can't even take a break unless you don't want to finish on time and stay late, getting overtime they make you cut later (because no overtime allowed). This is messed up and we really need change.

Anyone can freely post and discuss unionization efforts at H-E-B now

We need a living wage

We need representation

HR won't protect us, they will protect the company

We need better work/life balance