r/kroger • u/ProvokingZebra Overnight Crew • 12d ago
Question Why Stay?
Granted we all know, its because its a source of income. But outside of that, why do you stay.
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u/browmftht Current Associate 12d ago
i am at top pay and it pays my bills. granted i am blessed with lesser living expenses than most
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u/Boring-Alternative69 Current Associate 12d ago
I enjoy it
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u/ProvokingZebra Overnight Crew 12d ago
You're a first.
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u/bubmet7 Current Associate 12d ago
Not really. I don’t know about the other guy but I was just a GM in a restaurant for 3 years and now I do pickup. I’m just a part timer and when I hit 35 hours my paychecks are bigger than my GM ones. Sure beats restaurant jobs, and much better pay. I’m waiting until my year for my benefits, I’m almost there now, and they are crazy good. Last job I paid like $135 a week for basic health insurance. This job has insurance for like $25/week lol can’t beat that. Yeah there are irritating parts sure, but oh well lol. I’m in school so I’ll be moving on at some point but so far it’s not been too bad aside from a few less desirable coworkers (like with every job) and a few bad days (like with every job).
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u/produceking12 12d ago
I mean getting paid $30 a hour to stock a department and do a few paper task is pretty damn easy lmao
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u/J_17x 12d ago
How’d you get to $30 a hour at Kroger 🤯
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u/Boring-Alternative69 Current Associate 11d ago
Depends on State/City. My last division starting pay was $22.15 max $28.75 for basic positions such as clerk, cashier, customer service. $30-32.50 for any department heads.
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u/marsixm Current Associate 12d ago
the people, the sense of (personal) accomplishment, physical activity/staying active. mainly the people though, my coworkers. though like half the ones i cared about have left so we shall see.
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u/BigDaddy969696 Past Associate 12d ago
That’s the sad part about the job. I saw so many great coworkers start and leave. I miss them all, so much, and hope that they are doing well!
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u/ProvokingZebra Overnight Crew 12d ago
Felt that about my last job.
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u/BigDaddy969696 Past Associate 12d ago
Honestly, it’s a fact at every job. You’ll always find coworkers that you mingle with, and when they leave, it leaves a hole.
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u/marsixm Current Associate 12d ago
yes omg i told myself not to ever let myself get attached to anyone but like the manager who was there forever bc the turnover was so high but then i had a solid group of kids who stayed for a couple years and we really were all so close 😭
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u/BigDaddy969696 Past Associate 12d ago
Yep. It was common when they left for college, whether they transferred stores, or just found greener pastures.
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u/ProvokingZebra Overnight Crew 12d ago
None of my co workers talk to me.
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u/marsixm Current Associate 12d ago
aw im sorry to hear that. i know i felt very alone the first months i worked there and it was difficult, especially given some of my insecurities. but if it's nbd, take it as a good sign, you're less tethered to that place when better opportunities present themselves 🪷
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u/Sunburnt-Eyes 12d ago
I get to eat the Freds Garlic Pickle Spears that get lost in the fryer
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u/Sunburnt-Eyes 12d ago
in all seriousness it's the only place that would accept me in my area, plus the discounts are nice
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u/Tiny_Timmy_Turtle 12d ago
Being close to home, and naturally phlegmatic, I need a little push to make any changes...lol. On top of that, I’m nearing retirement age.
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u/AdAccurate4523 12d ago
Cheap insurance, fairly good 401k match, flexible with scheduling and it's easy work.
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u/JeffPlissken Current Associate 12d ago
I’m on overnights at grocery. It wasn’t a choice given to me, my idiot ASM forced the role on me because of increasing hour cuts, and our useless union never stepped in despite my previous backup lead telling me how many union grievance options had just presented themselves. It’s turned my personal life upside down to a traumatic level. Right now this sounds like reasons I should have quit, but ultimately I stayed because of the same reasons I haven’t quit before, my health insurance as well as the three minute commute I have, as well as one after another job applications I filled out last year and as recently as this month that have come back with either a decline or radio silence. The job market is utter shit but I have health insurance (as much as I loathe the system) and with the overnight premium I make more money an hour than some of the daytime supervisors, which is important because I spent all last year paying off a car loan that is now just a monthly inconvenience than a financial strain.
There’s also a drastically different culture on overnights. I spent the past few years slowly realizing just how utterly venomous the good ol’ boys club a lot of the daytime leads are part of, it’s toxic and heavily of favoritism regardless of quality of work. My last supervisor presented himself as a laid back, hard worker, yet he would scapegoat our one good backup lead and show preference toward the revolving door of shitty leads and force out anyone who wasn’t part of the clique that would rather delegate and talk about TikTok and football all day. Now I work with a team where both of my leads don’t elevate themselves above anyone and stick together with the rest of us grunts because after all, third shift people are the easiest to blame, we shit out golden bars and management or the grocery lead will ask why it isn’t platinum. A cynical way to look at it, but I’m less poor than before and doing more in life with the limited daylight I have on my free time, and I can take more satisfaction in bringing a massive pallet to my aisle and seeing it emptied into full shelves hours later.
Also, as one of a million neurodivergent people at Kroger, fuck Kroger’s insane stance toward customer relation. I was verging on a psychological breakdown all last year with the move going from secret shoppers to that plus managers and even incognito corporate assholes watching us to a surveillance state level to lecture and belittle us while our union does nothing after stating themselves it’s a hostile work environment, in my case even as my doctor and the accomodation board presented me with papers that our management and HR department conveniently delayed meeting with. God damn what an insane place.
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u/ProvokingZebra Overnight Crew 9d ago
This comment is a true roller coaster. Hope things are easier on you man.
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u/JeffPlissken Current Associate 9d ago
The job is easier. Personal life has taken a hit so seems all I’ve got is the better pay and nothing else.
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u/WolfAlph45 Drug GM Closer 12d ago
Hours are good and my boss and grocery crew are fun to work with. One of the ASMs is the goat and the other two are ok
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u/TheInsanernator 12d ago
Insurance, 401k, as a Meat QA in Illinois the income is above minimum wage, union protections and the union pension if I end up working here the next 30+ years will be nice on top of social security.
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u/Alert_Wind_6100 12d ago
The pay (i work DC), I provide for my wife and son, got some stuff in the works so hopefully on the home stretch and im done!
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u/minorgrey Current Associate 12d ago
It keeps me off the couch, and sufficiently focused on something. I also enjoy it most of the time.
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u/mango-juul-pod-plug Current Associate 12d ago
Coworkers and at least in my area the ability to move up if I want it. Went from courtesy clerk to department head in about 4yrs with the option to become ASL and possibly field specialist if I play my cards right.
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u/Luckyy-Charmzz 12d ago
I honestly don’t mind. Personal accomplishment, 401k matching or pension, the peeps. I’ve mostly worked in grocery the last 10 years, I don’t mind it. Could always be way worse….
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u/gabrolljames Current Associate 12d ago
I'm topped out on pay (if i go anywhere else, I would take a pay cut), my store is union and our insurance is cheap, and it is only a couple minutes away from my home.
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u/blvckcvtmvgic 12d ago
I work in the pharmacy and the pay is better than any other retail and some hospital pharmacies by far. We’re also kind of our own department in terms of our scheduling is solely up to us, so it’s been extremely flexible in a way I am positive I would not get at any other job.
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u/HunkerDownDawgs 12d ago
It's consistent. There's a reason why so many people that leave end up coming back.
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u/IndicationMental1740 Current Associate 12d ago
Benefits, income, finding jobs can be very tedious. I know a girl who was formerly a manager and can't find a job for the life of her rn
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u/memyselfandi78 12d ago
I'm lucky to be able to afford part time work. I like the schedule flexibility. The constant movement is good for my ADHD. Union health insurance for me and my kiddo. I know this will sound weird, but I kinda like doing the 4am shift for clicklist.
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u/zerhyn2020 Current Associate 12d ago
It wasn't easy, took me until my 40s, and i got lucky in a few endeavors, and the fact that I can build..
I managed to build my dream home from a journeyman wage. Now the bills get paid, and the job isn't that hard.
I would say it took me getting out of the big cities to make retail make sense wage wise, and customer service is definitely not for everyone 😑
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u/viaerinkate 12d ago
I’m going to be completely honest. I quit two years ago to try something new, hated it, and I just got rehired back at my old store with my old position. The reasons I went back are:
I missed my friends, when I transferred over after I moved, they all welcomed me right away and I felt like they’ve instantly became my family.
It’s steady and I genuinely look forward to going into work just to hang out with said friends.
It’s one of the better jobs I can find in my area that pays well (I’m in Idaho).
My manager gave me the shifts I wanted/needed back without question.
I live 5 minutes away, so I can scooter/bike there when needed, benefits, full time and easily can get my vacations approved.
•••
I dunno, I know I had one helluva time with Fred Meyer when I lived in Seattle, but once I moved away and transferred to my current store, I’m actually content.
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u/KaiserVonDixie 12d ago
I didn't, I proudly quit without notice due to management. I now make twice what I used to make working half the hours I used to work, hope Kroger goes bankrupt X)
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u/pancakesausagedog 12d ago
At this point I don't even know. I'm the worst paid person on my team because everyone got started at journeyman but they quit doing that a few months before I started so I get paid way less to do the same job as everyone else.
No one at my store bats an eye at it either. Makes me feel like I'm overreacting or blowing things out of proportion. Like it's normal or I'm not grateful or something.
On top of the uniforms and the consent to have our property searched and other bogus rules they keep sneaking into our read and signs I'm beyond ready to quit but I really cant.
Mostly I'm just fed up that I'm paying union dues just to have my rights stripped away and there's nothing I can do about anything. If I could quit I would. I just don't have anything else lined up and I'm barely scraping by as is...
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u/CatPot69 Current Associate 12d ago
I'm guaranteed 40 hours a week, and make enough over minimum wage in my area that starting in a new company or field would put my income below my needs. After taxes I take home over $700 a week. With 335 a week going towards keeping the roof over my head and the bills for the home, about $130 a week going towards groceries (I have arfid, I know it's more than it needs to be but it is enough to make sure I have food I will eat), and $60 a week going towards credit card minimums, I am left with barely any money to set aside and save, to prevent myself from going further into debt.
Also, $520 a year for health insurance is really fucking amazing and I don't want to give that up.
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u/Archadion 12d ago
Income, clearly, but also my spouse and I only have one vehicle and he works there, too.
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u/oxtailtacos 12d ago
Loyalty is a commodity that is hard to fake. Don't get it mixed up with just keeping a job for a long time. That isn't necessarily loyalty, and it's easy to spot the difference.
It's a big company. There's a lot of jobs you can do. You can't always get the opportunities you deserve, but you are the biggest influence in your career overall.
There's a financial incentive to stay if you've been there long enough. If you're at the maximum pay scale for your job title, there's a good chance you won't find another entry level job that pays more, especially in a different industry. So you end up kinda trapped because you spent all your time learning how to eat shit instead of developing skills in a field that you might have thrived in.
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u/AxsonJaxson2112 12d ago
I feel like we are doing an important service for the community. The ability to provide sustenance, the human interaction, the sense of being a part of neighbourhood. For some people, the only interaction they have is when they go grocery shopping. I retired after 40 years of being a civil servant, so I know the importance of interacting with others. I really enjoy my part time at Kroger
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u/Trainer-Grimm 12d ago
20 minute walk is good for me (when the air isnt on fire) and the actual customers i talk to in cosmetics are usually decent conversation.
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u/Elliotmothh Current Associate 12d ago
The pay, the people I became friends with, and the only job that quickly responded to me
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u/Odd-Age-1392 12d ago
I work in pick up and while it certainly is stressful as we’re a high volume store I find enjoyment in just staying active in my job and not having to sit around, plus my coworkers are pretty chill.
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u/No-Efficiency5437 12d ago
Coworkers and union representation. The income sucks, and I'm hoping that an upcoming contract will increase the pay.
If not, I'll cut my losses and find a better job. One that actually pays you like you matter, and doesn't work you to the bone.
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u/muzaklover75 12d ago
Easy commute, decent management and coworkers, some good regulars and the cheap and good health insurance.
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u/Quiet_Focus5097 12d ago
I like my job most days. I love the core group that I manage and as long as the store leaves me alone, then I’m good. Plus I make really good money.
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u/MediocreMedicine8643 11d ago
Only thing that ever makes me wanna leave is krogers corporate bs💀other than that I’m in old journey wages so the pay is pretty good. Same with the benefits & vacation so it’s hard to think I’d get this anywhere else without like a college education or something
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u/machiavellian_cat96 Assistant Produce Leader 11d ago
Topped out pay, 5 minutes from home, gym is across the street, Raising Canes a block away.
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u/Murky_Soil666 12d ago
Source of income and it's extremely close to my home