June 9, 2013 - extarget
Target DC is by far the worst to be employed with
While working at a Target DC (distribution center) in Texas, I learned hands on how bad this Target treats it’s employees. Specifically this DC however I heard stories at others.
I opened with this DC just South of Dallas. I was a mechanic. I saw a lot of employees come and go including the General Managers of the plant. Some how I kept my job for over 9 years. While we did appreciate not getting laid off, I could not stand my job. The treatment, the inconsistent management, and the crazy modifications of policies to suite whoever’s needs at the time.
This DC in particular remained near or at the bottom of the “pyramid” almost the entire 9 years it has been opened. That alone speaks volumes as to the poor management.
Long story short for the last 9 years, I watched many people come and go. Some fired, some quit, some forced to resign. If they attempted transfer to another DC they were terminated for a stupid reason. That brings me to the most current issues of insanity.
While working during Christmas and being one of the better and reputable mechanics I was requested by all the GL’s to come and work. I started seeing my co workers dropping like flies. We had a fairly new GL who was inexperienced. They began telling us to fix things in unsafe manners, in violation of OSHA regulations so they could receive bonuses for staying under budget. This was putting workers in the entire DC at risk of injury. When we spoke up they wrote us up for failing to follow the GL. While I was not written up for that or any reason during my employment, my co workers were. I felt safe somewhat.
That all changed. We had lost around 8 guys by the first of January 2013 due to terminations (for reasons such as getting into a car accident and letting your wife call in, using a “used part” as requested by a GL instead of a new part, etc). Then something bad happened. Near the end of January 2013, I watched as 2 of my fellow mechanics were terminated. Reason given vandalism. While I could not wrap my head around this reason- and if you knew the guys you’d know why.
One put a sticker that someone else printed incorrectly on a forklift. This labeling procedure was part of the PM. It didn’t even say anything bad. It was misprinted by another guy and it transposed two letters spelling a person’s name opposed to random letters for the equipment number. Another was doing a pm and ran out of white paint and painted rims gold since it required painting. There was no standard on color ever specified. When they spoke up and said it was not willful or malicious, part of the definition of vandalism, they were told they were fired, walked out with a police escort. Never had one lick of trouble with these guys ever and treated them like that. Shortly there after I lost my job for having an outburst.
Things began to tank fast. People were saying that should never have happened to them and it was a wrong choice. I then learned it was a “personal” reason for one of the guys and a GL who had a relationship at one point. The other guy got caught up. However HR people said they “felt sick” over it, upper secretarial staff did too. Many floor and fellow mechanics and UA’s attempted to speak to HR about it and everyone that opened their mouth was terminated by the end of February.
Again more lame reasons for termination- missing 7 days in one year, not behaving “brand”, driving a forklift too fast, etc.
All these families effected with crazy reasons for what? The only thing anyone could figure out is that they were told according to one source (not confirmed) that Corporate has instructed them to let go all the highest paid employees and they would hire guys in at lower pay. Well being there 9 years as a mechanic we were up to $30/hr.
I was then let go for having an “outburst” because I said shit. They also claimed someone filled a glove with spray foam and formed it to a middle finger and pinned that on other people without proof. I still believe that is a set up to have a reason to fire someone. I witnessed the GL’s laughing over it and passing it around.
After over 13 mechanics were gone over 3 months time and many floor employees, they were short handed. Calling in guys from Tyler DC, blasting themselves on every job board, BEGGING for help. They appear desperate, but it was their choices. They let the best guys go and kept the crap. Only one original remains and he is the biggest part of the problem. They are paying tons of extra money to have contractors or Tyler employees come in to fix their excessive terminations. nothing is working. The DC will remain at the bottom forever. Management is awful and they have some really bad employees in there.
Someone is going to get hurt with all the side stepping they are doing to cut costs. Either they are in serious financial trouble and that explains the cuts in parts/repairs and the cuts in highest paid long timers or someone has made a huge mistake, yet Target won’t fix it.
Many of these employees went through the process to get their jobs back. However, Mark a guy at the DC continues to lie and mislead the “outside” folks to keep the people out of their job- without proof. No one would hear or reevaluate anything to maybe give a couple people their jobs back. They have just added to the unemployment rate. They have just added to taxes and resources from the government. Perhaps it is corporate greed, or perhaps they have personal problems with people and don’t know how to separate the two.
Something is definitely wrong. Once the LOS (level of service) got seriously bad at this location, they called out the supervisors who had a hand in the terminations. One walked out and the others blamed him and are still there. No one took any responsibility in this.
Real sad. So many people have lost their job over nothing. Target reminds me of the rumors I hear of a specific religion. They keep tabs and records if you even breathe wrong and use it against you whenever they decide that morning it is time for you to go in spite of all you did. I read there is lawsuits to take information offline, and so on. To cover my butt- I stick by my story as it is true, but in case Target wants to disagree, this is just my opinion and my opinion of Target is much different than their opinion of themselves.
Bottom line, don’t work there if you don’t have to. It is not a retiring type of job and they will find reasons to let you go.
I KNOW they made a huge mistake in letting the two mechanics go in January. I feel they made a huge mistake letting me go. I also think everyone needs to know corporate greed if that is the cause of this, has created many displaced workers, added to the unemployment rate during a fragile time, put more people on the gov’t system needing help, causing taxes to raise, and so many more negatives all because $50 million a year apprx salary is not good enough. HMM?
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Wow, sounds like my story here in SLC, they are no better than Wal Mart now....I got the boot after 9 years of loyal service....made too much money
if it makes you feel any better, Target isn't doing well up here in canada. More employees than customers there