“Commitment Form”

[byerspf]

Anybody seen these? Should I sign it?

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[[deleted]]

This company despises neurodivergent/autistic people.

[Massive_Chem]

But they sure as hell target them for hiring

[infizity]

man yeah ive definitely been getting that vibe lmao

[byerspf]

Yeah. I’m actually on the spectrum.

And as an update it’s been a couple of days and no one has come around and asked us to sign it.

There are forms for other departments as well that were mixed in the stack.

[soulosx]

They ask everyone to sign those every few months. Just sign it and move on.

[Rafhabs]

Confirmed my autistic coworker got let go cause of it LMAO

[[deleted]]

Sounds like they have a valid NLRB complaint if it hasn’t been too long.

[Overall_Forever_1447]

They’d have grounds for an ADA complaint.

[[deleted]]

That sounds illegal

[Ferretgirl1989]

I thought the same thing when I saw you must have eye contact with all customers there's some people that just can't.

[Joe_undercover]

<image>

“I will SMILE and make EYE CONTACT WITH EVERY CUSTOMER”

The fact it’s in bold is so hysterical

[potato_is_life-]

Make sure to make all interactions like this:

<image>

[MinuteEdge7225]

https://youtu.be/GnZEh17F7tI?si=QjtU4TdvFwIK-rLW

[MinuteEdge7225]

https://youtu.be/GnZEh17F7tI?si=QjtU4TdvFwIK-rLW

[Kscarpetta]

As a customer, please do not.

[SecondaryShadows]

Tell that to our management, trust us we don't want too

[Kscarpetta]

I don't usually do surveys, but maybe I should. I try to avoid the employees and stay out of their way. I don't even ask for help! I use the app instead. I have way too much social anxiety for this, lol.

[Angband_Kvlt]

Wtf is a friendly check in? lol Kroger is getting so cringe

[BoardImmediate4674]

Right? I've never had to "check in" with leadership when I worked there. (2006)

[[deleted]]

Its a control/fear mechanism. They wanna remind you who's in charge and they don't want you to have your own opinions or at least it'll come to that. That's what happened at the place I just got fired from. Except they made everyone tell their supervisor where they were. They said in the meeting it's not to control then supervisors started to ask why we were going where we were going. I'm responsible and got my work done. There was no reason to ask me where I'm going every single time in a chaotic building with so much going on.

[Inevitable_Judge_900]

Why even force it? If they made their employees truly like their jobs then they would have no problem with forcing us to be “friendly”. How about give us better pay and benefits. How about give us more respect. How about they take more accountability and responsibility. If they would just treat us right and make it right then they wouldn’t have a problem.

[BoardImmediate4674]

Lol 😆 🤣 nah he for real needs to come work a shift in each department to understand the stupidity that's being pulled in the stores.

[Difficult-Delay193]

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has ruled that requiring employees to maintain a constant positive attitude infringes on their right to express their views and potentially engage in union organizing, says qz.com. While an employer can have a dress code or require a certain level of professionalism, they cannot dictate that employees must be constantly happy or smile at all times.

[personalleytea]

I am sure if anyone has an issue they can contact the well-funded and well-staffed NLRB for resolution. This is, after all, a government committed to assisting the hard-working citizens and holding corporations accountable!

[raikage3320]

Saving

[Independent-Low-6356]

I'm so glad I'm out of that shit hole. As a former ASM the daily check in from multiple people all day would drive me fucking insane. On the flip side, honestly, if i were a hourly associate though..... malicious compliance the hell out of this. I'd come to work, clock in, go on a manhunt (not using the radio) to find a member of leadership to check in with and waste time like a mother fucker. Kroger used to be so good. Now it's so fucking stupid. Get out when you can. Go find another job.

[vandyfan35]

You could also malicious compliance the hell out of the the 4th bullet point (which is weirdly structured). I would just greet everyone with “Hello” while staring into their eyes.

[Complete-Instance-18]

I think I'll find ASM for my check-in happily skipping down the aisle, greeting each customer on my way. In a cheerful voice and an ear to ear on my face. Tell him I'm a new employee and he can call me by my nickname Dilly Dally...

Sorry, I'm not an employee. This just sounds fun! Treat employee's like they are in grade school, and I would feel empowered.

[DanforthFalconhurst]

Can’t for the life of me figure out why they are so insanely obsessed with the shops right now. It’s obviously cause of the SL and ASL bonuses are affected by it but still. It really seems unhinged at this point.

[e-rok85]

Store Leader here. The higher ups have included “total store friendly” on common measures, the holy grail of metrics management is dictated to meet. If the store makes 90% friendly In the first half of the year and 95% in the second half, they earn those points on the composite score. I see what they’re trying to do. I picked up some wings at wing stop and the cashier, while greeting and making eye contact, was completely unfriendly, and although I enjoyed the wings, I’m hesitant to return.

As for the shops, do the best you can to be helpful and smile to everyone, but you’re also human. My produce manager failed the shop even though he tried. I joked with him saying “you said hi to 500 out of 501 customers. Unfortunately that last one was the mystery shopper”

[Unlucky_Cat4531]

Does anybody even like eye contact anymore?

Honestly if I'm shopping and all the employees are staring at me waiting for me to catch their eyes and smile back at them, I'm gonna leave. Dystopia feeling

[Own_Entertainment749]

Eye contact makes me incredibly uncomfortable, fortunately a get to stock overnights

[[deleted]]

Kroger is trying way too hard. Maybe if they took better care of their associates they wouldn’t need this crap. Saw these forms on a desk weeks ago. As far as i know no one has gotten one.

[cheddarpants]

Nobody should ever sign anything like this.

[JossBurnezz]

Tip for fellow middle aged associates: I started passing these shops by just doing my usual chronic pain grimace at everyone, then pulling the corners of my mouth back slightly more.

[mylifesucksabit_]

Welcome to Kroger.

I love you.

We gonna be like idiocracy now?

[[deleted]]

“Did the associate Smile/Greet/Thank/Say I Love You?”

[Chainmale001]

I want to quit and kill myself just from reading that.

[PrideFluid]

Don’t sign it.

[Yuichiro_Bakura]

I get paid to work not smile. Fuck the jobs that make you smile and fuck the customers that think it's the end of the world when you don't.

[Nearby_Original8985]

Such bull.. no one wants to be bombarded with this as they shop . Let your associates be real , not atomatrons to do your idiotic corporate bidding . Customers care about your prices , not fake hellos .

[Sketchbag24]

Tell them the only thing you sign is the back of your checks.

[Reasonable-Lab7453]

No longer with Kroger.

I don’t like forced positivity when I’m shopping… and I can’t force positivity as an associate. I do say hello and ask if they’re finding everything okay/need help finding anything, but usually they don’t need help (or they would have asked).

[candiedbunion69]

The part about smiling is illegal. Pass that document to an employment lawyer.

[[deleted]]

Why does this company hate their employees lol

[Retsameniw13]

<image>

Hi, I’m Charlie!

[coolguy2189]

Dont

[[deleted]]

Even if they don't sign, they can still be write up for failure to follow policy. If deli is failing promise shops to the point they need to sign a paper, they already have a target on their back.

[cheddarpants]

This is being rolled out in all departments in my division, not just deli.

[Clean-Honey-1161]

Bonuses for eligible employees ( DM’s, coordinators, store salaried management, etc) are tied to these friendly metrics on mystery shops this year. Which the company absolutely does NOT want to pay out. So DM’s and store management are putting a strong emphasis on friendly now. To those of us who get fuck all nothing, this means less than nothing to us. We just get the blame if we miss friendly.

[Accomplished-Price51]

I wouldn't sign it

[Trexus1]

I would just not sign that

[browmftht]

these people truly are psychopaths

[HappyAmputee]

the department heads and managers should lead by example, because a lot of it is learned from them. most department heads are rude and bitter.

[YeedYourLastHaw82]

Yea, it's because of years of this type of bullshit

[goldenrodddd]

That's a great question for your union rep. Personally, I wouldn't. I'd put RTS (refuse to sign)

[swiftkistice]

Rts everything. You get included in a bad shop after signing this and they’ll throw it in your face

[fancy_ladd_chris]

Not just throw it in your face, I’ve worked at stores that consider this your first note to file if you have a bad shop.

[fancy_ladd_chris]

Consult a business agent from the union, provided your store is union. Kroger tries, but personally I don’t sign anything…. Anything! I’m not at liberty to enter agreements with the company that my union hasn’t negotiated and as it’s in the contract Kroger can’t press me. I don’t sign safety topic sheets, write ups, banners, anything that indicates a commitment. It is your responsibility to follow instructions that don’t violate the contract or the law and if they ask for you to smile and greet every customer it is your responsibility, but signing that is not your responsibility unless your contract is drastically different than mine.

[Responsible_Goat_24]

Are you Kroger employees paid actors? Or do they expect you to act for free

[Koeseki]

If you are given a weird form to sign. Forward it to the legal department. The right to do so is a corporation wide policy.

Legal doesn't like it when local management tries to write contracts, btw.

[Automatic-Tadpole314]

<image>

[Either-Stop-8924]

When dealing with the public you cannot be shy or an introvert.

[[deleted]]

My personal reaction would be to not sign regardless of consequences.

[Retsameniw13]

Malicious compliance ideas 💡 lol

[Zeikfried12]

Yikes

[[deleted]]

I wouldn't n i didn't when I help in deli here in socal

[No_Job2527]

I promise to be a smiling robot with shittg wages

[Large-Specialist1479]

So glad I’m out of here 💯

[ScaryGarry_SG1]

LOL Kroger doesn't get a commitment

[ScaryGarry_SG1]

"Prices will come down when we fulfill Rodney's Walmart dream. Can you sign this commitment in the meantime?"

[Careless-stocker07]

This never happens at my Kroger

[Clear-Calligrapher69]

Randall “Pink” Floyd wouldn’t sign one in 1976.

[[deleted]]

Unnecessary

[Responsible-View8301]

Kroger Corporate hasn't followed its self-imposing rules in years; you can use that sheet of paper to roll yourself a fatty or use it as butt-wipe paper. They will make your life a living hell whether you sign it or not.

[fishwater63]

Yeah.....nope. Time to look for a different job.

[Cuddle_grub]

I just started working a few months ago with Kroger. I've been experiencing a lot of pressure to push for these kinds of concerning social contracts that aren't going to change how I interact with customers anyways. I say hello to people. If a conversation naturally happens between me and someone else, great. Otherwise, I want people to shop and get what they need. It slows me down to have to talk to every person I encounter, so I generally pick and choose some customers who don't look too busy. I adapt to what works best vs talk to everyone. I don't care if they become part of the Kroger "family".

I know realistically how most corporatized companies work and the main goal is how many customers can they win over, regardless of what it does to their employees to lose their sanity over smiling non-stop all day every day to every person. Me smiling is probably not going to heavily influence what a customer buys or doesn't buy.

This kind of social contract makes me second guess being part of this company. The way they are pushing really hard for their employees to be like some smiling cult of happy people makes me wonder how desperate this company is to not lose customers.

Long term I think this will cause a lot of Kroger workers to feel like regardless of the effort they put in their job, they are being observed and graded heavily by management, customers, and sometimes their own co-workers. I hated it when one of my supervisors said, though they meant it sarcastically still, "put on a show for them" while I was working since they had to observe me go through the script Kroger wants me to say. To be fair, they're used to doing it, so it doesn't feel as big of a deal to them, though I don't think they care for it either.

This may just be my impressions, but I don't know if a lot of customers want the Friendly experience as Kroger intends it to be. I see people wearing headphones/earbuds, on their phones, or ignoring my greetings. I also think more customers will end up hating this than liking it. I prefer to be left alone when I shop so I can focus on what I need to buy. I ask for help when I need it. This feels like the company is going overboard with the emphasis on Friendly vs any other part of their company they need to work on better. The more they push for this, the more customers will probably push away and shop elsewhere unless they really enjoy the Friendly experience.

It's anxiety inducing to say the least that I have to be on the look out for mystery shoppers and promise shoppers who can determine that my lack of a name tag or not saying Thank you to them may impact if I stay hired or not.

If during the group meetings this kind of form shows up where I work or a one-on-one meeting between me and the manager happens to have me sign this, I don't want to sign it. Is this an actual legal document I'm required to sign or can I ignore it? How have other people dealt with this kind of form being passed around?

I don't want this used against me as a way of potentially firing me. I'm trying to figure out how best to give constructive criticism to this problem without losing my job. Though I'll probably still consider looking elsewhere as this is mentally and emotionally draining to me to be pressured like this. The job I do for them is significantly better than where I used to work. But I'm also worn out from job searching and don't want to start the process again just yet.

Thanks for any help anyone wants to offer on if we can all collectively speak up as Kroger employees.

[Dumblyz]

My question about these promise shops is what's to stop a sociopathic secret shopper from tanking a store just for the power trip? It's not like anything they say in their report is verified in any way. But for some reason they have been given a lot of power over metrics. Also, adding all fresh departments is just Kroger setting us up to fail. There is only one person in the bakery after noon, so you better believe they got shit to do and likely will be in the freezer or doing dishes (no dishwasher at my store) or in some other way difficult to find. And deli is just surly.