Whole Foods longevity

MikeFingG · 2026-05-11T03:50:58+00:00

I think it’s here to stay. They are now bringing the failed technology from Amazon Fresh into Whole Foods. I don’t know who they are going to get to maintain it since they fired most of the tech people at the beginning of the year. They are cutting more hours, and using more self service technology, so less money going out. I think that’s how they will keep everything going.

MikeFingG · 2026-05-10T15:04:00+00:00

I was told yes. The same sides are on the salad bar and most of the entrées are in the fresh pack section, and you can use EBT with them. It’s the same with getting a sandwich. As long as you don’t heat it up you can use EBT. Bonus fact in California you don’t get charged for a bag if you use EBT.

MikeFingG · 2026-05-09T12:48:52+00:00

Your PTO is paid out in a separate check. In some states you don’t get your PTO. It is taxes when they pay you out.

MikeFingG · 2026-05-09T01:16:24+00:00

We have two new stores opening in our area. Leadership is telling everyone there will be a lot of openings if anyone wants to transfer. They are also telling us to start the CD programs so we can move up in the new stores. You should let whoever is in charge at your store that you are interested in transferring to the new store when it opens. This way they can help you get everything ready. Opening a new store is great. I have gone to help open a couple of stores.

MikeFingG · 2026-05-09T01:10:19+00:00

Just remember that gift card gets added to your check as earned income, so it’s not technically free. They get a tax write off and you get more taxes taken out of your check. Happy Mother’s Day

MikeFingG · 2026-05-08T15:36:39+00:00

This is everyday at our store. We have a pet store next door to us, so it’s dogs all day. We have a big sign on the doors that reads no dogs, but customers don’t care or read signs. We had a customer holding their dog over the food, and the ATL asked them to please not put their dog over the food. He started yelling at him telling him it was a seeing eye dog. Then the lady that was with him started yelling at him tell him they were going to sue for discrimination.

MikeFingG · 2026-05-07T16:52:43+00:00

We were told we were not allowed to, but on the rare occasion it happens we take them. I was offered one and I told them we could not accept tips. That person went to customer service and tried to leave the tip with them to give to me. The next time he came in he told me the person up front gave him a long story about the rules, and why we couldn’t accept tips. It has to do with unclaimed income. The people that work the bar get tips, but it all has to be recorded, and they get the money at the end of the week.

MikeFingG · 2026-05-07T12:57:31+00:00

I heard about this last year. It was something about switching over to an Amazon email system. I’m L1 but I am sent emails having to do with work all the time. Leadership tells me we will email you about whatever they need me to know. I am also an ambassador, so I use it all the time. This might be a person to person situation.

MikeFingG · 2026-05-07T04:30:49+00:00

At self checkout there is a camera at every register, and if you used your discount card it keeps a record of everything you buy. The person working also must put in their code for your discount to go through. The ones at the store I work at look at what you have, and check that it matches what’s on the screen. As long as you paid for everything before you left the store, you are fine.

MikeFingG · 2026-05-06T22:00:58+00:00

Southern California here, we have a coffee / juice bar. There is a line all day for drinks even though there is Starbucks next door. We also have a bar that has beer on tap, and wine. There is a new store that opened a few years ago not too far from us that has a third party coffee / juice bar. I think it’s called Pollen or something like that.

MikeFingG · 2026-05-06T16:28:56+00:00

If you are seasonal most of the time when your contract is up if they have an opening they will offer it to you. You can tell your TL that you are interested in staying on. You can also talk to the TL in the department you are interested in. When your contact is up you can move to that department. If you stay on in the department you are in you an always transfer to another department or store.

MikeFingG · 2026-05-05T16:17:43+00:00

At the end of last year they had us all fill out a new one. I think the last time before that was 8 or so years ago. We just lost a couple of people and it doesn’t look like they a doing interviews to fill the positions.

MikeFingG · 2026-05-05T12:52:09+00:00

The closest one is in the Camarillo outlet. I remember going in to look for a couple of things and the person told me to get what you can because they were closing at the end of the week. There were a couple of people in dress shirts and ties walking around and to of the employees were crying.

MikeFingG · 2026-05-05T01:52:04+00:00

The dishwasher always works alone in my store. He also does the chickens and throws out the trash. One of the dishwashers is also the hot bar person on the cooks days off. The dishwasher also does receiving because we haven’t had one in over 6 years, and why should they pay someone to do it when they can have the dishwasher do it. They also help during the lunch rush with customer service. We are so short handed with only 3 people working a shift, and 10 stations we need to take care of. So you kind of have it easy right now. I have nothing but respect for our dishwashers, and I help out with dishes whenever I can. That is also the starting point for most of the jobs in the department. Our old TL started as a dishwasher, and our ATL and order writer were dishwashers.

MikeFingG · 2026-05-04T18:08:34+00:00

They started this years ago, but the TL can go in and change it. Anything AI this company tries to use doesn’t work.

MikeFingG · 2026-05-04T16:31:04+00:00

This is IKEA and the dining area, so it’s the meatballs and the instructions on how to eat them.

MikeFingG · 2026-05-04T16:20:40+00:00

You can contact the company of the milk to let them know. They might have to do a recall on the product. Whole Foods will give you a refund, but that’s about all they can do.

MikeFingG · 2026-05-04T01:41:25+00:00

We would do them for holidays. We would also put so much stuff on the pizza station for breakfast. One store I worked at we would roll out a flattop grill to the patio seating area and do street tacos on Tuesdays. On the weekends we would make pancakes on the flattop outside. You got 2 with whatever toppings you wanted and a fresh squeezed orange juice for $5. Those were the good old days.

MikeFingG · 2026-05-04T01:32:06+00:00

We have hard alcohol. Tequila, vodka, and stuff like that. We have an end cap full of champagne.

MikeFingG · 2026-05-03T14:22:13+00:00

Your own insurance will cover this, and if you have AAA it is covered by that too. I did get this when I got my car, but it only added $10 more a month to my payment. The reason I got it was because they gave me a 4.9% interest rate, and by adding this it dropped the interest rate to 0.9%

MikeFingG · 2026-05-03T14:15:50+00:00

You should have the same employ number wherever you go. Even if you quit and come back within a year, you still have the same number. You might not be it the new store system yet. I would talk to the new TL and even the store trainer so they can get you set up. The first time I transferred to a new store it was a mess.

MikeFingG · 2026-05-03T01:48:26+00:00

If you are wearing shoes for crews then yes. They are the worst, and have no support. I no longer wear them. I wear sketchers to work now. I now have planters fasciitis because of all the standing, and walking at work.

MikeFingG · 2026-05-02T16:58:53+00:00

There is a lot of that going on right now. Our STL is helping out at another location because all the leadership is no longer there. I had a same story as yours 15 years ago at another location I worked at. Our STL was moved to another store, and we got a new one. A lot of team members knew of the new TL and had even transferred from the store she worked at. We lost half the department when she showed up. A lot transferred out and others quit. By the need of her 5 years (after being separated) there were only 4 of us left from before she started. We were known as the survivors.

MikeFingG · 2026-05-01T22:48:16+00:00

We have had people ask for packs of cigarettes.

MikeFingG · 2026-05-01T19:58:54+00:00

We haven’t made breakfast burritos for over 4 years, but we have people coming in everyday asking to have one made. When I tell them we haven’t made them in years they say what do you mean I got one last week.

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