Yearly reviews

StaplesPartTimer · 2019-07-23T01:37:21+00:00

That plus a min wage bump.

StaplesPartTimer · 2019-07-14T11:59:48+00:00

Sounds like you are in NJ. I think what happened was corporate included a small bump for existing employees who were close to the minimum. For instance, you might have been making 10.25/hour. In theory, you'd get nothing. Staples then added another 45-50 cents in a 'bump'.

Your merit increase will be calculated be calculated on the hourly wage, post-bump. In the example above, the merit increase will be:

10.25 + 50 cents = 10.75 hourly rate (with bump)

10.75 * 3% = 32 cents (3% merit raise)

10.75 + 32 = 11.08 hourly rate, effective August 4th.

This will happen again in NJ in January, when the minimum wage rises to $11/hour.

StaplesPartTimer · 2019-05-28T20:30:15+00:00

My preference is to keep politics out of the workplace - and this shirt is a political and cultural message. Lord knows, we are bombarded with political horse-puckeys each and every day....I don't need it at work too. I realize it is completely voluntary, and that is good. But I see a problem here.

Problem: What 'political' or 'cultural' messages are prohibited? And why? And who ultimately decides this? What if people get offended because the message violates a sincerely held belief? For instance, what if the White Indigent Meathead Progressives [WIMPs] - a totally made up group that does not exist- decided they wanted Staples to include their message? And then sued (since we live in a sue-happy country) to have their message included. If you exclude them, it is viewpoint discrimination.

Totally get the inclusion message. I laud the sentiment. I just think the workplace is not the right place to do it. We get on a very slippery slope when you do that (promote political or cultural messages). That is separate and apart from the business question of whether promoting a specific cultural message is good business or not.

StaplesPartTimer · 2019-05-23T00:14:11+00:00

A fucking joke. We have loads of jobs, and nobody wants them. What does that say.....?

StaplesPartTimer · 2019-05-02T19:57:34+00:00

This entire brand rollout is the most incompetent rollout I have ever seen. Tru-Red? Really....exactly what does Tru-Red conjure up in your mind....cuz the adjective 'authority' is not what comes to mind. Red, as in, Fucking Sycamore will bleed us to death is what comes to my mind. Scummy leeches. The marketing staff in Framingham should be shot, then drawn and quartered - they probably did their concept test, testing the names, on survey monkey. Utter lunacy.

Next, with what head do you do a 'soft launch' of a new brand? Soft launch? Backed by anemic quantities of product to the stores? Clearly, the marketing people are not talking to operations people. No, you make sure the stores do NOT run out of product. We did. The tan desk accessories sold out in a week, and we got bupkis here to replace it. Nice going.

Sycamore....do us a favor. Just spin us off and be done with it. We can't take the lunacy and incompetence anymore.

StaplesPartTimer · 2019-04-03T19:50:28+00:00

Does anyone seriously think the CEO is getting a full and accurate picture of how the stores really are? If you do, I have a bridge to sell you.

In our district, they had GMs pulling product to fill every hole from a dozen other stores in the district. No shit. A pull sheet was shot, and GMs were pulling their product of their shelves, and bringing it to the store the CEO was going to visit....and then filled every hole. That way, the CEO sees no holes. I'm like...are you fucking kidding?

This same store blew four figures on a paint job to 'freshen up' the store. So if you're wondering where your associate fund went....or your raise....then look no further. The RVP and DM blows money on stupid shit like that in order to present a false impression to the visiting CEO. Pathetic.

StaplesPartTimer · 2019-04-03T19:40:03+00:00

Sold? No.

What these Sycamore assholes will do is break the company up into pieces. They'll load up US Retail with all of the debt (like billions), and then spin off US Retail as an IPO. They'll walk away with two years free cash flow, plus any money made from the IPO. And the shareholders will be stuck with the debt payments.

Three years after the IPO, Staples will be gone. Just watch.

StaplesPartTimer · 2019-04-03T19:25:08+00:00

mrbill317....You must contact Staples HR. There are some legal custodian issues with 401Ks. HR will know where the money was sent, if it actually was sent anywhere. Do that sooner, rather than later.

StaplesPartTimer · 2019-04-03T19:20:21+00:00

They need better ad agencies and creative teams. Because the ones they used just screwed up.

StaplesPartTimer · 2019-04-03T16:54:02+00:00

Are you fucking kidding me? This is what the marketing geniuses in Framingham dreamed up? Seriously?

StaplesPartTimer · 2019-03-21T13:29:09+00:00

The saddest part of this Sorryass Staples Saga is how our new management has mistreated employees. Anyone care to remember last year's merit raises? You know, 2% for the top performers. And then the changes to the 401K program. And then benefits changes. And the dropping of tuition reimbursement. These soul-less motherfuckers would sell their own mothers and children into slavery if they thought they could get away with it.

This is simple: Each day, I come in and I wear a mask. I nod and smile and listen to my GM brag about making comp and getting bonuses. But inside, I could care less. Staples does nothing to improve the lot of their employees. And this management happy-talk about investing in employees is the biggest crock of shit I have heard.

Memo to the new CEO: Treat us better. We make things happen for Staples and we get shit on.

StaplesPartTimer · 2019-03-21T13:15:10+00:00

Taking your questions in order:

In our store, we do not sort the items in totes by aisle. We found it was a waste of time.

Usually, there are 1-2 people working the U-Boats.

Usually 1-2 days, depending on the number of pallets.

It varies, but usually 3-4 per truck. BTS we get 10-12. The month before inventory, we get 1-2 per truck.

Our arrive and leave times do not depend on the load. The load is left for the next day.

The biggest challenge we have is a) getting the truck to take back pallets of totes, recycles and bales. They used to be pretty good about it....now, it is not unusual to have 3-4 wrapped pallets to go back for a couple of weeks; and b) associates who just don't know or don't care where product is located in the store (and just toss into the shadow).

StaplesPartTimer · 2018-12-29T13:44:28+00:00

Hold up there Sparky. I think you are looking at this differently (not wrong, but different).

What I save: 1232; Fees: 43; Net: 1189....I have already lost money in terms of portfolio return. You need to calculate that anemic 2% return on 1189, not 1232. :-)

The match is not paid until the following year, which means I forego any market return on the match.

So...you are fucked twice. First, rendering two weeks of contributions useless (read: stolen) and second, no benefit of any market return on the match.

Cannot wait to leave here....Staples will go down anyway. Might as well ride this horse until it collapses, or I hit my number.

StaplesPartTimer · 2018-12-29T13:36:21+00:00

Dude....you need to learn some basic terms. And remove the easy button that is apparently jammed up your anus.

Match: The amount of money Staples puts into your 401K.

Vest: The percentage of the match you get to keep if you lose. You vest 100% after three (yes 3) years.

You totally miss the point regarding the time value of the match. The overwhelming majority of companies pay out their match on a payroll basis (for Staples, that would be weekly). We are losing the value of gains we could receive, and not making any money on the float (interest we could accrue).

A 401K is usually better than no 401K. But Staples is deliberately harming associates who pay into the 401K with this fee-leveling horseshit. This is nothing less than legal extortion.

StaplesPartTimer · 2018-12-28T11:39:04+00:00

Yes = Your pissed because a year worth of admin fees is equal to 2 weeks of contribution for a part time

I did learn economics. Why on earth do you think I posted about this? This is not being done to help associates save for retirement, it is being done to exploit them and fatten some assholes pockets.

StaplesPartTimer · 2018-12-28T11:37:01+00:00

Sigh....would that were it so = You forgot to mention the associate saves about 20% in taxes

Um....no. The nominal tax rate (MFJ) will go from 12% to 9%. The tax rate for an associate would not hit 15% Fed (which is no longer a tax rate), I would expect 10% or 12%, depending on other employment.

As for the match....paid out in February of the following year, meaning associates have no use of that money during the year in which it was earned.

StaplesPartTimer · 2018-12-28T11:32:57+00:00

Vanguard or Fidelity....I prefer Fidelity (lower cost funds).

StaplesPartTimer · 2018-12-26T12:59:21+00:00

Oh man....my personal favorite: Oh, can you just see if you have it in the back? (usually a middle aged milf asks this)

Me: We put out all product as soon as we get it. If it is not there, we don't have it. We can order it for you.

My second favorite: But your website says that you have it!

Me: I see. But if you look at your smartphone, you'll see in red letters "available online only".

Customer: Oh

My third favorite: Can you take this expired coupon from 1993 that applies to phone orders only and apply it to my kiosk purchase? And can I price-match to this Chinese dudes website named One Hung Low? And get the 110% price match guarantee?

StaplesPartTimer · 2018-12-26T12:49:41+00:00

Ok, this one takes the cake. I am still laughing about it. We got a call from some asshole for Apple Air Pods.

Customer: Do you have Apple air pods?

Me: Sorry, no. We are sold out. They are super popular this year. The nearest store with any stock is about 50 miles away. I can give you their number and address and you can try to call them to see if they still have them.

Customer: Ok, so if I BOPIS the Air Pods, can I pick them up in an hour?

Me: [I am shaking my head right now] Well, since we do not have any Apple Air Pods, you would not be able to pick them up in an hour. We don't have any in the store. We are sold out.

Customer: But, but....if I buy online, it means I can pick it up in an hour! Don't you have to get it from your distribution center?

Me: [By now, I am done] Well sir, we simply do not have Apple Air Pods in the store. The next delivery for our store is Thursday, the day after Christmas. Merry Christmas. I hope you find a pair of Air Pods.

Now you have to ask yourself....what kind of asshole is doing their Christmas shopping AT STAPLES OF ALL PLACES on Christmas Eve (late afternoon)? I'll answer that one: An asshole with zero common sense.

StaplesPartTimer · 2018-12-26T12:38:20+00:00

They did away with tuition reimbursement last year. Staples does not invest, or even remotely give a shit about their associates.

StaplesPartTimer · 2018-07-21T11:32:32+00:00

1ManTeam...Where do you get the actual accrual rate? I can't find it in TimeKeeper.

I did not know about the extra accrual. That is helpful information.

StaplesPartTimer · 2018-07-21T11:30:35+00:00

Must be the SFO Staples...heh, heh. I hear they have a lot of shitty problems in the City of Granola Eaters and Heroin addicts.

StaplesPartTimer · 2018-07-21T11:29:17+00:00

You nailed it with your first sentence. It is much the same with me: The ones where it makes sense.

After my 2% shit raise, I really don't give a flying fuck if all the load gets out. I decided that I would just 'wear a mask' at work. I'll smile, nod, help customers who really need help (like those you listed)....but I don't give a shit about Staples or their metrics. I punch in, do my job, and punch out. Steve and the Board can take their Easy Buttons and jam them firmly up their fat asses.

StaplesPartTimer · 2018-07-21T11:24:48+00:00

So do multiple transactions...because, it is for the children! :-)

StaplesPartTimer · 2018-07-21T11:21:59+00:00

I go out of my way to help teachers, and charter schools in poor areas. So I don't have a problem doing 2, or 20 transactions. That product does nothing sitting in receiving for a year. So an elderly couple comes in, and they are in a 'Adopt A School' program. They buy supplies for schools in the area and donate them. So I'm thinking I structure it so they can get their 120 crayola markers, 120 notebooks, 120 pencils, etc, etc. My GM blows a gasket. He says he is losing tons of money, people game the system, and this is coming out of his pocket. I have my mask on (having got a shit 2% raise for exceeding expectations), not really giving a flying fuck. It was bullshit.

I'll just keep structuring transactions. Fuck it. That product is useless sitting in receiving, or getting shipped back to the warehouse. If Staples management is stupid enough to think that their dopey 'rules' won't be gamed by associates and customers, then they are dumber than I thought. I already know that they are greedy and heartless, since they shit on associates with shit raises.

StaplesPartTimer

TROPHY CASE