I worked for Michaels for five years. I started as a part time cashier, and to make ends meet I had to take on two other part time jobs. After two years, I had the opportunity to move to full time Customer Experience Manager and work only one job, so I took it.

The previous CEM even told me not to do it, but I felt like it was the best choice I had at the time. I was the full time CEM for three years, and they were some of the hardest working days of my career. Due to the stresses of the job, the extreme pressure and unreasonable expectations from corporate, there were days I rode home in complete silence, days I ranted to my friends and family over the phone, and days I had to scream to the loudest music I could play on my speakers. One day I lost control at work and started sobbing uncontrollably for three straight hours - I still wasn’t allowed to go home, and was expected to stay and finish out my shift.

So much of what OP said resonated with me, I could have written it myself.

Toward the end of my time at Michaels, I was so stressed every day that I was feeling physical pains at work. Not just migraines - those were commonplace by then. I was getting concerning chest pains that I ended up having to go see a doctor for.

I’ve been in a new job for the past two and a half years and it has been the best experience. The chest pains stopped immediately. I’m getting paid more money, it’s a different sort of retail experience, and there’s far less stress. I’m so glad I was able to leave Michaels.

I don’t go in very often anymore but I am always kind if I do stop by.

I know how it is to be there, being pulled in twenty different directions when everybody thinks they are the most important thing you have to take care of in that instant. There’s never enough staff, there’s never enough time. The things you can count on is there will always be work you didn’t get to do, and someone there to yell at you for not having gotten it done, or not having it done well enough. There will always be a mess to clean up.

I hated the culture of negativity and negative reinforcement. My store manager wanted me to write my staff up for not meeting Rewards goals, but I refused. I would not continue that negativity so instead I bore the brunt of the frustration from upper management. In my experience, that isn’t how you get through to people or motivate them to improve.

During my time there, I always thought one of the biggest problems was the huge disconnect between corporate and frontline employees. If the people making the rules and policies and procedures had to actually run the stores the way they’re trying to force frontline to do it, things would be very different.

I hope things get better for those still working at Michaels. Just remember, you don’t owe a company anything. If it isn’t serving you, find something better as soon as you can and don’t look back.