I overheard combo teams are coming to the south region very soon? Can anyone confirm?
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I have been on a combine team now for 8 months. Which was hard as hell at first with no training to start. And still hard because I got some training but not much :(. Raise what raise we don't get that and they cut our labor too
And we should tie together the info in the 4/06/2016 article from www.specialtyfood.com (centralized purchasing decisions, automatic replenishment buying) with recent combined jobs that cover more than one region here and there around the country, and also the fact that combo teams in stores may lead to combo teams at regionals. A lot of people are going to lose their jobs, from buyers in stores to TLs to those at regional. This could be a different company in just a few years, which is moving pretty fast, and those of us affected by it could be in for a heck of a rough ride.
Poster below got calendar dates wrong. Dollar numbers are referring to average sales per week. Stores that average over $900k/week will not be combining teams according to this plan. Dates I have been told differ slightly, also. Perhaps I am in a different region? But, nevertheless, I was told that this is a plan from Global that will be carried out company-wide. For example, in my region stores in the $650-900k bracket are supposed to combine somewhere between the end of Q1FY2017 (in January 2017) and the end of FY2018 (fall of calendar year 2018.)
<$400k - By end of Q1 FY17 (this should read Jan 2017, not 2016)
<$400-650k - By end of Q1 FY18 (this should read Jan 2018, not 2017)
<$650-900k - By end of Q1 FY19 (this should read Jan 2019, not 2018)
I left with the first round of layoffs and I couldn't be happier with the decision. Still, I hate it for so many great friends that I made while working with WFM who are still there. Value the relationships that you make but understand that you are not important to the business regardless of what you may have thought in the past.
Ridiculous... I've been pfds buyer for 6 months without an atl, doing atl job, catering, freshpack, receiving.... all while waiting on the atl to post. Now I get this? Thanks a lot.
I'll leave this here, this is based on fact (internal only document) and not hearsay
All stores $900k or under will be converting with the following timelines
<$400k - By end of Q1 FY17 (Jan 2016)
<$600-650k - By end of Q1 FY18 (Jan 2017)
<$900k - By end of Q1 FY19 (Jan 2018)
This is company wide and not based on any one region.
From what I've heard in sopac it's gonna be 900 and under stores. 900+ are still ok.
Yes, we were told Thursday on inventory day!! GREAT!!!!!!!
The south went to all combo teams for stores under 650K weekly sales. Along with another marketing restructure, and regional finance team joining with Mid-Atlantic finance team. Regions have until next tuesday to share this with their team leader group and so on. We were given a one year notice, and suggested to apply for any open positions as soon as they become available. Otherwise, when the year date comes up, you apply for your position and don't get it you are just done. I'm curious about the person who said North Cal region is combo at stores at 900k? We were shown a slide show that told us how much labor money was saved with the stores that were already combined for the last year. They don't care about us, this is about saving money.
Winston Salem just had a meeting about that that, rumor is the STL volunteered to be a pilot store.
It's really best to check the labor laws in your area. There are unique differences in each State; people post here from all over the US and UK. I have to agree with @IefJmci-2ngf:
" we thought WFM did it because they had some humanity left, but clearly that all went out the window when they had to pay out way more than they expected last October."
Whole Foods is clearly not the company we thought it was, or maybe even that it once was.
"By law, the first layoff is considered notice now. They only had to pay severance when they gave no notice..ie the first layoff."
This is completely untrue. They didn't have to pay severance. They are only required to give 60 days notice for a mass layoff, or the employees are entitled to pay in lieu of work during the 60 day term This is where the "bridge pay" account came in. No US employer is required to pay severance, we thought WFM did it because they had some humanity left, but clearly that all went out the window when they had to pay out way more than they expected last October.
By law, the first layoff is considered notice now. They only had to pay severance when they gave no notice..ie the first layoff. Since the restructure is not technically a layoff they are not legally responsible to pay severance. By offering you the ability to find another position within the company it's not a layoff, it's a restructure. You are not automatically eligible for unemployment either. Especially if you are offered a position (even at lower pay it less hours) and turn it down.
Our store makes about 900k+/ wk. We are already combining.- NorCal
They lengthened the term until the current position ending date (although they haven't actually given us a specific date on paper). They're banking on most of us not taking them to court over the lack of severance offering, they feel they have covered their asses there. A real scumbag move on leadership's part. What they're really hoping for is that we'll help them with the transition to 1 TL from 2 or 3, then let the rest of us fade into obscurity. They don't really want all of us to stay and take other positions, but they have made it painfully obvious that they don't want to help any more of us transition into life outside of WFM either.
The only good thing that could be said about the first phase of restructure was that the affected TMs were offered a fairly generous parting package. In the wake of those TM reductions the leaders who stayed have picked up the massive slack due to the reduced/less talented workforce. We have given our hearts, souls, lives and time away from their families to keep this company afloat at the store level.
These heartless RPs have made an unconscionable decision to deny severance and they must be held accountable for their actions.
Can someone confirm without string the pot? How does a company justify giving severance to some and not others? Can't they be taken to court?
what is the NWO ?
Will buyers be reduced ? I am on grocery and we've already been reduced once.
No severance offered. Giving us a 15 month grace period to get with the NWO. How generous.
Happening now. All tls in office for closed door meeting.
We are becoming like every other retailor it's not going to get better for the little guys accept it. Treat your job like what it is you work are a grocery store do your shift and go home.
Confirmed i work in a south region store. Also f--- omar.
confirmed company wide combo teams for stores making less than 600k/week. bakery-pfds, grocery-wholebody-specialty, meat-seafood.