Archived Being fired for making too much money

[Jewel1120]

Hey everyone I'm wondering if your stores are operating the same way mine is...
Quite a few TMs have been fired from what I hear because they're making "TOO MUCH MONEY" to make room for all the seasonal members at minimum wage. Target is finding every way possible to fire the ones that are making above the minimum wage. Within the last month at my store six TMs were fired and that's what everyone is saying it was because they had made quite a few above minimum-wage to make room for the new TMs coming in
This has me in a panic because I've been with Target for 8 years now and obviously make more than minimum wage so now I'm scared that they are going to find the littlest excuse to let me go. Is this happening in any of your stores ?

 

[RhettB]

If you are not on corrective action for not doing what is expected of you (core roles) then I would not lose any sleep over it.

 

[unknown]

They can't fire you like that. What they can do is start to make things difficult for you.

I've seen this type of thing done twice. High paying, long time team members, Senior team leads both, who are suddenly put in the cross hairs.

Both ended up quitting before they were termed.

 

[qmosqueen]

 

[redeye58]

TMs who are paid significantly higher than current minimum &/or have health benefits are usually performanced out.
It starts small by getting coached for petty things that never mattered before & other TMs don't get disciplined for, gradually building up to a long list while mentally browbeating you until you're on edge & it begins to impact your work. You noticed that you are singled out for this treatment & discipline is not evenly enforced.
When it reaches that point, you're pulled in & questioned about your sliding performance. Attempting to point out the petty actions leading up to it will get you punished for insubordination & a poor attitude.
You may also be labeled a trouble-maker & accused of spreading poor morale.
If you try to stick it out, they will make your work life hell until they find something to term you for or until you quit.
Transferring isn't an option as they'll deny it because they 'don't want to give their problem to another store.'
If you stick it out until you're termed, they'll deny unemployment based on all the actions used to tear you down.
If you quit, your only recourse is the hotline but you'll be labeled a 'disgruntled former employee' with an axe to grind.
Either way, you'll be marked red for rehire based on the file they accumulated.

 

[cobycord]

This might open up a can of worms....but "f" it.....my store and a lot of other stores in my district have started for lack of better words to "trim the fat". There are lots of people who've been at my store 8-10+ years and because of it have gotten lackadaisical. The best examples I can think of off the top of my head are TLs not even training new TMs to do the basics, TLs not doing the opposite of what the ETLs ask because they've been there longer and think their way would be better, TLs going against group focuses i.e. Single price point, focusing on guests not tasks. There's a culture shift happening in my district and there's nothing stopping it. It's gone from I'm so glad you've been with the company for 10 years to make us want to keep you for 10 more years or you're out the door.....when I first started working you felt safe after your 90 days, now it's I gotta show you why you need me, which I don't mind because it keeps me on my toes....just my opinion though

 

[Havok]

To be honest, if that started happening to me, I think I would just ask them why don't they just ask me to quit? Target is in no shape or form a worthy job. It's just something to pay small bills. I would gladly find another job and put in my 2 werks if I were asked tbh. Hilarious that Target acts like their shit don't stink when they can't even give their workers hours lmao!

 

[Spitfire]

I've never heard of such a thing in my district. Maybe it's a culture thing, or a shitty HR-BP.

 

[tgtfla]

I have always expected this to happen,we have lost all of our long term tls and most of the tms are on minimum hours but so far I have not been effected,but only a matter of time.

 

[SalesFloorSylph]

What my store did was basically not give any of the veteran team members a base pay raise and slash all of their hours. This one GSTL was actually fired for "not doing her job properly" which was instantly suspicious to a lot of us because she was a great worker and wasn't going anything wrong as far as we knew. Oddly enough it was right before we hired seasonals last year which was a particularly pointless move because all of them ended up leaving or getting let go

 

[phibot]

 

[Kompa]

The lastest 10$ raise wiped out most of the non-TL raises anyway. At the most, normal workers are making maybe 20/30 cents above their paygrade.

 

[Xanatos]

Veterans can become a problem. Seriously. There are a lot of people who are so entitled. They think that they deserve special treatment because they have been at the store longer than others, despite actually being worse than some of the new team members.

Also, you get the people who want to do things their own way and don't react well to change. They want to keep doing things the way they've always done them. Sure, the old way might work, but maybe there is a better way to do things. And maybe the new way will be shit and we'll go back to the old way, but you don't get to make that decision. I'll take your input because I value your opinion, but that doesn't mean you get to make up the rules.

One of the hardest things with being a new leader in a workcenter full of veterans is that they won't listen to you. Sometimes you need a good purge so you can start from the ground up and do things the right way.

 

[TTGOz]

I was wondering how we were making room for all these new seasonals.

I noticed my store was hardly scheduling enough workers.. just the bare essentials and they must of been saving hours/money to pay for the seasonals. For bout 3 weeks the walkie coms were just "Additional Cashiers to the front lanes" "I have no one on softlines" "I have no one in hardlines apparently" and all produce/meat/deli were preoccupied doing stocking for the store needs to come backup. So all the other TLs had to come up and back up themselves.

It's gotten far better now, thank God. But I can't help but feel like I might be on the radar now since I take too long to poop and I got in trouble for being two minutes late back from a 15 minute paid break. Most of the time it isn't an issue but yesterday it apparently was.

Didn't someone say TLs will start coaching you on things that didn't usually matter when they're looking to fire you? lol I'll just take my leave then from Target. JK.

 

[Redzee]

Another example of Spot aping an antiquated Walmart policy. Cut your veterans who often bring a strong work ethic and replace them with a bunch of noobs- first jobbers, washouts from other retailers. It saves money short term but will bite to the bone later. Wally is now testing new protocols that not only adequately compensate veteran employees but compel them to stay. Hopefully Spot figures it out.

 

[Yetive]

I think one of the most difficult things for many veteran TM/TLS to accept is that their roles change and expand over time. We had a TL who started as a Receiving TL. When that position was eliminated, he was made a SFTL. Over time, more responsibilities were added to the role, and he just couldn't/ wouldn't keep up with them. He was fired, as he should have been. No conspiracy. I have seen veterans lose their jobs, and I have seen them quit because they didn't like the changes to their positions.

I work at a store where several people have numbers that start with 1 (myself included). It can be super frustrating when leaders don't want to even try something new. "Oh, we aren't going to do that here. We'll keep doing it the same. It works for us." Aaaarrrggghh!

That said, I do believe that some institutional knowledge is a beautiful thing.

 

[NPC]

How terrible is it that I wish my store would do this? Only a few of our veterans are good, and I would never wish this upon. Pretty much any of the veteran TLs are great. Veteran TMs on the other hand....are fucking terrible because they never aspired to move up at all, and they've been there long enough to master how to bullshit their work duties without getting caught.

 

[Coqui]

Totally agree with the veteran mentality. Obviously not all of them react that way but sometimes they are the reason why there is a negative culture within the team. I had several in my department when I took over as the TL and they would spread their discontent with change to the new TMs. It was so difficult for me in the beginning but I had to react to it if I wanted to build a solid team. Needless to say 3 of them left and 1 I had to let go. My 4 veterans that stayed now adapted to the changes and they are greatful for the positive changes that were made. It's a tough spot to be in.

 

[HRZone]

Veterans can become a problem. Seriously. There are a lot of people who are so entitled. They think that they deserve special treatment because they have been at the store longer than others, despite actually being worse than some of the new team members.

Its a fine line, right? I think at Target we should respect the veterans and soak up as much information as we can

However the ones who refuse to help new TMs, refuse change and are toxic are a problem. I get it, Target has made a lot of negative changes and you have a reason to be upset with the direction of the company but if you feel the need to take it out on new ppl just GTFO and find a new job where you dont have to deal with newbies.

I dont think anyone should be ran out over wages. My question to the OP are the changes made over wages or attitude?

 

[NPC]

I dont think anyone should be ran out over wages. My question to the OP are the changes made over wages or attitude?

100%. No one is going to say, "Oh they fired me because I have a shitty attitude and I'm a terrible employee." They're going to come up with some bullshit excuse like, "Oh they fired me because I've been here too long and make too much money."

 

[redeye58]

No argument on the entitlement issues.
It's one thing to cut the deadwood when veterans refuse to change but it's something entirely different when you're getting rid of someone experienced who has adapted, trains others to BP, runs a green dept & has a great work ethic simply because they've earned a few raises to put them over current minimum.

 

[notfit05]

I've noticed an increase in seasonals to eliminate overtime in my D.C they still want to hire another 30 per department and expect us to bring them up to par before fall season ? Smh that's like a week or two away

 

[SalesFloorSylph]

How terrible is it that I wish my store would do this? Only a few of our veterans are good, and I would never wish this upon. Pretty much any of the veteran TLs are great. Veteran TMs on the other hand....are fucking terrible because they never aspired to move up at all, and they've been there long enough to master how to bullshit their work duties without getting caught.

The veterans at my store are usually cool (especially the softlines ones) but there's this one woman on POG that leaves a huge mess for everyone to clean up like she's too good to do it and I kind of hope her hours get cut as sort of a coaching

 

[Jewel1120]

I love my job... I work hard and get recognition for it often.. I am always willing to help out new tms for anything.. always make it my business to approach them to let them know they can come to me with any questions .. I love change and new challenges.. just works my nerves that some tms were fired for stupid reasons.. one of them being higher pay.. although Target will NEVER admit that.
I'd like to thank everyone for all the comments and opinions.

 

[Redzee]

How terrible is it that I wish my store would do this? Only a few of our veterans are good, and I would never wish this upon. Pretty much any of the veteran TLs are great. Veteran TMs on the other hand....are fucking terrible because they never aspired to move up at all, and they've been there long enough to master how to bullshit their work duties without getting caught.

Yes we should all be turned into soylent green or grey.