hi guys, I’m a manager, things at Belk we’re bad before Covid-19, and now it is hanging on by a thread. If anyone tells you Belk is doing well, they are flat out lying to you. Most Belk stores are down, some down exponentially, and some are “up”, but the ones that are “up” cannot sustain the company. Everyone realizes that there is a huge disconnect between corporate and store level employees, and the reason for that is they don’t want people to quit. The returns at stores are k–ling sales, customers are noticing a lack of assortment in goods, employees are being worked to death under “one belk” which means they are doing other people’s work (with no pay raise), Lisa Harper has not been seen since that dreadful video of herself and the executive team at home living in luxury while managers were forced to work at reduced pay. Most, if not all employees cannot just afford to quit, so when we were told to tell employees “get on the bus, or get off the bus” , I took personal offense to that, Belk knows that these employees are struggling trying to pay rent, insurance, car payments, daycare, ect.. that is a rediculous thing to expect management to say to employees. Belk has turned into a nightmare, just exactly what happens when private equity takes over and has no Indra what they are doing, the end is near, we all see and feel it, some of us will stick together for the long haul, others will get lucky and find a new job, but one thing is for certain, this is not the company that many of us grew up with, that southern family store atmosphere is long gone.
9 replies (most recent on top)
I think is going to worse, instead of better!
Although I wasn’t given my assessment by my manager, and didn’t ask under current situation, I was able to view the assessment in Workday.
Perhaps Sycamore works out a deal with J.C. Penney and they merge what’s left of Belk when all is said and done? Maybe we’ll be doing same two years from now under J.C. Penney? Would make since; J.C. Penney does have a larger footprint than Belk’s southern, and Sycamore would have a larger distribution chain for The Limited private label owned by them.
The problems are multiple:
- The pay is horrible! Most associates make less than $10/hr and get less than 30 hrs a week.
- We were told all evaluations were completed while the stores were closed (but we’re not allowed to see them, which is illegal). No one met with us nor did we sign them.
- Everyone now is expected to know every job (cashier, picker, departments, etc.)
- Associates are no longer in departments; this is the first thing customers notice and complain about. Customer service has really gone downhill.
- The pressure to get credits is ridiculous, especially in the COVID-19 environment. The people that are laid off do not need a card with a 23% interest rate.
- Managers stay in their office and are only visible if corporate visits.
It’s a dying company. They need to increase pay dramatically if they want to keep their best associates.
We need honesty here and not fake statements about how great belk is from some pencil neck corporate shill
To many people have had strokes and health problems due to the stress of this job. It's ridiculous that a retail job is like that.
You’re welcome, I’m a Christian and I truly believe in treating others with respect and dignity, and this company is the antithesis to that, that is why I will be leaving as soon as I get a new job.
belk will milk this “one belk” skeleton staff thing for as long as they can. They are using covid as a way to cut costs.
Thanks for being truthful.