I left belk in early January 2020 and never looked back. then covid hit and the world changed. Belk pays $11 an hour for sweat shop conditions and I got a new job as a receptionist at a hair salon making $16.25 plus no sundays or mondays and Saturday’s are only 9-1pm. how can you pass that up? and it’s a wonderful, friendly, and KIND place to work. Anyone reading this, just know that Belk’s work conditions and treatment of employees is NOT NORMAL, and you just don’t realize this until you get out of there and go work someplace else. happy holidays and good luck everyone!!
14 replies (most recent on top)
"Thats some messed up booty.Belk oughta be ashamed and the store mgr and regional vp should be canned. Maybe a tip to the local news might yield some response."
We went through a few Regionals, the most notorious went away with Reflexis, the system he was tied to, touted, invested in and fully endorsed.
Our local news outlets did cover a head-to-head between Belk associates and management in SC some 15 or more years ago. Seems that workers challenged the labor laws and caused quite a stir concerning the legitimacy of removing paid/unpaid breaks. The upshot of it was that, still being a family-owned, private company back then, and with a noted lack of Union involvement (no such thing allowed back then. Though, now, I think the logistics companies Sycamore works with employ Union strategies), Belk was able to grease the right palms and do whatever the heck they wanted. In short: no breaks if management decides.
"Anony Mouse, why do you stay at Belk?"
I left in March this year. Life is better and I'm enjoying semi-early-part-time-take-time-for-me, not-quite retirement. Taking care of medical issues, fixing up the house, enjoying down time.
13 years with that company, man and boy (Mostly boy! as Mr. Humphries would say) = many summers and a whole lot more winters lost to whatever that place has become, whatever it is now.
Morbid curiosity keeps me coming back here, combined with the satisfaction of seeing the comments of folks who have also left and whose lives have been better for it.
And, I like to complain!
Anony Mouse, why do you stay at Belk?
@Anony Mouse,
Thats some messed up booty.Belk oughta be ashamed and the store mgr and regional vp should be canned. Maybe a tip to the local news might yield some response.
@vua. I went through the same thing at Sears. I got out as soon as I could and never looked back. Unfortunately it is the way retail is today with many companies and stores continuing to do the same. Get out before it gets worse.
"Has anyone reported this to the proper authorities?"
Yep. Through several channels, including the ExCel line, which is a complete joke. Corporate side responded with (paraphrasing):
"The reported incidents were limited or one-time events that violate no legal policies or health codes and, further, present no threat of harm to associates or customers. We consider the matter closed."
It's like Hans Blix with his, "In no case did we find weapons of mass destruction" nonsense!
Rubbish!
@Anony Mouse, if that's the conditions you're working under, then I agree right there. Those are sweatshop conditions. The conditions at my store are not like that, so my pov is considerably different. Has anyone reported this to the proper authorities?
Working with no a/c in the store in the summer is a sweatshop.
Working with minimal help and equipment is a sweatshop.
Working under duress with denied lunch or other breaks is a sweatshop.
Working towards impossible-to-reach completion goals is a sweatshop.
Working 14 hours straight with no break and only a bisquit+water-on-the-move is a sweatshop.
Working the heavy lifting jobs for less pay than light duty cosmetics salespersons is a sweatshop.
Working in a store in SC that doesn't allow dumping of trash is a sweatshop.
Working a swing shift to cover management's comp time vacations is a sweatshop.
Working where you're timed/harassed while using the toilet is a sweatshop.
Working where wages stay low and never adjust for cost-of-living is a sweatshop.
Working where you lose benefits, aren't allowed benefits, or get cheated out of days off is a sweatshop.
Working where no matter what you do you get told to "Hurry up!" is a sweatshop.
Working where the lights are mostly off during your busiest stock time is a sweat shop.
Working in filthy conditions with black mold, rats, snakes and spiders in SC is a sweatshop.
Working where the low pay is delayed for no reason is a sweatshop.
Working where schedules change day-to-day in the store's favor is a sweatshop.
Working for a morbidly obese manager in SC who is concerned that no one else sits is a sweatshop.
Working where the store won't close with no power during a hurricane is a sweatshop.
Working where the heat is turned off in the winter is a sweatshop.
Working where the alleged, common "break" room is forbidden is a sweatshop.
Working where you're required to stand for 8hrs and comfortable shoes are forbidden is a sweatshop.
This is how Belk is, yes you guessed it: a Sweatshop.
Need I go on? Can do. For hours and hours.. just like in a sweatshop!
I think some people on this page prefer Belk bashing. over a realistic pov. I'll be the first to say that working at Belk is no picnic, and when I get a better job offer, I'm out. However, I am also very aware of how long it took for me to get an interview with anyone before Belk, and my age. I keep all of these things in the back of my head when I'm considering jumping ship because hope doesn't pay the bills, and the grass is not always greener in another job. I like the people I work with. The job can be a pain in the butt. The policies of this company leave a lot to be desired. But I like lights, heat, water, food. That's my reality.
I'm not some corporate shill. I don't need or want to sing the praises of any company.
If you find something better out there then run, don't walk, to the nearest Belk exit and never look back.
@hfn+17ZpxCML, nope, not a shill. And to answer your question, yes I have unloaded trailers in the summer heat, even when our fan was broken! My first two years were spent processing freight. You can downvote my response, but I'm being realistic. When people say sweatshop I guess I'm thinking of the early 20th century conditions, and this does not necessarily qualify. True, processing the freight can be hard, backbreaking work, but looking at Belk as a WHOLE, it's far from being a sweatshop. Working on the floor is not a sweatshop. Fulfillment is not a sweatshop. Working in the office is not a sweatshop. See what I'm saying? Just clarifying my previous response.
Have you ever tried unloading a truck in the summer heat? It's literally a sweatshop. that "leanonme99" response is weird. maybe a shill.
@MaryAlice, it's great that you were successful in finding a position that pays better and has better working conditions. IMO Belk is by no means a sweatshop, nor an aberration in the world of retail. There are many stores whose wages and working conditions are similar to or worse than Belk. Having said that, these are still uncertain times with COVID-19 spiking all over and threats of another lockdown. If you can find something better, go for it, but if not, try and hang in there until you can. Happy holidays!
Not for part time
Mary Alice, curious to know if your new employer offers health care and retirement benefits.