Thread regarding Whole Foods Market Inc. layoffs

Northeast region

My store today let go of a lot of buyers giving them the option of quitting and taking severance, applying for the few buyer positions that will remain (mostly just a few in grocery but people have to interview and fight for it) and if you don't get that position you can reapply in 6 months OR drop back down to a normal team member with a pay cut. There is no word for anyone to what their pay will be cut to but apparently it will be determined by how long you've been with the company. There really isn't many answers being given, but if you got the talk you no longer have your position starting end of October. Other positions taken away were supervisors and demo specialists. Can't believe what has become of this company. I used to be proud of where I worked. So many people work so hard to get ahead in this company and it seems they would rather hire people externally not giving the people that have worked there for years a chance. I don't even know if my position is safe...doesn't make me feel very secure anymore:(

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| 416 views | | 15 replies (last September 27, 2015) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+DGOO1gI

15 replies (most recent on top)

@162851 the only reason why I said that is because its happening to me and fellow coworkers. I am remaining at full-time.

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Post ID: @rJb+DGOO1gI

@Anonymous162795- I think it will all depend on the new labor budgets of each team. If there's not room in the labor budget to take on a FT TM, then dropping down from a higher position to a FT TM won't be possible. The new Fiscal year starts Monday, and I know all of the teams in my store will be operating with less allowed labor.

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Post ID: @PLW+DGOO1gI

Out of the three stores I worked in the northeast region none of them are completely firing anyone, they are still being given the option to drop down to team member status and remain full time if you are full time. But you will have a pay cut. The annoying part is there is no statement from the company explaining to what is happening. I was just told the company is making cut backs and are handling it at store levels but its regionally enforced. So it may vary from store to store.

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Post ID: @ooH+DGOO1gI

This is all some bull. WF doesn't care about their TMs. Some of these TMs have been with this company for 20+years and they got put on the chopping. All the buyers and supervisors in my store are affected, so not just are our mentors, and the true backbones to our store, but also they are our friends. This is their livelihood and WF said sorry we don't need u anymore. Where's the core value, we care about our TMs, at now?

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Post ID: @m1z+DGOO1gI

I'm heading so many different things.. My head might explode. What I wrote is what my store team leader told me and who knows if they fully know everything. I guess more detail to come this literally just happened today.

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Post ID: @k9o+DGOO1gI

Sopac--are there any more? Buyers stay on? Supervisors not affected? ASTL's stay where they are? How different from the South, where Buyers, Supervisors, ASTL's and marketing team all need to reapply for fewer jobs. I guess some regions had already been better than others at limiting positions? (please understand, I don't mean to minimize the losses for pbs and marketing tl's, and those with outstanding counselling. It's just that this is much more narrow than in our region).

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Post ID: @HF7+DGOO1gI

All in store pbs position will be cut they will interview for metro pbs and offer severance to the rest. Marketing tL will be cut and offered a severence. Team members with outstanding counselings will be layed off. Sad time

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Post ID: @SX9+DGOO1gI

Some people have no idea this is about to happen to them. No idea

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Post ID: @fc0+DGOO1gI

Rocky Mountain, your STLs and ASTLs are likely just as upset as you are about all of this. All of these decisions are above their pay grade, and don't think that they aren't just as afraid for their jobs, some ASTLs have already lost theirs in this restructure. The real problem is the stale top brass of regional and global leadership. Their golden shovels will dig this company straight to the grave.

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Post ID: @4uT+DGOO1gI

I think the main problem is not even store leadership is 100℅ sure what is happening because they keep on saying different things. The company needs to make a statement as to what is going on so there isn't mass confusion. It's not fair that team members do not know what's going on.

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Post ID: @FEl+DGOO1gI

No guarantees. It will all depend on whether there is enough money left in the new, lower labor budgets to keep you on. You'll still have to apply and interview for any of the regular TM positions that may or may not be available. I suspect many of those will be PT rather than FT as well.

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Post ID: @PlC+DGOO1gI

everyone is on the chopping block. Only low level, young TM's are "safe". I can only hope my STL, and ASTL's are burned at the stake.

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Post ID: @uxe+DGOO1gI

From what I hear if you are in a buyer position you are safe..they cut alot of buyer positions in grocery because apparently there is no need for so many buyers in one department. So for example, there was 5 buyers in grocery in my store, all of them where told they have to interview if they still want a buying position but they are only opening two positions. And I know they made supervisor cuts ( the ones that don't buy)

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Post ID: @1PZ+DGOO1gI

To be clear, if you got the talk you no longer have your position effective immediately. If you don't get one of the coveted "musical chairs-like" new job positions then there are options over the next several weeks to maintain your current rate of pay (by depleting half of your severance with "bridge" pay). You would have that bridge pay until that half of your severance is depleted.

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Post ID: @5JR+DGOO1gI

What about buyers in produce? whole body? specialty? prepared foods? if you don't get one of the few buyer's position, are they guaranteeing a regular team member position?

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Post ID: @nFq+DGOO1gI

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