Pros
-Decent base pay with raises every six months -Can work PT (minimum 28 hrs/wk) and maintain insurance eligibility -401k with yearly 10% company contribution -Scheduling and transfer flexibility pending good performance -Work keeps you physically active and social. It's often stressful but preferable to soul-crushing, sedentary office work in a lot of ways -If you work with the right group of people, it can be fun and you'll feel supported, like part of a team
Cons
-Typical corporate retail pitfalls: small but impactful number of rude, entitled, and clueless customers; catty store politics and co-workers drunk on tiny amounts of power; high turnover means good systems are rarely in place for long; etc. -Decentralized leadership structure/lean staffing at store level means HR always keeps you at an arms length. Sometimes it's unclear who's in charge during uncertain times -Corporate was slow to implement COVID safety measures and quick to phase them out, and quick to reprimand crew who spoke up. (Plus they sent an anti-union letter out to employees in the middle of the pandemic despite there being no formal threat--a sign of where their real intentions lie) -Few opportunities for advancement, and the ones that are available are rarely attractive unless you have a clear path to becoming a store manager -Culture/co-workers/customers vary *a lot* from store to store--best to do some investigating before applying -Work can be physically demanding. If you sustain even a minor injury you may be forced to rely on limited STD