Edit for format.
I started in may 2022, here's my experience so far.
A few bullet points:
Pros:
- min wage for all entry positions: 17.50/h (+4$/h if working on Sunday).
-All national holidays, store is closed.
-They do not want people to work overtime, do not
want to burn out employees.
-maintain over 50% of staff as full time employees at all times.
-part timers get almost all the same benefits as full time employees. (Including paid vacation time).
-part timers guaranteed 25h a week minimum.
-company has similar structure to how unions are run for pay structure, vacation, sick days, etc.
-at least 30% of employees have been there 15 years plus.
Cons:
-does not have a union.
-once you pass 90 day probabtion, next to no chance of being fired for being slow, lazy or have an attitude.
-fluctuating schedule hours (not days worked, unless employee agrees) (as business needs), even if full time.
-most positions that open up are given on a seniority basis unless it requires a specific skill set (tech assistant, forklift operator)
Probably more cons from people who have worked there longer. On to my (So Far) positive experience:
I worked in a call center for 10 years. Pre pandemic, work was fantastic, loved the job and the company (Rogers Telecom, a small specialized dept, Retail Support) Pandemic made the last 2 years absolute hell. I went on many stress leaves. I finally quit and got hired at Costco as a Stocker.
It was a pay decrease (was making 24.50$/h). It was physical labor. It was an uncertainty.
And I have no regrets. I'm losing weight, putting on muscle, and I'm free from a lot of stress and anxiety I used to feel.
My boss and coworkers are (for most of them) respectful and make me feel like I'm a valued member of the team, without abusing the hard work I'm doing.
All the criticism I've received has been constructive and it's been good. I feel confident in my ability to do the work now. And I'm not expected to go above and beyond, even when I've done so on a few occasions. But management has made a point to express they've noticed that I do, and they greatly appreciate it.
I'm also an amateur tech geek, and I've been able to get my full 40 hours a week by also working in the tech department. As an fyi, the stocker shift for morning is purely from 4am to 9am, so if I want a full shift once the store opens, it has to be work of a “different department'. And tech is super laid back: no sales quotas, just keep the area clean and help inform members about products (ex: which laptop we sell is better suited to their needs, etc).
To wrap it up, AMA. Am posting this before bed, will answer people in 8-ish hours.