Once great employer is devolving - Crew Trader Joe's Employee Review

3.0
3 Sept 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Decent starting pay, good promises of non-hierarchical communications, and WOW promise of good benefits. Flexible hours, diverse workforce. Clean and safety-minded company. No one is acknowledged as "full-time" except for Captains, Mates, and Merchants - Crew are all essentially on-call, which means they are NEVER eligible for state unemployment under this new CEO - clever, eh?

Cons

TOO Many managers with their own axes to grind over the Mate-Captain structures makes for confusion among employees, and favorite-playing between mates and crew. Angry mates enlist crew in their passive-aggressive attitude toward newly promoted captains. No incentive to work harder - when young employees call out for trivial reasons, those left doing their work get no perks and there is no downside for the slackers. Managers need to manage the crew they like as well as the crew they have personality issues with. Recently leaked changes in benefits coming January 1st is a cheat to existing employees already eligible (and lured by) current benefit structure that make low wages palatable - this is the Wal-Mart-ization of what was once a decent, progressive-minded company.

Explore other reviews about Trader Joe's

5.0
23 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Fun place and good people!

Cons

Long days and busy store

4.0
27 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

-Great way to meet people, socialize, and learn customer service -Always tasked with different things every hour -Friendly crew who will always help you to learn and get better at your job -Get a slight pay raise every 6 months -No outside commitments and amazing benefits if you work full time (about 28 hours a week for every 6 months) -Will take time, but find your friend group, stay with them and have fun, you can't please everybody -Care for your body, do not overdo it with physical labor, its a retail job and you only have one fragile body for yourself, get help or insist about your pains

Cons

-Not many, unless you are stuck in a bad store with bad management -I had some good luck of working in 3 great stores, so YMMV -Sometimes can get cliquey like you are back in high school -Getting promoted up to store management may involve buttering up and being a "yes-person" -Care for your body, do not overdo it with physical labor, its a retail job and you only have one fragile body for yourself, get help or insist about your pains

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