It used to be a great place to work - Crew Member Trader Joe's Employee Review

1.0
26 Apr 2012
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I make really good money here, and the benefits are ok. I also really enjoy the people that I work with.

Cons

Sadly the cons list has gotten alot longer in the years that I have worked here. The benefits seems to cover so much less than they used to. As much as I do enjoy my coworkers, we constantly get into trouble for talking to each other even if we are still working. They have recently made changes to our attendance policy that is very hard to maintain, especially if you have a family. Trader Joe's says that they encourage a balanced work/family life, but I have not seen that in our store at all. It truly feels like they want to get rid of people who have been there a long time. The new review process I feel is not very fair, and it feels that the people writing them are being told that they have to only give bad reviews. Even the very best employees have been given bad marks on their reviews. Trader Joe's was a completely different company when I started there, but now if just feels uncomfortable being there. Also, if you work at night, management is practically shoving you out the door as soon as they can, and if you complain about it, or say you need your hours you get accused of stealing from the company. I do still work at Trader Joe's, but now it is because I have to, not because I want to. It is too bad. All of this is a bid to keep as much profit in the company as possible. And I could take that much more easily if they would just say it. Instead of giving bad reviews in order to not give raises, just say times are tough and we cannot give raises. Or changing the attendance policy in order to write more people up. I know that there is no going back to the way the company used to be, but I feel it could be made better.

Explore other reviews about Trader Joe's

5.0
8 Jul 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great place to work all around

Cons

Nothing really bad to say

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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