Pros
A very active Union that keeps most things fair, raises based on hours worked, and overall Kroger has very nice people working there and is a much more upstanding enviornment than most grocery stores. I don't make use of the health care but it is a great offer for those who need it. Coworkers are all friendly and most of the managers are understanding. Training is a gradual process after initial information, which helped. In cons I talk about how many coworkers are leaving, which leaves at least one thing - you can progress to higher places in your area from training. I could take up the offer to learn to bake in the mornings or decorate cakes, but I know the stress isn't worth the slightly higher paycheck. If you put that you can't work certain days or times into the system, they will abide by that unless emergency strikes. I had no problem going to college and working at the same time.
Cons
Hours are incredibly inconsistent. I was hired for part time and while some weeks I'll get the more predictable 24 or 32 hours, sometimes it will be full time hours and even then I'll need to work overtime. Just last night I was there for eleven hours on a Wednesday because we're short staffed in the Bakery division. You have no idea what days you'll work or when, so don't bother having an outside life. Even when you put in days you need off ages from now, you have to badger your higher-ups to get it into the system. The stress and the low pay is driving away our better employees, with one baker having already left, one coworker transfering to Starbucks, and our only other baker saying he wants to transfer to Meat. And despite being short staffed we're not given any more hours. Next door to us is the Deli division, which is renowned for being the worst place to work in the store with an extremely high turnover rate and they often drag us Bakery workers over there, one reason my coworker is leaving. Due to the stress and how much they ask one person to do, especially the closer, it makes workers pessimistic. I'm told that I still care about how well I'm doing, which is actually an awful thing that keeps me there forever and I cannot complete everything they want me to in a shift. Even though I'm guarenteed breaks by the Union I haven't taken any in months because I don't have the time, and as such my health has really declined since I have no time to eat.
