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Ocean State Job Lot

Engaged Employer

Ocean State Job Lot reviews

3.0

38% would recommend to a friend

(930 total reviews)
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Marc Perlman

34% approve of CEO

35% positive business outlook

Ocean State Job Lot has an employee rating of 3.0 out of 5 stars, based on 930 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The Ocean State Job Lot employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Retail & Wholesale industry (3.4 stars).

Reviews by job title

930 reviews
3.0
Nov 19, 2025

It’s Okay

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Flexible schedule and great customers.

Cons

More full time employees are needed. More merchandise gets put out with more full time employees. More money will be spent by our customers.

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Ocean State Job Lot Response
5mo
Thanks for sharing your experience! It is great to know that our flexible scheduling works well for you and that you enjoy the customers in Bennington. We hear you regarding the need for full-time support to keep merchandise moving. We are always looking at ways to optimize our labor allocation to support store standards and sales. Thank you for your constructive feedback.
1.0
Nov 14, 2025

Company has tanked

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

steady hours, each store has at least one associate who cares

Cons

Required overtime that you cannot use sick time to replace I.e. scheduled 45 hours and need to leave early? You eat the difference. Indifference in corporate level. Best friend game. If your store manager is close with corporate heads, don’t expect any help from HR.

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Ocean State Job Lot Response
4mo
Thank you for your 5 years of service with Ocean State Job Lot. As an Area Team Leader, you have played a significant role in our operations, and we want to acknowledge the dedication required to reach that tenure. We hear your frustration clearly, particularly regarding freight volume and payroll. The nature of the closeout industry is unpredictable—when great merchandise becomes available, we move on it to provide value to our customers. However, we understand that this influx of inventory puts a heavy physical and mental strain on our store teams. We are actively working on balancing our desire for aggressive inventory acquisition with the operational realities our teams face on the ground. Regarding your concerns about HR impartiality, Loss Prevention visibility, and payroll policies: We take these comments seriously. We strive to ensure our HR team is an objective resource for every associate, regardless of store relationships. We would like to understand your specific situation regarding sick time and overtime usage, as we want to ensure policies are being applied correctly and fairly. Please feel free to reach out to Senior HR Business partner Ed Kruger at e.kruger@osjl.com so we can discuss these matters confidentially.
1.0
Sep 23, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

starting pay was good, before it dropped to minimum wage with the same expectations.

Cons

where do I even start? Bad pay, no communication on any level, high expectations for little assistance or compensation, management, especially the store manager, is rude and scheduling is always wrong/ never done in advance. Always feels like you're in the middle of some high-schooler drama and not a professional workplace. Never even give you enough time or anyone to train you and still get upset when you don't know what to do or meet their expectations.

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Ocean State Job Lot Response
4mo
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are sorry to hear that your seasonal experience did not meet your expectations, particularly regarding communication and training. We strive to maintain a professional, supportive environment for all our team members, and it is disappointing to hear that you felt caught in "drama" rather than a workplace. We are taking your comments about the Auburn store’s scheduling and onboarding process to heart, as we want every associate, regardless of their length of stay to feel equipped and respected from day one. We wish you the best in your future roles.
Viewing 28 - 30 of 930 Reviews

Glassdoor has 958 Ocean State Job Lot reviews submitted anonymously by Ocean State Job Lot employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Ocean State Job Lot is right for you.