The supervisors are some of the worst in the retail industry. They know that due to REI's reputation, there's always a huge stack of applicants who are willing to work. Rather than treat you fairly and with respect, as REI's values dictate, it's easier for them to hire new people. Plus, the huge percentage of retired folks and college kids who are both willing to work under intolerable conditions just to get the discount, make the job particularly awful for full-timers who actually need a job.
REI is one of only a few outdoors employers who do not allow dogs in the stores. Big deal, right? Well, it is. This represents the environment that they set up. Instead of being a relaxed, cool place to chill while planning your next outdoor adventure, REI is literally a big-box corporation. Not allowing dogs reflects this.
Worse by far is REI's salary. REI includes its "benefits package" whenever discussions of salaries come up. They neglect to acknowledge that no amount of discounting product matters to those people who can't afford to pay rent or buy food or gas. They actually include the amount you "save" on your discounted purchases in your total benefits package. Never mind the fact that you qualify for food stamps if you work full-time in their sales floor. When asked (as I have repeatedly), the CFO says REI has no intention of paying a living wage to its retail employees. This would be somewhat understandable if they were failing or something, but REI is opening 7-10 stores every year. Instead of opening new stores, REI could actually make an effort to pay its employees a reasonable wage, but they make a conscious choice not to.
If you're female, or a male who cares about women, the sales floor is an awful place to be. Women make far less than men, though the company does not acknowledge this either. There are so few females that often at opening or opening huddles, I was the only one. This is bad enough, but then who do you turn to when the sexual harassment, which is rife, happens? REI's policy is that someone has to do something offensive, you have to tell them to stop, and then they have to do it again for it to constitute harassment. Any long-term REI employee knows this and simply doesn't do the same thing twice. I've never filed a complaint at any other job, and have fired 3 in 4 years of working at REI.
I've worked at 3 REI locations across the country, and I've found that the only differences are in the supervisors (some are incredibly incompetent and make your life miserable; others are wonderful and make it tolerable) and in the dichotomy between retail and HQ levels. HQ employees are treated VERY well, paid VERY well, and have great amenities like free massage, cafes, and time off when they want it. Sales floor employees, even store managers, have none of that.
