Bed Bath and Beyond

I'm LUCKY if BBB even gives me a lunch break let alone a 10 minute break. There were a number of occasions where I politely asked my manager if I can go on break and she rudely responded "you can go, when I feel like it." Or when its a certain time to leave say...8pm. She'll pull this: "Ill tell you when its 8pm." Seriously? Why are the managers so power driven to where they abuse their authority like that? It doesn't show professionalism, courtesy, or even integrity.
Ive been with the company for 3 months and I can sympathize with all the negative comments. The second I punch the clock, Im walking into a dictatorship. Im constantly on my toes, avoiding any type of consequence my manager dispenses and it frustrates me to no end. I wanna quit, but I need the income =(

So i was lucky enough to work for their call center for over 2 years. mind you this is the ONLY call center they have for ENTIRE country. Don't think people realize this. But i digress, this is about the BS they like to spew on a daily basis. I am no longer employed by them as i was terminated for Time and attendance issues they say. Seems that if your going to be late and you call them to let them know they stll mark you down and count it against you. Then why bother calling you say? they say its a courtesy to them. where is the courtesy to you? there is none. If you have to call out and have used your sick days( which they use AUTOMATICALLY if you have them) they count it against you and mark it down. If your a few minutes late walking into the building and management sees you.. they count it against you. If your at your desk reading WORK RELATED EMAILS and forget to punch in till 5 minutes after your shift starts, they count it against you.

If you get a write up they have you sign it as well as a manager and the hr manager. BUT if they just talk to you and there is no write up, they count it as a write up. claiming, and im not kidding you on this, Progressive Discipline. Are you kidding me? Seems that even though you are a great rep(their words not mine) it doesnt mean crap to them. 2.4 yrs and i get termed for T&A. I guess the T&A wasnt an issue 6 months into my employment when i KNOW it was. i'll admit to that. the dates they used for the last communication to me was spread over 4 months. And the minor infractions for attendance would have no impact on call volume or call coverage. And i was also told i couldn't have copies of my writeups for my records.

Anyone know if THAT is legal? So as an aside.. when you guys call and think someone isnt helping you like you want. DONT call back to complain about them. Let it slide that MAYBe just MAYBE they might be sick or having a bad day or myabe a family member just died.

They are required by law to supply you with a COMPLETE copy of your employee file upon request at termination. Put it in writing, submit it via e-mail to HR. They are legally able to charge you for copying, but when I asked for mine, I had it in 3 days via Fed-Ex

Worst job I ever had. I can't believe I lasted 8 months doing this crap. Hired on at just above minimum wage at the Largo mall store in Florida. Where do I begin. Ill start with the employees. Most were down to earth decent folks who were suckered into taking this job like I was. At the time, the job market was at its all time worst. The bridal specialist was very kind to everybody. So were a few cashiers. My particular window treatment girl was a rude, know it all wanna be lead who has been there for about 3 years so she thought she was king isht. Make a simple mistake as a rookie and she rudely pointed out your mistakes. The full time hard and soft side guys were used as labor dogs. One was an older gentleman, so it was hard for him to use a ladder. And speaking of the whole ladder system, what a joke. The company could save money on injury, both to customer and employee, and time spent on a ladder if they had an actuall back room like most stores. Keep backstock in the back room. The store manager was so picky about how topstock looked, like customers looked that far up and gave a damn on how neat it was. The two department heads were fair. One was a hard worker. The other delegated everything and was more worried about laps and checking in on you every 3 minutes. They DO NOT PROMOTE FROM WITHIN. This was told to me by a manager. Reason being, the DM had a few failures with this in the past. So he took a blanket approach with all future employees. You have to be hired as a manager. Raises are minimal 10 to 15 cents. Yeah, that helps. Bridal is a huge deal, and everybody has to know it. Heaven forbid you get a stupid couple walk in ten minutes to closing. That means you escort them for 2 HOURS then still recover your side. Pos terminals and handhelds were ancient. Batterys failed often. Time clock was dos based on the p.c. If you diddent have a thousand beyond store orders every month, you would hear about it at the meetings. Somehow, the store manager always had

(cont) always had the most beyond stores. LP was a joke. The kid popped you on the slightest detail, and it pushed his chest out each time. Other than that, he did laps, checked ladders and did security tags. Back room was so narrow i smashed my foot several times moving a ladder. Store contests were celebrated by the managers eating the hot food at noon when it arrivred, while the evening shift got cold e.coli entrails at 6. Ppl lifted merch out of the store on the daily. But it was ok cause we still got that great cust...err employee discount. To sum it up, no full time, no benefits, low pay, no promotions. If you have a choice of this job, or a van down by the bridge under the river... take the van. You will feel better at the end of the day.

I've worked for Bed Bath and Beyond for nearly four years. Started as a full time front end sup and have been in inventory control for the last year. I've worked in 2 different stores and I have to say that my experiences are varied. I've met some of the most genuine, hardest working people I know and have watched them be systematically taken advantage of, belittled and undervalued. The company has no concept of how to evenly spread payroll to ensure that the work can get done and customers taken care of properly. We have a micro-managing DM who dated a CST in his *home store* for years (sharing the same building w/ district HR). The A volume store in the area has *70* hourly employees, my B+ volume store has less than 25 employees total, a number which is rapidly declining due to overworking, unreachable expectations, and a seriously negative work atmosphere. We have keyholders who work *so* hard, and get passed over for promotions continually, while the lazy cst fails upwards to keys. And we have a manager who desperately wants to be fired to get unemployment so does nothing, which affects the morale of her whole side and is at virtual war with our new SM. I've found that higher volume stores are afforded more resources to run the way the company says they're supposed to be, and my experience at my first store (an A volume store) was very positive. But lower volume stores, or maybe just the mid-volume ones, can't run correctly. We have the same amount of hours as our D volume stores (you know, the ones that do less than half the business that we do and probably have 1/3 the square footage), then we get taken to task because our sales are so over our budgeted payroll, nothing other than ringing registers is getting done. It took me more than 9 months to be comfortable with my IC position because I was constantly expected to do 26 hours worth of work in 16, sometimes less. There are stores that work, but they seem to be the exception, not the rule

I work at BBB as a full time associate. I started out p/t & became pregnant about 6 months after I started working there. When I was put on weight lifting restrictions, towards the end of my pregnancy, they moved me to the front end to ring as a cashier. At the time, we already had one associate who was pregnant. She was allowed a stool to sit on. She left a few months before my pregnancy ended. When she left, they removed the stool saying I was not going to be allowed to use it at the front end because district didn't think it was necessary. Before the other associate left, I was told by my human resources manager that my position would be terminated until I was able to return without lifting restrictions. I was in tears, and the added stress made me feel even worse for my unborn child. I knew I couldn't afford to lose my job so I started doing my own research. I then called the human resources mngr back and let her know that it was illegal to fire me because of my pregnancy. It was also illegal to accommodate one associate with a stool, then tell me that I couldn't have it as well.(I found this all under my state law and even consulted with an attorney in case they did let me go) So, even though they had to give me the same lenience as the other associate, the store manager would bring the stool all the way to the back of the store everyday so I would have to retrieve it. I am still employed there, as a f/t associate. If I see another associate being treated unfairly, I speak up about it. I always research what I need to know on the stores and the state policies. It's sad that we have to walk on eggshells this way, but it is true. Not all things are bad about the place, and, no matter where you go, you will always find some kind of mistreatment. Just a note... the human resources mngr became pregnant a few months after I returned from leave, and then left the company. It all boils down to how well the personalities mesh.

Most of the complaints I hear within the store I work at (between myself and other associates), is that hours have been cut, but the workload has doubled. We have to have open availability to be a full time associate, meaning... no set day off. I work at least one close/open shift a week. So my hours are always different. Meaning, I cant go to school unless I do online classes, so it's very hard to better myself. The manager tells us the other day we need to focus more on customer service, but they give us so many tasks to do, that becomes impossible. The managers clash with each other. One tells you not to do something, while the other says to do it anyway. We have a manager who is out on leave for drug rehab, and repeatedly came to work on drugs. He has several no call no shows, and calling in 5 hours after he was supposed to be there. (I am expected to look up to someone who doesn't have their own life in control?) He is getting paid for being in drug rehab because he is a salaried manager. But the hours in the store have been cut so bad that we literally have the bare minimum associates in the store. (3 or 4). There have been times when there was one associate on the front end ringing, with a huge line, one associate with a bridal couple, and the manager, because of call outs or late attendance. Then they expect you to be fake happy when everyone is bitching to you about standing in line for so long. The stress is not worth the money at times.

The Disgruntled Employee in San Leandro, California said: I'm LUCKY if BBB even gives me a lunch break let alone a 10 minute break. There were a number of occasions where I politely asked my manager if I can go on break and she rudely responded "you can go, when I feel like it." Or when its a certain time to leave say...8pm. She'll pull this: "Ill tell you when its 8pm." Seriously? Why are the managers so power driven to where they abuse their authority like that? It doesn't show professionalism, courtesy, or even integrity.
Ive been with the company for 3 months and I can sympathize with all the negative comments. The second I punch the clock, Im walking into a dictatorship. Im constantly on my toes, avoiding any type of consequence my manager dispenses and it frustrates me to no end. I wanna quit, but I need the income =(

Look up your state laws on breaks. Technically, and unfortunately, most employers only give what is required by state law. This changes state to state through the company (I also am employed by BBB) Store manager has a say on whether or not water can be kept with you also. If state law requires you receive more breaks than what you have been getting, contact your HR department confidentially. That should bring attention to the store. If that doesn't work, simply inform your manager they will need someone to cover you while you take the break you are entitled to by law. The worst thing they can do is write you up or fire you. Then you have a class action lawsuit at hand. :)

noway in brooklyn, New York said: Can i tell you how much I agree. 16 hour shifts and 1 30min break!!! All the senior management sit on there asses and point fingers at people. I never worked for such a more uncaring company in my life. If you like being treated like a slave...even as a department manager....then work there. Monday morning bullcrap folders and you can't even get a second to train because your ringing people up ever minute. Let's not even get into there old and decrepit pos system from the 80's!!!!

My managers sit in an office window, and call down on the phone, when Im mid sentence with customers.... to tell me things Im not doing, the way they want to be done. Pfft. And I agree, the POS system is ancient. But I like to chime in this little saying Ive heard from managers over and over... "Our company is not in debt." Thats because we have been using the same broken printer for 5 years. Just kick it... It will work!

Shaun Annonymous in Satellite Provider said: Worst job I ever had. I can't believe I lasted 8 months doing this crap. Hired on at just above minimum wage at the Largo mall store in Florida. Where do I begin. Ill start with the employees. Most were down to earth decent folks who were suckered into taking this job like I was. At the time, the job market was at its all time worst. The bridal specialist was very kind to everybody. So were a few cashiers. My particular window treatment girl was a rude, know it all wanna be lead who has been there for about 3 years so she thought she was king isht. Make a simple mistake as a rookie and she rudely pointed out your mistakes......

I too, have been told by a manager that they do not hire from within. I work in the New Port Richey store myself, and believe it is the same DM. My raises have been 3 cents, oh, and I never got my raise last year, because when I moved up a position, HR said they thought it was added in with my raise. How conveinient. My store manager was supposed to be looking into this but he was out for 4 months with an injured back. So, I never received my yearly raise at all this year. It has been so bad there lately, that managers are giving beyond store orders to other associates, telling the customer they will waive the fees, then bitching at us when our waived shipping fee percentage is outrageously high.

I worked at Bed, Bath, and Beyond for over a year. I enjoyed the job for the most part, although there were many times that I found the management practices questionable. To have our general manager just walk out and never come back... things were getting out of hand.
I don't have any serious vendettas against BBB. More training needs to be provided to associates, and management needs to take some leadership courses on how to effectively communicate with employees and keep everyone motivated. For anyone that is applying at Bed, Bath, and Beyond, I will say this: Be prepared to work. The pay isn't the best. The hours will either be tediously long or you'll have a four hour shift. I enjoyed the product knowledge bit of the job, and the fact that BBB customers are pretty loyal. Make them happy, and they'll ask for you by name (not that we get commission, or anything).
You'll deal with insufferable brides, returns from several years ago on some ghastly, disgusting blender, and the ever wonderful 'item of the month'. You will work, and you will put on a super cheery personality that you'll think is real for quite a while. Oh, and you'll be at work until at least 11 because freight freight processing schedules are completely impractical at BBB. If you open, you'll be there at 7 AM on most days.
It's a good job to have on your resume. I recently applied for a job and when they saw BBB on my resume, it turns out that they had worked there years ago. I was asked how I had survived so long. Guess who now has a better job?

my experience in recieving is a mixture of good days and bad days. i had oportunities to work elsewhere but i stayed at bed bath and beyond because i am scheduled monday through friday 7-3pm. no where else a retail job will have such a perfect schedule.One thing that bothers me is out of 40 something employees there is only 1 black and 2 hispanics working there.They hire 8 people every month and they are all white.It seems they have a preference.

i have 9 years of retail experience & im still baffled of how obnoxious, demeaning & prejudice the managers at bed bath & beyond are. i am the most positive optimistic motivated person at this store until i met my recently transfered store ops manager.I have been belittled,cussed out & threatened.My hr manager already has his (store ops manager) side & i am cornered in a no win posotion.THIS IS THE WORST COMPANY TO WORK FOR!The entire staff is frustrated,overworked & disrespected.Unfortuantly im not an angry over reacting employee,im a rashinal hardworking woman that advices EVERYONE TO STAY AWAY.Im a tryn to find a better job.Ive been here 6 months to long.Its bananas in here,crazy & draining.

my advice is run!!!

noway in brooklyn, New York said: Can i tell you how much I agree. 16 hour shifts and 1 30min break!!! All the senior management sit on there asses and point fingers at people. I never worked for such a more uncaring company in my life. If you like being treated like a slave...even as a department manager....then work there. Monday morning bullcrap folders and you can't even get a second to train because your ringing people up ever minute. Let's not even get into there old and decrepit pos system from the 80's!!!!

lol their system is from 93! not the 80's

P.S. I quit over th phone after debating weather or not to just stop showing up because that is what they deserve.

Howard's Nightmare in Babylon, New York said: Bed Bath and Beyond is a company that we will all read about in the future as a target of the securities and exchange commision. You may read into that statement any way you wish, but also consider that they put absolutely no value on their associates, exempt or non exempt. Bed Bath & Beyond has one of the highest turnover rates for any type of retail company. It's a great place to work if you cannot find work anywhere else. It's a notch above incarceration. Only the brain washed or people with mental illness survive there. And it's not really survival, it's mingling with other diseased people. Everything they do is at the expense of their associates. Count the job fairs and postings. It's laughable. By far the very worst company in retail to ever work for. 18 years in retail qualifies me to make that statement. I worked there for the worst year of my career. And that's only because it took me that long to get out. Learn a different trade if you have to, but don't work at Bed Bath & Beyond.

I AM LOOKING TO SEE WHAT I CAN DO MY HUSBAND WORKS AS AN ASSISTANT MANAGER AT BBB IN VICTORVILLE ,I AM UPSET HOW THEY SLAVE DRIVE THE WORKERS AND MAKE TOO MANY DEMANDS AND NOT HIRE ENOUGH HELP ,MY HUSBANDS BACK IS BAD AND I JUST LEARNED TODAY THEY HAVE TO PUT A TO DO BOARD BY FRONT DORR FACING OUT SO WHEN WORKERS SHOW UP THE BOARD IS STARING AT THEM IN THE FACE WHEN THEY OPEN TO MAKE SURE THEY GET THEIR STUFF DONE..I ASKED MY HUSBAND WHAT IS THAT INSIDE OF DOOR..HMMM IM UPSET IS THERE ANYONE ON HERE THAT COULD TELL ME IF THATS LEGAL TO JUST FLAT OUT INSULT YOUR WORKERS IN THAT MANNER? AND MY HUSBAND SOMETIMES DONT GET LUNCH TIL LIKE AFTER 6 HOURS!HELP!

victoria in Victorville, California said: I AM LOOKING TO SEE WHAT I CAN DO MY HUSBAND WORKS AS AN ASSISTANT MANAGER AT BBB IN VICTORVILLE ,I AM UPSET HOW THEY SLAVE DRIVE THE WORKERS AND MAKE TOO MANY DEMANDS AND NOT HIRE ENOUGH HELP ,MY HUSBANDS BACK IS BAD AND I JUST LEARNED TODAY THEY HAVE TO PUT A TO DO BOARD BY FRONT DORR FACING OUT SO WHEN WORKERS SHOW UP THE BOARD IS STARING AT THEM IN THE FACE WHEN THEY OPEN TO MAKE SURE THEY GET THEIR STUFF DONE..I ASKED MY HUSBAND WHAT IS THAT INSIDE OF DOOR..HMMM IM UPSET IS THERE ANYONE ON HERE THAT COULD TELL ME IF THATS LEGAL TO JUST FLAT OUT INSULT YOUR WORKERS IN THAT MANNER? AND MY HUSBAND SOMETIMES DONT GET LUNCH TIL LIKE AFTER 6 HOURS!HELP!

ALSO MY HUSBAND SAYS DRAWERS ARE SHORT LITTLE MONEY ALOT ,AND EVERYONE KNOWS WHO IT IS THE STORE MANAGER! NO ONE IS DOING ANYTHING BOUT THAT EITHER..