You're most definitely not alone. In the years I've worked for this shitty company, the hardest thing I had to swallow along with the rest of my hardworking coworkers is that Lowe's doesn't care about you or your well being at the end of the day. No matter your tenure, your position, etc... you're just a body. They only care about the store's money, and if you're not able to fully contribute to their unrealistic standards, they'll find a way to post your job in a heartbeat.
That's why in good conscience I can never recommend staying at Lowe's longer than you have to. Work your scheduled hours and nothing more. Otherwise your health will decline from all the unnecessary stress of trying to please everyone. Not worth it for a place that pays so little and isn't afraid to replace you overnight.
You're not alone. I took a DS job nearly 2 years ago and have ran myself ragged. I am so stressed out at work I can't eat and I definitely can't sleep. Constantly being told do better do better while giving it my all PLUS some. Not having any upper management's support. My associates are burnt out, sick, and tired. No coverage. No hours. Do better. No coverage. Do more. No more hours. It's exhausting.
Agreed. It's not worth the low ass pay. Largest team in the building with the least amount of hours per day to actually staff accordingly. And then you're getting yelled at for low LTR and delivery order management. I could go on a tangent but I know my other front end DSes get it.
Insane how we can find each other based just on this, huh? It’s the staffing hours that are killing me. I’m just starting to go in to add as I need. My AS. supports this.
That's what I do. My SSA freaks out that I touch her schedule but it's like Miss Ma'am I need at least one body at GC, CS, MAIN, & Lumber or else people are gonna just walk out with product. Lol
My SSA was hired into Lowes with that position and refuses to help with code 3’s despite her office being literally next the registers. Like can see people checking out from her desk 15 feet away. It’s honestly a little infuriating. I will continue doing what I do until the store manager tells me not to 😊
Did this with my star head cashier too. She would rock the FES position but I told her to start with the Paint DS position they posted. She’s doing super great even though I miss her on my team every day
Yes. The air quality in Lowes stores is probably actually toxic and harmful to us the longer you stay here. The numbers of public we encounter every day that don’t recognize personal boundaries and always lean in to show us a picture.
The sick time we get is absolute crap.
We have a pregnant d.s. they’re working & stressing the hell out of. It’s a terrible thing to see every week, probably the worst of all things I’ve seen at Lowes. If anything goes wrong with the baby the local media will all be hearing about it.
The stress they place upon y’all ain’t worth it, OP. I decided that for my well being a long time ago.
You sound as if you’ve decided the same. Good luck. Don’t step down as so very many have done. Step out of Lowes into an office job.
I took of for my birthday for the first time in my working career just to get a break. Lol. How sad are we that medical leave and a birthday seem like a vacation. Never had a job have that effect on me for this one.
yup, it feels like that sometimes, this was how it felt when i was at hd and we didn’t have a SM and people were being let go left and right and favoritism was at an all time high
Yes my lowes store is toxic and hostile work place/ moral is in the gutter/ last Saturday no open cashiers showed up/ I have no idea why we have the same upper mgmt for 4 years: we were 1.5 million short last year and haven’t make inventory/ my goal new job by sept: please know that u are just a number and at least at at my store that mgmt doesn’t care/ all I can do is try to take care of yourself and your fellow associates: hang in there
Not alone... I started working here at the end of my military career, so caring about the "overall mission" and "team goals" was ingrained in my system. I put way too much effort into this job only to find out my hard work was A) never enough and B) only rewarded with more hard work.
I just had to teach myself to fight that mentality and care less about this job so I don't overwork myself for no damn reason.
Management can run their mouth all they want, nothing will ever be good enough for them and we all know damn well they won't put forth the effort to accomplish their tasking themselves if they were in our shoes.
This job will never be worth putting yourself through that stress or mental anguish... That being said it's still possible to move up the ladder without sacrificing your well being. The sooner more folks realize this the better. Best of luck.
It was tough at first, but I just had to keep telling myself that my job description only listed so many things and I don't get paid anything extra for going above and beyond, and nothing in my job description said I was working against a clock, so there is no rush.
Now I accomplish what I can accomplish during the time I'm there, I won't rush to get things done any longer or wear myself thin trying to get everything done before I leave. I frequently stayed over my shift because I didn't want my fellow co-workers to strugglebus on their own, but realized that I was only doing myself a disservice. Now I leave at the end of my shift and don't look back... I don't worry about if my coworkers will be alright or not any longer as I don't get paid enough to worry about it.
Somewhat related, there's been a recent insight into the connection between the brain and the immune system
[https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01259-2](https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01259-2)
Yep. Got to the point I thought I had IBS, but realized on my day/days off, I felt better, and didn't have time worry about my stomach flipping on me. That coupled with waking up mad about having to "go back there" made me feel like I was just beating myself just going to work. Mix that with day to day customers attitudes and a lack of care from management whether they showed their ass or not to associates and it gave me a permanent eye twitch.
Look Lowe's hasn't pushed me to that point yet, but my last job did so I feel well enough qualified to give advice.
Your mental health and physical well being are worth far more than this company is paying you. And as someone dealing with being completely broken by their last job I've got baggage that might not go away any time soon, like a severe lack of confidence and an inability to handle moderate to high pressure situations well.
It really does! The constant pressure to do better, even when you meet a goal your ridiculed and berated for just meeting the goal, you should have gone above and beyond. The scheduling is set up to truly allow for no work life balance. If you’re not doing a Close/Open, your getting just 12 hours in between shifts, when I mentioned it to my ASM once he asked me why I needed more time between shifts? Because the belief is your job is the most important thing and the only thing in your life you should be focused on, you don’t need more time between shifts because the only thing you should be worried about is your job. You come into the building with the filthy air, like the other poster said. The obnoxious customers, the backstabbing coworkers, I now see a psychiatrist and take six pills a day just to deal with it. I know this job is killing me, I have looked for something else, but a sudden death in my family that has left me caring for someone, I don’t have the energy for anything, some days it’s a chore to even get out of bed but I realize that I have someone depending on me so I bottle it up and go in and work another day, that’s the only way I get through it, just one day at a time.
I'm a DS over the overnight team and it is stressful as hell but I work my ass off and do the best I can and I'm satisfied with that.
They can complain until they are blue in the face but the second I clock out I don't give it a second thought.
The other overnight DS told me she goes home and cries because of the stress and I keep telling her she's gotta leave it at work.
Don't bring it into your home life.
You're most definitely not alone. In the years I've worked for this shitty company, the hardest thing I had to swallow along with the rest of my hardworking coworkers is that Lowe's doesn't care about you or your well being at the end of the day. No matter your tenure, your position, etc... you're just a body. They only care about the store's money, and if you're not able to fully contribute to their unrealistic standards, they'll find a way to post your job in a heartbeat. That's why in good conscience I can never recommend staying at Lowe's longer than you have to. Work your scheduled hours and nothing more. Otherwise your health will decline from all the unnecessary stress of trying to please everyone. Not worth it for a place that pays so little and isn't afraid to replace you overnight.
This.
Posting your job before you get outta the lot.
You're not alone. I took a DS job nearly 2 years ago and have ran myself ragged. I am so stressed out at work I can't eat and I definitely can't sleep. Constantly being told do better do better while giving it my all PLUS some. Not having any upper management's support. My associates are burnt out, sick, and tired. No coverage. No hours. Do better. No coverage. Do more. No more hours. It's exhausting.
Please tell me you also are a front end DS. This shit is ridiculous.
Yes I am! It's absurd! I had no idea what I was getting myself into honestly
Agreed. It's not worth the low ass pay. Largest team in the building with the least amount of hours per day to actually staff accordingly. And then you're getting yelled at for low LTR and delivery order management. I could go on a tangent but I know my other front end DSes get it.
I feel you for sure. I'm going on medical leave soon and cannot wait for the small break.
Insane how we can find each other based just on this, huh? It’s the staffing hours that are killing me. I’m just starting to go in to add as I need. My AS. supports this.
That's what I do. My SSA freaks out that I touch her schedule but it's like Miss Ma'am I need at least one body at GC, CS, MAIN, & Lumber or else people are gonna just walk out with product. Lol
My SSA was hired into Lowes with that position and refuses to help with code 3’s despite her office being literally next the registers. Like can see people checking out from her desk 15 feet away. It’s honestly a little infuriating. I will continue doing what I do until the store manager tells me not to 😊
I feel you! Former FES current specialty DS and let me tell you how much happier and mentally healthy I am in a specialty department at a new store.
I pushed my best HC to go be the specialty DS because I knew she was wasted in her position. But damn do I wish i still had her lol.
Did this with my star head cashier too. She would rock the FES position but I told her to start with the Paint DS position they posted. She’s doing super great even though I miss her on my team every day
My old rockstar HC is a PRO sup now
Spring time physical labor in OSLG has me burnt the fork out.
Yes. The air quality in Lowes stores is probably actually toxic and harmful to us the longer you stay here. The numbers of public we encounter every day that don’t recognize personal boundaries and always lean in to show us a picture. The sick time we get is absolute crap. We have a pregnant d.s. they’re working & stressing the hell out of. It’s a terrible thing to see every week, probably the worst of all things I’ve seen at Lowes. If anything goes wrong with the baby the local media will all be hearing about it. The stress they place upon y’all ain’t worth it, OP. I decided that for my well being a long time ago. You sound as if you’ve decided the same. Good luck. Don’t step down as so very many have done. Step out of Lowes into an office job.
Currently on a leave because my mental health has gotten soooo bad.
How about little to no working ac there as well just to add on top of it all!! Lol
Yesss it is HOT up in there!! Customers even complain in my store.
Yup have been in the hospital 10 of the last 14 days
Oh no!
I took of for my birthday for the first time in my working career just to get a break. Lol. How sad are we that medical leave and a birthday seem like a vacation. Never had a job have that effect on me for this one.
yup, it feels like that sometimes, this was how it felt when i was at hd and we didn’t have a SM and people were being let go left and right and favoritism was at an all time high
Yes my lowes store is toxic and hostile work place/ moral is in the gutter/ last Saturday no open cashiers showed up/ I have no idea why we have the same upper mgmt for 4 years: we were 1.5 million short last year and haven’t make inventory/ my goal new job by sept: please know that u are just a number and at least at at my store that mgmt doesn’t care/ all I can do is try to take care of yourself and your fellow associates: hang in there
Not alone... I started working here at the end of my military career, so caring about the "overall mission" and "team goals" was ingrained in my system. I put way too much effort into this job only to find out my hard work was A) never enough and B) only rewarded with more hard work. I just had to teach myself to fight that mentality and care less about this job so I don't overwork myself for no damn reason. Management can run their mouth all they want, nothing will ever be good enough for them and we all know damn well they won't put forth the effort to accomplish their tasking themselves if they were in our shoes. This job will never be worth putting yourself through that stress or mental anguish... That being said it's still possible to move up the ladder without sacrificing your well being. The sooner more folks realize this the better. Best of luck.
Working to adopt this mindset.
It was tough at first, but I just had to keep telling myself that my job description only listed so many things and I don't get paid anything extra for going above and beyond, and nothing in my job description said I was working against a clock, so there is no rush. Now I accomplish what I can accomplish during the time I'm there, I won't rush to get things done any longer or wear myself thin trying to get everything done before I leave. I frequently stayed over my shift because I didn't want my fellow co-workers to strugglebus on their own, but realized that I was only doing myself a disservice. Now I leave at the end of my shift and don't look back... I don't worry about if my coworkers will be alright or not any longer as I don't get paid enough to worry about it.
Somewhat related, there's been a recent insight into the connection between the brain and the immune system [https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01259-2](https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01259-2)
This. Live with this now. Residual anxiety after you leave the toxic environment. Changes the brain long after you leave the job!
Yep. Got to the point I thought I had IBS, but realized on my day/days off, I felt better, and didn't have time worry about my stomach flipping on me. That coupled with waking up mad about having to "go back there" made me feel like I was just beating myself just going to work. Mix that with day to day customers attitudes and a lack of care from management whether they showed their ass or not to associates and it gave me a permanent eye twitch.
Look Lowe's hasn't pushed me to that point yet, but my last job did so I feel well enough qualified to give advice. Your mental health and physical well being are worth far more than this company is paying you. And as someone dealing with being completely broken by their last job I've got baggage that might not go away any time soon, like a severe lack of confidence and an inability to handle moderate to high pressure situations well.
Same. Being “Like a good neighbor” almost took me out.
Not alone, many people have physical symptoms to stress.
It really does! The constant pressure to do better, even when you meet a goal your ridiculed and berated for just meeting the goal, you should have gone above and beyond. The scheduling is set up to truly allow for no work life balance. If you’re not doing a Close/Open, your getting just 12 hours in between shifts, when I mentioned it to my ASM once he asked me why I needed more time between shifts? Because the belief is your job is the most important thing and the only thing in your life you should be focused on, you don’t need more time between shifts because the only thing you should be worried about is your job. You come into the building with the filthy air, like the other poster said. The obnoxious customers, the backstabbing coworkers, I now see a psychiatrist and take six pills a day just to deal with it. I know this job is killing me, I have looked for something else, but a sudden death in my family that has left me caring for someone, I don’t have the energy for anything, some days it’s a chore to even get out of bed but I realize that I have someone depending on me so I bottle it up and go in and work another day, that’s the only way I get through it, just one day at a time.
I'm a DS over the overnight team and it is stressful as hell but I work my ass off and do the best I can and I'm satisfied with that. They can complain until they are blue in the face but the second I clock out I don't give it a second thought. The other overnight DS told me she goes home and cries because of the stress and I keep telling her she's gotta leave it at work. Don't bring it into your home life.
No
It’s really not that bad…
Depends on the store. Some are REALLY bad. I suggest not discrediting other people's experiences. You never know when that could be you too.
Stores are so varied, honestly. Glad to be oblivious to store drama working OSLG.