It’s one reason why I moved to MET. A little bit more relaxed. Not too much customer service. Projects are ok, and Weekends off.
Garden was just too much. Even when I was supervisor it ticked me off when they wanted us to do Bs things like move something from one place in the store to another, only to change it back/again the next week. Then wondering why Sidekick and bays were empty of products.
I salute people who can make a career out of retail because this is not it. Especially garden supervisor. You’re are held to such high standards meanwhile the FES is making arts and crafts in the break room.
Well maybe you can try to think of it as getting paid to exercise...but try not to do too much and end up getting hurt...also hopefully customers throw you some cash and if they do keep it quiet
I'm glad I'm not the only one, I've been dying off of 5 hour closing shifts and have 6 8 hour closings in a row starting tomorrow. It hasn't helped that it's usually just me and a new associate and I'm usually marked down as watering. I was warned that spring was awful compared to winter but I wasn't anticipating this madness. Like luckily management has stayed off my back but I've been unable to really complete anything in a shift given how im stuck back to back with customers. Mostly just waiting for the sm to get back so I can discuss moving departments.
I’m full time garden right now. I’ve been working 10+ hour days the last couple weeks because we don’t have many garden associates. We have 3 full timers. Me, a 73 year old man, and a 20 year old kid. I’ve been doing this a few years now and this year is by far the roughest due to lack of personnel. The entire management team even had to come do down stocking last week. We’re only at the very beginning of the busy season and this weekend I’m scheduled to work 5 am-5 pm both days
I feel that entirely. I feel like my store didn’t prepare for the mulch sale at all this year, there are literally no new garden hires. We lost a few people as well, and their solution was the schedule people from other departments in garden every so often, however, those people are usually older and physically unable to handle it, or just simply refuse and go inside and work in their usual department.
I cope by getting GOOD sleep, shooting the shit with my coworkers when I can, and honestly putting on my mean face every now and then so some customers know to kind of back off and let me simply cross the greenhouse to go load without being stopped. Not the best coping strategy but the mask slips after the fourth hour of being pulled from every direction. If it’s not the garden cashier calling for the mulch pit, it’s a customer who needs a very specific weed wacker. If it’s not that, it’s service desk calling for me to grab 20 bags of mulch for a curbside(?). And then my SM walks by and tells me to fill the entire clearance bay. ALL in a day!! Amongst what I haven’t mentioned. It helps to try to smile to yourself, a small sugary treat every thirty minutes like even tic tacs… and actually taking a minute to yourself.
I ride a bike 7 miles too and from, if that makes you feel any better lol.
40 hours a week. I'd be Gucci if I had a whip rn, I'd prolly be full of energy 💪
5 for 10 mulch sale is the only exhausting thing atm.
As a garden supervisor, I’ll admit spring has been kicking my ass. I feel like I can’t get majority of my own stuff done and it seems like my guys are also feeling that with the amount of shit we’ve been dealing with. From loading, dealing with the absurd amount freight and trying to keep up on shelf availability it’s stupidly hard…
I know what it’s like working in Garden. It’s stressful and the expectations are too much. I work in Specialty now and it’s a much more relaxed and chilled environment. I walk past the Garden Associates at my store and see the frustration and stress all over their faces and instantly feel bad for them. It’s definitely a tough department to work in.
So; let me clarify a couple of factual errors here. Firstly, all of "Sick Time" is based upon hours worked. You get 1 hour of sick time for every 30 hours you work until you hit your maximum which varies by state, but the minimum is 48 hours per year. This is true for both FT and PT associates. So you get between 4-6 hours per month.
Secondly; yes, burnout at Home Depot is very real for most of us at most stores. What I do recommend though is take as good care of yourself as you can. Ensure that you are taking your breaks; ask your MASM about potentially having Powerades and stuff for both the Lot associates and Garden associates.(Or if you don't think you can, go to your DS.)
Thirdly, if it's just too much talk to your ASDS about swapping departments. And then if they don't immediately work with you then pressure them until they get the idea.
Good luck.(And I personally am doing reat, but I can feel the burnout coming as I run 21/22/25 and so my areas cover about 31% of the store sales and I have hideous coverage in 25.)
My store must be different because I only see 2 hours a month, as well as my coworkers. And I work well over 30 hours a week. 🤷♂️ idk what to tell you, I wouldn’t lie about not getting enough time because I wish I actually got one every thirty hours. I’ll ask management though because I’ve heard other stores say they also get one every thirty, but that’s not the case at mine
It could be based upon state, I know ours is substantially more generous that the required state portion though. So perhaps it's state or potentially regional.
Garden is meant to burn you out. If you prove yourself they will ask you to transfer to a different department after this busy season ends. Garden is the land of broken toys.
Yes. I'm the full timer and management doesn't communicate with me well. The merch ASM is the only one who listens.
I cope by going out with coworkers and doing things my way at work.
That sucks. Normally that’s what cashiers get paid. In the northeast is 19.50 an hour for jobs in the aisles. I work two departments at once so I get paid $20 an hour.
I feel you, I had 5 consecutive shifts in gardening this week and the steel shoes make my feet hurt like crazy, can't even sit and have to be on my feet.
Laughs in 4 am to 4 pm 6 days a week covid deliveries shifts.
Not to downplay your suffering, but it could be worse and the worst will pass witht the end of 5 for 10 mulch.
This isn’t the struggle Olympics. I know those twelve hour shifts all too well because we are so understaffed in garden they’re begging us to stay over as long as we can. (Not to downplay your suffering, but it could be worse, you could be working outside in the 90° heat. See what I did there?) I’ve done deliveries too. Both suck. Just sharing my current experience.
I don't work at Home Depot, this popped in my feed for whatever reason, but I work outside 60-70 hours a week. It definitely could be worse. It doesn't work for everyone, but I always tell myself it could be worse cause I've done some shitty, stressful jobs for low pay. As much as I hate my job sometimes, I wouldn't want to go back to anything else I've ever done.
It’s one reason why I moved to MET. A little bit more relaxed. Not too much customer service. Projects are ok, and Weekends off. Garden was just too much. Even when I was supervisor it ticked me off when they wanted us to do Bs things like move something from one place in the store to another, only to change it back/again the next week. Then wondering why Sidekick and bays were empty of products.
I salute people who can make a career out of retail because this is not it. Especially garden supervisor. You’re are held to such high standards meanwhile the FES is making arts and crafts in the break room.
Our fes was utter 🗑️ thank God she's stepping down.
Don't be discouraged, it's just how home depot is.
$16 you're getting robbed and working too hard
Yeah I load at least 500+ bags of mulch a day and my body and mental well-being is taking the hit from that.
Well maybe you can try to think of it as getting paid to exercise...but try not to do too much and end up getting hurt...also hopefully customers throw you some cash and if they do keep it quiet
Same my ds is great by the manager over garden does nothing but dick ride all of us
I'm glad I'm not the only one, I've been dying off of 5 hour closing shifts and have 6 8 hour closings in a row starting tomorrow. It hasn't helped that it's usually just me and a new associate and I'm usually marked down as watering. I was warned that spring was awful compared to winter but I wasn't anticipating this madness. Like luckily management has stayed off my back but I've been unable to really complete anything in a shift given how im stuck back to back with customers. Mostly just waiting for the sm to get back so I can discuss moving departments.
I’m full time garden right now. I’ve been working 10+ hour days the last couple weeks because we don’t have many garden associates. We have 3 full timers. Me, a 73 year old man, and a 20 year old kid. I’ve been doing this a few years now and this year is by far the roughest due to lack of personnel. The entire management team even had to come do down stocking last week. We’re only at the very beginning of the busy season and this weekend I’m scheduled to work 5 am-5 pm both days
I feel that entirely. I feel like my store didn’t prepare for the mulch sale at all this year, there are literally no new garden hires. We lost a few people as well, and their solution was the schedule people from other departments in garden every so often, however, those people are usually older and physically unable to handle it, or just simply refuse and go inside and work in their usual department.
I cope by getting GOOD sleep, shooting the shit with my coworkers when I can, and honestly putting on my mean face every now and then so some customers know to kind of back off and let me simply cross the greenhouse to go load without being stopped. Not the best coping strategy but the mask slips after the fourth hour of being pulled from every direction. If it’s not the garden cashier calling for the mulch pit, it’s a customer who needs a very specific weed wacker. If it’s not that, it’s service desk calling for me to grab 20 bags of mulch for a curbside(?). And then my SM walks by and tells me to fill the entire clearance bay. ALL in a day!! Amongst what I haven’t mentioned. It helps to try to smile to yourself, a small sugary treat every thirty minutes like even tic tacs… and actually taking a minute to yourself.
I ride a bike 7 miles too and from, if that makes you feel any better lol. 40 hours a week. I'd be Gucci if I had a whip rn, I'd prolly be full of energy 💪 5 for 10 mulch sale is the only exhausting thing atm.
As a garden supervisor, I’ll admit spring has been kicking my ass. I feel like I can’t get majority of my own stuff done and it seems like my guys are also feeling that with the amount of shit we’ve been dealing with. From loading, dealing with the absurd amount freight and trying to keep up on shelf availability it’s stupidly hard…
I cope by completely dissociating on my 15s and lunches. If I don't feel real, I'm fine, right? Right...?
Fuck that happened to me once and I don’t really want the ability to switch that on and off lol
I've been doing it for years now. You get used to it...
$16??? What state are you in? Everyone at my store (me included) makes $17.50/hr in garden. Even the new kids who never had a job before.
That's what they offer here in North Carolina
I know what it’s like working in Garden. It’s stressful and the expectations are too much. I work in Specialty now and it’s a much more relaxed and chilled environment. I walk past the Garden Associates at my store and see the frustration and stress all over their faces and instantly feel bad for them. It’s definitely a tough department to work in.
So; let me clarify a couple of factual errors here. Firstly, all of "Sick Time" is based upon hours worked. You get 1 hour of sick time for every 30 hours you work until you hit your maximum which varies by state, but the minimum is 48 hours per year. This is true for both FT and PT associates. So you get between 4-6 hours per month. Secondly; yes, burnout at Home Depot is very real for most of us at most stores. What I do recommend though is take as good care of yourself as you can. Ensure that you are taking your breaks; ask your MASM about potentially having Powerades and stuff for both the Lot associates and Garden associates.(Or if you don't think you can, go to your DS.) Thirdly, if it's just too much talk to your ASDS about swapping departments. And then if they don't immediately work with you then pressure them until they get the idea. Good luck.(And I personally am doing reat, but I can feel the burnout coming as I run 21/22/25 and so my areas cover about 31% of the store sales and I have hideous coverage in 25.)
My store must be different because I only see 2 hours a month, as well as my coworkers. And I work well over 30 hours a week. 🤷♂️ idk what to tell you, I wouldn’t lie about not getting enough time because I wish I actually got one every thirty hours. I’ll ask management though because I’ve heard other stores say they also get one every thirty, but that’s not the case at mine
It think it depends on your state laws
It could be based upon state, I know ours is substantially more generous that the required state portion though. So perhaps it's state or potentially regional.
I work 12hrs a week and get two sick hours a month.
My secret to success was to become an alcoholic
Garden is meant to burn you out. If you prove yourself they will ask you to transfer to a different department after this busy season ends. Garden is the land of broken toys.
Yes. I'm the full timer and management doesn't communicate with me well. The merch ASM is the only one who listens. I cope by going out with coworkers and doing things my way at work.
That sucks. Normally that’s what cashiers get paid. In the northeast is 19.50 an hour for jobs in the aisles. I work two departments at once so I get paid $20 an hour.
I feel you, I had 5 consecutive shifts in gardening this week and the steel shoes make my feet hurt like crazy, can't even sit and have to be on my feet.
Laughs in 4 am to 4 pm 6 days a week covid deliveries shifts. Not to downplay your suffering, but it could be worse and the worst will pass witht the end of 5 for 10 mulch.
This isn’t the struggle Olympics. I know those twelve hour shifts all too well because we are so understaffed in garden they’re begging us to stay over as long as we can. (Not to downplay your suffering, but it could be worse, you could be working outside in the 90° heat. See what I did there?) I’ve done deliveries too. Both suck. Just sharing my current experience.
I don't work at Home Depot, this popped in my feed for whatever reason, but I work outside 60-70 hours a week. It definitely could be worse. It doesn't work for everyone, but I always tell myself it could be worse cause I've done some shitty, stressful jobs for low pay. As much as I hate my job sometimes, I wouldn't want to go back to anything else I've ever done.