Goodwill Industries review: scam 7

SO true- I think more goodwill workers should stand up against goodwill's unethical behavior!

I am also very concerned with Goodwill Industries touting themselves as a charitable non-profit organization and finding the opposite to be true. I work there now and am miserable. Our supervisor is a tyrant, we are paid starvation wages, overworked, and bullied on a regular basis. The working conditions are appalling. I eat my lunch seated on the concrete parking lot rain or shine. We are constantly watched for fear that we may slip off for a potty break or (egads !) get a sip of water. Thousands of garments are set before us with unbelievable records to be set, i.e. 85 garments per rack, 40 racks per day with no reduction in amount based on 15 minute lawful breaks per 2 hours, and 30 minutes "hanger management" and clean up time per day. Simple arithmetic and common sense allows that clean up and break time would have to be figured in to their "garment goal" but it is not. "Management" belittles and berates us. Just last weekend I was approached by the "Store manager" 15 minutes before the end of the day and workweek. Expecting a friendly weekend sendoff I smiled and he scowled saying we would all have to "work doubly hard next week". I said "When do we not ? As I see it, we work hard throughout the day, every day". His response ? "Don't get me started !" Of course, I said "Oh, no...best not to...Ok we will work harder...whatever...have a nice weekend...and thanks for the vote of confidence, it really meant a lot..." Another time I was sent out to the sales floor to put merchandise in place (those items left all over the store by shoppers). A shopper approached me and asked the price of the books. I smiled and said "Let me find out. I work in production so I am not familiar. I will be right back. Wait just a moment." My supervisor in the back screamed at me and said "WHY DO YOU NEED TO KNOW THE PRICES OF BOOKS ?!" I was forced to return to the shopper, apologize and respond that evidently the prices were a secret. I was unable to even answer her question. Imagine how I felt...I fail to see the goodwill at Goodwill.

Sounds sad that the Goodwills in your area are bad examples of what the Goodwill mission is. I am shocked that some of these things go on. I am curious about how you feel you are over worked and under paid. How is this any different than any other minimum wage job? If you have no education to get a higher paying job, then it sounds to me that you will always feel this way when you work a min. wage job (I fall into this catagory as well as I have not got a degree). As far as management belittling associates, how is that the fault of Goodwill. That is human behavior. It is not a good thing, and I would bet if you take the proper channels through the Human Resource department (all businesses have some sort of HR department) they would take care of this. Sounds to me like you are not cut out to work in this type of business. This is not your fault nor theirs. It is just a simple fact. If you cannot do the job, of course they are not going to caudle you. NO PLACE will. No where you work is going to give you a warm fuzzy feeling, a high five, or a hug when you can't do the job they hired you to do. Fact of life. Sorry. If you are unhappy with where you work, you should prolly look at yourself. It is not your employers business to make you the happiest person on earth. It is only supposed to provide you with a safe work environment and a paycheck. If they do not do that, then you should take it to the proper authority. If they do, and you are miserable, then go find work that makes you happy. As far as "unethical behavior", this goes on everywhere. It has nothing to do with Goodwill being a non profit. They are non profit. Plain and simple. What proof do you have other wise? If you have it, you should take it to the labor board and the IRS so they will loose the NON profit status. Other wise, you just sound like a whinning employee that is unhappy with life in general.

As far as throwing stuff away...
What else should they do with it. Save it forever! Give it away. IF they give it away, then what. Will people ever shop there? Prob not since then they would just wait for Goodwill to give it away. People donate it to get a tax write off, feel good that they are helping people, as well as just to get rid of the crap they do not want. If they do not want it, and Goodwill can't sell it. WHAT do you think they should do with it? If they give it to another charity, what then? Will that organization ever get to discard the un sellable items? OR should they just start the circle over. LOL! This is a ridiculous thing to complain about.
From my experience, the people with disabilities that they help are not in the retail stores. They are in other departments doing tasks that they are capable of doing. Educate yourself before you complain about something you know nothing (or very little) about. Otherwise, you sound like a disgruntled employee.

Why don't they have one or two days a year when they give away stuff FREE to the public? Stuff they don't want? Just do it in the parking lot. The thought of it all going into the dumpster is just heart-breaking.

I work at Goodwill in Canada, and we are not watched like hawks, well at least not in our store.
It is like a little family, and everyone gets a long!
As far as throwing stuff out to make more room, I think it is sad.
Goodwill should try and start a program where they can give these items to shelters or kids in needy?
Maybe that is too much work for this organization though?

Like Optimist, I was also a hanger at Goodwill. The place I worked in was horrible, caked in dust and rat infested. Goodwill is the worst place to work, avoid it at all costs.