To think it’s ignorant to say “I’ll just work in Tesco”

[atmylowest34]

So I went to dinner with a friend who has according to her a demanding job (not saying she doesn’t but I don’t work in that field and have no experience of it).

And she’s said well I’ve considered quitting and just getting a job in Tesco instead but then I’d just get bored.

Aibu to think that it’s ignorant to think working in a supermarket is an easy and relaxing job? I did it as a student and it was horrible, people shouting at you, complaining, having personal comments said about my looks (both negative and positive), hours weren’t great. And that was all before covid and cost of living crisis.

If you're in a job with massive responsibility and/or that demands a lot of thought, analysis, and out of hours 'presence' (either physically or in your mind) of course working in a supermarket won't be as demanding. The latter (unless at higher managerial level) doesn't involve critical decision making or responsibility.

I'm not saying that working in a supermarket doesn't have its stresses, or that it's not hard work. But it's a bit silly to claim that it's demands are on a par with some others.
My DD has done both types of work. She now looks back on her job on the supermarket checkouts with fondness, and would happily do it again if it paid more.

They do this in my work. The family workers will make jokes about how they should just go and work in admin. I am admin. I'm more highly qualified than most of them. They wouldn't have a clue where to start.

I did supermarket work, wasn’t my experience of low stress, constant messages from team leaders changing hours and begging for cover, all on a low hour’s contact. Also a very physical job if you’re used to a desk. Don’t even remind me of the recruitment process, which was awful, especially considering the state of staff retention

I worked with someone who thought like this in hospitality, having a nice little break away from their professional job.
They hadn't taken into account that customers wouldn't give a shiny shite about her 'professional' role, degree or anything else, she got bellowed at, sworn at, threatened and abused alongside the rest of us and then asked by management what she'd done to the customer to deserve it - pretty standard stuff for most hospitality/retail.
I really think she thought that people were only horrible to service workers because they deserve and she a) would be so good she'd never deserve it and b) didn't realise that some people are horrible because they're bullies who pick on those who can't fight back, not because they've done anything wrong.
Her attempts at reasoning with stroppy customers and management were rooted in the belief that both are playing fair and would be logical, because that's how she was used to being treated as a professional.
Was a shock to discover that doesn't happen everywhere.

YANBU - there is a societal myth that better paid jobs are harder and require more capable people. Neither are necessarily true.

Jobs with a lot of responsibility often mean that you come home worrying (eg about decisions you've made, the presentation you're giving tomorrow etc). In a supermarket you leave at the end of your shift and forget about work until the next day. That's what she means.

Please don't encourage your children to use offensive terms like 'Karen'.

Her "demanding " job probably refers to its complex level of responsibility and liability (for other peoples' safety or survival, the success or failure of a business; lots of travel, meetings, meeting targets, juggling a great many plates in the air with serious repercussions for any that drop. ) It's not just supermarket staff who face shouting, insults and complaints at work.

She's not saying a job in Tescos would be easy and relaxing; just that she won't lie awake at night worrying about work.

It’s a different type of stress.

Im in senior management but took 2 years off work when my kids were young, then got bored and took a p/t retail job as I assumed it would be a doddle.

The upside was I walked out of the door when a shift finished and didn’t give work a second thought until my next shift started. I can’t do that in my usual field.

The downside was that it was both boring and stressful work. The main stress was that the public could be so rude! I also struggled with the repetitive nature of some of the tasks. Plus the inefficiency and the stupidity of some of the processes drive me mad, but being inexperienced in retail and working on the shop floor it really wasn’t my tile to say anything about it.

I lasted 6 months. I’d never do it again!

I’ve worked in a supermarket and now work in a “profession”.

I honestly spend some much of my time wishing I could go back to a shop job because the demands of it were generally contained in the hours I was paid for. In my “profession” job, I get paid for 7 hours, work 9 hours and spend my nights thinking about it.

If I ever say it, I definitely don’t mean it in a dismissive way as the supermarket job itself has its own problems. However, I miss being able to switch off from work like I could when I was there.

My role not title!

Please don't encourage your children to use offensive terms like 'Karen'

I don't. They get it from Tiktok.

I think she probably just means that it is not mentally demanding and does not occupy your thoughts outside of working hours.

I have worked in a supermarket - physically demanding and not always treated well by customers or management. But not difficult.

I can never pass the screening tests for supermarket jobs. Don't know how the hell they have any staff, but yeah, it's not as easy as you think to get a job there.

You'll never have enough money make ends meet with supermarket pay.

To me a demanding job is one where you are thinking about work on your off-time, where you have projects which carry on from day to day, where you can't switch off easily in the evenings or have people phoning/emailing. Lots of responsibility.

A supermarket job has none of that. Yes you have the grumpy and awkward customers but at the end of the shift you walk out and don't have to give it a second's thought until the next day.

That is what she meant.

I've worked in retail when younger, it's not easy but I did find it boring and that was knowing it was a temporary means to an end. The two things are not mutually exclusive.

@atmylowest34 "Aibu to think that it’s ignorant to think working in a supermarket is an easy and relaxing job?"

I worked in retail for several years. Whilst I would never say that about supermarket work, lets also not be naïve. It may have some stressors attached (i.e. customers mainly) but lets not act like it is taxing in terms of stress and effort. I stacked shelves etc and its boring AF but not in any way difficult (if you are physically fit). You grab the item, shove it on the shelf and get another item - it doesn't require mental effort or high skill. Of course if you are in a management role then it is a bit different but your average worker at Tesco isn't.

That said, I haven't worked in retail for well over a decade so maybe I am giving them a disservice. I see that there are many additional extras (ID checking, health and safety etc) but it doesn't really require a razor sharp intellect. As I said, I say this as someone who did it for several years.

If you are going from a higher pressure, high stakes, big risk environment to customer service support at Tesco then you would, of course, think that it is a lot easier. I work with highly dangerous, extremely risky, unpredictable adults and have done every working day for 20 years. You cannot compare that to shop work, you just can't. It isn't a knock, both jobs are needed for society to function AND at the same time they are different.

Yes the ‘l’ll just get a job shelf stacking in a supermarket’ people might be in for a shock.

If they want to work permanent nights then that’s probably all they’ll do.
From what I can gather from DS and a friend who works in food retail you could be doing anything and everything if you want days, and it’s weekend working plus 4am starts and 10pm finishes.The more availability you have the better it looks on the application.
That's if you can get through the online application to the interview stage.

It's probably being used as a phrase rather than literal.

I'm sure all higher earners all have days where they would like an easier job than their job is turning out that day.

I work in a supermarket and my role has enormous responsibility and stress. I work in the cash office and as the person who’s been there the longest I am regularly called in on a day off to sort an issue. I don’t turn off when I leave work I’m still worrying/planning/problem solving when I get home some days.

Retail is very stressful to be honest. I’ve no experience of anything else but it definitely wouldn’t be the job I’d think of if I wanted an easy life.

Probably but food retail sounds hard in a different way.
Perhaps there’s easier jobs to dream about having.

I think that given we advise teenagers to go and get a little job in hospitality or a supermarket it is fair to say that working in Tescos isn’t exactly a profession it’s a job. And there is a difference.

Yes if you work in management there is more to it but the general people on the floor come in, do their job, go home.

And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Not everyone wants a career. And if you don’t want a career then working in a supermarket or a restaurant is a good way to go about it.

It's like when people say about working in a call centre
Great, come do my job and see how long you last

It's all relative. I work in a supermarket and it's waaaay easier than any other job I've had. The actual job it's self is piss easy to be honest. The only hard part is dealing with stroppy customers and working unsociable hours, but compared to other jobs out there it's nothing to complain about really. It is naive to think they will just give the job to anyone with half a brain though, you do need the right experience and there are usually tons of applications for each vacancy in my experience.