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.

You assume a lot! I will be retiring soon, early, and plan on getting a minimum wage job, supermarket, coffee shop, kitchen type of thing. Do I think it'll be easy? No, what it WILL be is less stressful brain wise. When you get older your brain slows down, I simply can't cope with the complex tasks I am expected to any more. I just want to be given a mop and bucket and left to get on with it.

It’s all about class.
The working class have jobs.
The middle class have a role.

I used to work in retail during my A Levels and as a student and I loved it. Yes shitty managers and occasionally rude customers weren’t much fun, but when I went home the work didn’t come with me.

My corporate jobs have their fair share of shitty managers and clients, but moreover leak into my working most evenings, many weekends and some of my holidays. So I often look back favourably at retail jobs where I clocked in and out and got paid for overtime. Only thing that stops me going back was the pay.

Well, I see where she's coming from. I've worked in supermarkets. I'm a teacher now. Occasionally I do think 'maybe I should just get a job in my local Sainsburys'. But, like your friend, I would get bored. I found it easy but dull work. But the good thing is you clock in and out and don't take work home, plus it's comparatively stress-free. I found it mind-numbingly boring though and obviously low pay.

I worked retail through university.

It was easy. You turn up, you do as you are told for 6 hours, be that packing shelves, pushing trollies about or working a checkout.

Boring, yes. Stressful or difficult? No, sorry, it's not.

Many of us who have the kind of complex jobs that we sometimes dream of swapping for something less complex do have experience working in supermarkets, fast food, and other retail. We understand very well that those jobs come with many difficulties. We also understand that they come with certain advantages .

I personally will put up will all sorts of poor work-life balance in exchange for a good paycheck and not being on my feet all day while dealing with customers. I never want to have to return to retail work.

I’ve had some friends make comments about doing so, but I never take them seriously. I just assume they are speaking out of frustration. It’s like saying you want to go live off-grid. It’s a nice idea, but when you think about it in reality, very few will give up their comfortable life. It’s really just a verbal exercise to let yourself vent and let go of some tension.

It must be stressful if you have tight deadlines and customers yelling at you. Or you find the work physically difficult.
Depends on your personality I guess.

It's horrifically disrespectful and lacks any understanding of the role played by retail premises in the local community. Everyone who works hard for a living deserves credit and respect.

Yes, I tried to say something similar to this on Mumsnet and didn't say it right and got slated.

But yes, my friend wanted a job where she could just go to work and go home. Fine in and of itself and a twine but the way it's said can be offensive.

Also I can't do her degree level job, don't take jobs away from people who need them (if you can)

This thread! Working in Tescos may not be as easy as she thinks but it's surely obvious what she meant?

Surely when people say that they mean less stressful as less responsibility. I’m under no illusion that it would be easy to work in a supermarket, I’m sure it is very demanding with high task loads, short staffed and angry customers to deal with. But it is a lot less responsibility than my current job and therefore, to me, it would be less stressful.

Another ex Tesco employee who knows where she is coming from. There are days that I dream about being sat on that checkout scanning away and having a full lunch hour chilling with my mates in the canteen. Yes, I get paid a lot more money now, but the stress and responsibility of my current job (lawyer) is crippling at times. Right now, in the run up Christmas where everyone is screaming for matters to be finished by the end of the year, I long for the fun times listening to the same Christmas song 25 thousand times over, the satisfaction of clearing the crazy queues on Christmas Eve and all the customers wishing us a Merry Christmas! Then the rush down the pub with all my colleagues once the store closed! Those were the days….

ive worked in a supermarket for 15 years its a whole lot harder now than when i started ,due to lack of staff we used to have 30 tills on on a sat during peak hours we now have 10 they rest are unused and by 8pm there is only 1 left on there used to be 5, never have any staff to take you off for your break /end of shift ,having to say to customers lady in the red coat 6 up can you tell people this till is closing after you ,the cleaners dont clean spills at the checkout anymore we have to do that including cleaning up sick /wee from a child

I miss retail and cafe work too! It was less stressful and easier work. I did find it boring though after a while and low paid so wouldn’t go back to it but I do dream sometimes.

Yes - I always laugh when people say this to me. Only ever said by people who've never worked in a shop and so don't know how stressful it really is.

One thing people misunderstand, imo, is the impact of having no input into the way you work but being held directly responsible for it by every rude/angry person who is in the shop.

I completely agree OP. I used to work with a woman who would say “I might as well quit and work at ASDA” and I always thought she’d be lucky to get a job there with her attitude (which was generally bad). It is dismissive of people who work in supermarkets and doesn’t take into account how much hard work goes into working in retail.

Totally agree with this.

I often say Im going to apply to Tesco/Aldi etc not because I think it's a nice easy relaxing job - I know it's not, no customer facing job is nice and relaxed. But I am meaning I would be able to do my shift and go home. And not stress at home about the work I have to do, or emails coming in etc.

Yes - I always laugh when people say this to me. Only ever said by people who've never worked in a shop and so don't know how stressful it really is.

Well that's clearly not the case ... quote a few of us on this thread have worked in retail (I've worked in 2 supermarkets and a clothes shop) and it really was not stressful or difficult. Boring and badly paid, yes!

Retail is always looked down upon and always will be seen as a dead end job. Can't wait for the next pandemic when all of you with your stressful, well paid academic jobs will be on furlough and we'll be cracking on with it again and putting up with the daily threats and abuse. I see so many posts saying how easy it would be to work at Tesco/Aldi etc but the reality is I've seen so many people start a retail job and not come back from their break because they can't hack it.

Working with the public is one of the hardest jobs to do.

I'm guilty of saying this (previously worked at tesco for 5 years before my current profession).

I think it's not so much the lack of hard work because I remember how physically exhausting it was but once I finished work I could just go home and forget about it til the next time I was due at work whereas now I can't switch off and I also have a 2 year old DD so it's quite exhausting mentally.

A few on this thread have said they worked in retail but maybe not recently, things seem to have really changed post Covid.

I work in one of the big 4 supermarket’s.
I love my job. I work the deliveries mainly. It keeps me physically fit (couldn’t stand sitting at a desk all day). My employers are very flexible with childcare issues, and don’t make it difficult for me to change my hours to suit my family. I get to chat with people and really enjoy helping customers with their shopping etc…. I have a good boss and great management team who are respectful to me, which makes the job so easy. I’m on a 25hr contract, but can have unlimited overtime whenever I want it. A big perk is my colleague discount. That saves me so much each year. I’ll also get 20% off of my Xmas food shop this week, which is a good saving.
I can honestly say that I don’t find my job stressful. I leave it behind when I clock out. I do get a huge amount of satisfaction from doing my job well.

I could definitely do with a better hourly rate, but couldn’t everyone atm?

Too right. I managed to fail my assessment test for Tesco when I was a student (don’t know quite what happened but I think I was arrogant and didn’t reads the instructions) despite that fact that I’ve a degree in Maths and am now a qualified actuary! It’s quite an arrogant response and attitude from your friend.

Really?

Ours has staff that I can hardly imagined passed anything.
Sorry.

I do wonder if it is deliberate.
They are beyond slow at checkouts.
Last time a member of staff was handing out chocs to the queues, it was that slow.