r/HotTopic_

This is going to come off as more of a rant post than anything but I want to share it because I think it's important.

I started working at Hot Topic as a seasonal worker last year at a pretty big Hot Topic. This was at a time where my health was worsening as I was discovering that I had a bone degeneration disorder, a few genetic issues, and joint pain associated with Ehlers Danlos syndrome. Within a few months of working there I got forearm crutches from my specialist to use full time and immediately my treatment from both customers and other staff shifted completely.

Due to the nature of my disability, I'm unable to use a ladder, lift heavy boxes, and sweep. I'm able to do *everything* else just fine! Yet, I received abuse from the management towards me and attitudes towards me changed immediately and suddenly I was a burden to work with. I felt horrible in this position and it didn't help that customers would point out my crutches often and ask for detailed answers on why I had them as if I had to validate my existence. It got to the point I wouldn't even use my forearm crutches at work because it was a conversation topic and I ended up hurting myself more by doing so.

I kept working though despite the abuse and eventually transferred to a different Hot Topic for a management opportunity. Here, the customers are even worse about my forearm crutches! (They are now more noticeable and louder after an upgrade to some of the best ones on the market) Just the other day I had a woman force me to PRAY with her so I'd get better and she continued this for about 15 minutes. I've gotten younger teens asking me where I got my crutches and if they can get some too (??) because of undiagnosed medical conditions they 'think' they have. The WORST just happened yesterday where I had a teenage girl say within earshot to me "I can steal all I want here because that guy can't run after me," and I've been called a cripple on at least three different occasions.

For a store that focuses mostly on alternative fashion, you'd think the customers would be a bit more aware of how ableism affects people but I guess not! It sucks so much because at my secondary job I've gotten absolutely zero comments about my forearm crutches and that's in a historically conservative area so it's not a politics thing. My guess is that because a lot of the customers we get are more of the "awkward" type they for some reason don't understand what they're saying is insensitive. I'm very tired working this job and getting daily questions about a disorder that has already ruined my life and taken away a lot of the things I love to do like draw.

I'm transitioning into using a wheelchair full time soon enough and I'm wondering if it's even worth it to keep working at a Hot Topic or if I'd just suffer more abuse. Does anyone else have any other stories about working with physical disabilities, positive or negative? I'd love if I wasn't the only one dealing with stuff like this.

Specifically the ones with the repeating designs on them. I have 3 pair and love them, but I got a pair recently and had a hard time finding them! Is it just because the summer is starting or are they getting rid of them entirely?

So there are these shorts that I’ve been wanting for a while and I just saw online that it’s only available in another store that’s an hour and 20 mins away from where I live. They don’t have shipping available and literally I called them and they told me that they couldn’t ship their store to another location for the item

Now I’m just questioning if this even worth the 1-2 hour trip to drive there and back home for a piece of clothing.

I don’t know anymore.. 🕳️🚶

Not just mine, but my entire teams.
Throwaway because I need my job.
But I can’t just not vent about this. The corporate culture of this company has become unbearable and unrealistic. Cranking up our shipment numbers beyond what is reasonable, shutting down space and amenities for customers and employees alike. TONS of clerical work that never gets double checked or noticed. (Not one single employee I’ve ever had has given a single second glance at these wow boards). Cutting labor by over half and acting like it our fault as managers that things aren’t getting done. But don’t you dare forget to do those huddle sheets that no one will ever look at or find useful. It doesn’t matter that you’re packed out all day and don’t actually have the time to give to sit down and do “cool downs” about their day while Karen has been turning a simple exchange into a two hour ordeal. Turnover for associates is crazy because you refuse to pay more than minimum wage for them, when they can go to any grocery store and stock shelves for $20. So every week you’re training someone new while doing everything else. Meetings meetings meetings meetings. Don’t forget the standards that you have to keep up with for KPIs that’s are 60% above normal industry standards. Can’t let those slip. Oh but wait there’s more! You met the standards set by the company for KPIs?! DOESNT MATTER because your peer groups did better than you so, you get a bad grade. Why is your ADT down? What can YOU do as a manager to be better and pull that up? Putting it all on us when you’re massive miscalculations on how much product a store can handle is abhorrent. We are all shutting our dressing rooms down to accommodate, so now the customers mad that they can’t try before they buy, so they don’t buy at all. There goes a $265 sale because of YOU as a company not me as a manager. But sure, let’s focus on ME and what I can do better. Not on how you as a company are directly causing the demise of the unrealistic numbers that you create. Then take away our discount on collectibles, because even with the discount we were paying well above MSRP for most of that shit but that’s just not enough for you to still be making a profit off of us and calling it a “benefit”. GREEDY GREEDY GREEDY and not even trying to hide it. And on top of that don’t even pay me enough as a store manager to eat food and afford gas. I have to ask family/friends for gas money just to make it a finale few days before I get paid. Guess I should just stop eating right? So I can SHOW UP FOR YOU to continue to not pay me enough to put food in my stomach, and deal with your BULLSHIT. Pay me just enough to keep me awake at night so I can realize that the most financially responsible thing I could ever do is to kms because you won’t pay STORE MANAGERS enough to live. Sick and greedy and gross. And then to top it off you send these STUPID ASS cardboard notebooks with a pen that exploded and turned its inside contents into projectiles the first time I tired to use it and call it a “gift managers notebook” when the dollar tree sells better bullshit than that. You couldn’t even give us something DOLLAR TREE quality. What an insult. What’s a slap to the fucking face. Why sent me anything at all. I can’t fucking WAIT to lay this job to rest. FUCK HOT TOPIC.

How lenient is hot topic when it comes to doctor’s appointments. I’m about to start working part time. And I just want to know if I can let them know I have a doctor’s appointment the same month I start? Or would that make them consider me as unreliable? I’ll re-schedule my doctor’s appointment otherwise to a later time so I can keep this job.

Hi guys so i applied to work at HT and everything and i have my orientation on wednesday, i need to fill out the onboarding paperwork but i only have an email telling me to check for a previous one and not the email with the link to fill out the info, i checked all my mail folders and i was wondering if i should call the store to tell them that or wait until wednesday when i come in there

Sorry, I’m about to vent, this may be a mess lol

I have been here for 6 years and it’s honestly been hell since the beginning but I loved (most of) my coworkers and I got promoted fast.

I was hired on as an associate, promoted to stock associate, promoted to Lvl 1, then promoted to SM. I’ve been an SM for 4 years now.

The changes to the company has been absolutely unbearable. This swords bullshit, is a pain in the ass. It confuses new associates, it’s not the incentive they think it is. $10 for winning the month? Whoopty fucking do. Atleast let us save the $10 to actually get something worth it? Idk literally anything else?

I tried simplifying it to make it easier on associates, my DM said it was smart, other sms said it was smart, OUR REGIONAL said it was smart. Then 2 sm’s came to help out at my store and said i wasn’t following policy then my DM scolded me for “not following policy” although he gave me approval.

My DM, I love him to death, but he has been stepping my toes about everything lately. One minute I’m doing something great, the next minute that same exact thing, he’ll ask “why is this happening?”… why did you say it was great?

A sm came to help out at my store and he sent 3 pages worth of notes. Half of which is very fucking passive aggressive. 3 pages from 1 shift and a half shift. Lots of assumptions, and lots of words being put In my mouth.

I am not happy. Not to mention my pay, I am not getting paid nearly as much as I should for the work I do. I am talking to him on Friday, but I might step down or give a notice. Spirit Halloween has been trying to get me for 5 years now, I might just make the jump.

this is random but I’ve been thinking about applying for a job at hot topic recently is it worth it? Nothing longterm but are they generally flexible with schedules? Is the pay rate decent? Idk what even to expect since I’ve never worked retail before but any help is appreciated. Thanks xx

Ok so they dropped the hoodie online yesterday and i want it so badly but I dont get paid until next week and im worried its gonna be sold out by then. Whay are the odds of it being sold out before then?