r/wholefoods

Keeping things as confidential as i can. I just started working as a cashier about 3 weeks ago and I have been strictly bagging for the entire time i’ve been on the sales floor, all my online training is done and i have cashier experience from previous jobs but the trainer keeps giving me vague runaround excuses as to why i’m not trained on register yet. but has already trained the other person that i started with. i’m getting so burnt out on bagging and i’m starting to dread this job that i thought i would love. any advice?

Currently OW; my TL does not like me and knowing that I will forever be stuck as an OW with no growth to move up. Considering stepping down to TM, will I retain the same pay or will I lose the couple bucks

hey all 👋 i know we’re all going through it with cyclospora rn, but i wanted to ask where it falls under FBI symptoms and reporting. the GIG is super vague as far as detailing any kind of timeline a TM needs to take after reporting symptoms, and cyclospora is listed under reportable illnesses, but only under the Canada portion (im in a US store). I’ve had people say that it technically doesn’t count as FBI because it’s parasitic but since it is, indeed, an explosive shitting parasite, you definitely don’t want people positive with it in the store handling food. 😳 Has anyone else had TMs, Leadership, Store Leadership, etc, disregard this and let someone continue working? Even if the TM is on antibiotics for the parasite, shouldn’t all their symptoms be gone before coming back to work?

I work at 4 am tomorrow. My question is, how do I get in? Do I knock on the entrance the Amazon drivers come in and that we take orders out to cars from? Do I go around the back? I did not get any guidance on this so I would appreciate some advice. I know that I should probably call the store but I figured I’d ask here first. Is it any different if I work at 5:30 vs 4 am where I go in?

I'm applying for a full-time Produce Team Member position at a brand-new Whole Foods that's opening soon.

I currently work in the Publix deli, which is a very hectic, fast-paced department. I'm used to constant customer interaction, multitasking, working under pressure, and staying busy throughout my shift. I'm hoping to transition into Produce because it's the department I'm most interested in long term.

I'm trying to figure out which availability would make me the strongest candidate for a full-time position.

One important limitation is that I cannot start before 7:00 a.m. I can stay until closing when scheduled—I just can't work the really early 4–6 a.m. produce shifts.

I don't care which two days I have off each week.

Here are the availability options I'm considering:

Option 1

• 7:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday
• 7:00 a.m. to close Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday
• I don't care which two days I have off

Option 2

• 7:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday
• Available to close Saturday and Sunday
• I don't care which two days I have off

Option 3

• Any 3 days: 7:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
• Any 2 days: 7:00 a.m. to close
• I don't care which two days I have off

If you were the Produce Team Leader or Store Team Leader at a new store, which availability would make you the most likely to hire someone full-time?

Also, how much does not being available before 7:00 a.m. hurt my chances? Is that likely to be a deal-breaker for Produce, or are there usually enough later morning and closing shifts to make it workable?

I'd especially appreciate hearing from current or former Whole Foods Produce Team Members, Produce Team Leaders, or anyone involved in hiring. Thanks!

EDIT: Thanks for all the feedback. It sounds like my original availability was probably too restrictive, so I've been rethinking it.

Instead of giving fixed hours every day, I'm thinking of telling the hiring manager that I can start as early as 6:00 AM any day. I'm also willing to close every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday if needed, and I can close up to three nights per week total. I don't care which weekdays I have off, and I'd ideally like two of my five workdays to end around 3:00 or 4:00 PM, but I'm otherwise happy to work a flexible full-time schedule. I just don't want to be scheduled to close five nights a week like I currently am at Publix deli.

For the TLs and ATLs who have responded, does this sound like a much more competitive availability for a full-time produce position at a new store?

I also have another question. I'll be finishing my Master's in English soon, but I'm applying because I genuinely want to build a career in Whole Foods produce. My goal is to start as a produce team member, learn the department, become an order writer, and eventually work toward ATL if I earn it.

If you were reviewing my application, would my availability sound competitive? And would my master's degree make you think I'd leave quickly, or would it not matter if I explained my long-term career goals during the interview?

I’m a prime shopper and usually I’m probably packing 20-30 salads per day (lots of them Taylor farms), and lettuce; but the sales have been declining bc of the cyclosporais 😭. Also our ENTIRE prime department got cyclosporasis a couple weeks ago, probably from bagging lettuce and salads

My store is a new store. We have been open for 3 days. I’ve been doing the afternoon temperatures. I don’t mind it but I’m having problems with the Honeywell and thermometers. My thermometer is set to Celsius, no one seems to know how it got set to that, or how to change it back to Fahrenheit. Then the Honeywell sends me from a frozen area to dairy then back to frozen when I take the milk temperature. It also adds sections that aren’t in my department to check. For example at the 2 it doesn’t have the pizza aisle but at the 8 I have to check the frozen pizza aisle. I’ve brought it up to my ATLS but no one seems to know what’s going on. I’m going to be bringing it up to my team leader tomorrow. But does this happen to anyone else?

From a redbull lover I wish we sold them here! Having a sleepy shift and need a recommendation of a goooood caffeinated drink. Ty!!!

Hey yall. Just a questions about this trajectory and pay. I started working at wholefoods back in January with the intentions of making it a career. 6 months later I just got promoted to ATL of PFDS at $25.30 an hour. I started at 17.50 as a TM, moved to SUP 4 months in at $22. Which is a 25% raise. Pretty amazing if you ask me. Now going from SUP to ATL they decided that 15% was they could give me and I’m at $25.30. I know I screwed myself a little here. But I really don’t think there’s anything my leadership can do. They really fought to get me the 25% raise before. I didn’t see it happening again. Am I getting screwed or am I right in assuming 15% is good for this type of situation.

Any thing that i should know ahead of time?? 🫣 What it's like ? Used to be in bakery as a sup for 2 years! So i have knowledge about food safety etc

just got hired for a flex shopper role at a high volume store. i didn't realize the job was full-time when i applied... what are the odds that i can request to be changed to part-time? does anyone have any experience with this?

Was going into my benefits today and on July 13th my WEX and my HSA closed? I am still employed and did not authorize this. Has this happened to anyone else?

Of course people are gonna mostly post their bad experiences on their store on here but I’m always surprised reading other people’s situations with their stl or tl or another tm and how negative it can be. My store, being a 1.5m a week store with a lot of corporate eyes on us, is actually really lax and chill. All leadership is really helpful, the store leadership isn’t harsh or unfair and always seem to be on the team members side. (They’ve saved my ass before and also pushed me toward success in the business) is this a rare experience at Whole Foods?

How hard is it to get into Whole Foods ?
I have a full time job as a admin during the mornings, so I’m just looking for a second job, an overnight job.
I filled applications for overnight stocking, locations PA and NJ.

I live in a state that has mandatory breaks when working over 4 hours, example: an 8 hour shift gets two 10 minute breaks and an unpaid 30 min lunch. In my store our TLs tell the TMs to skip breaks so most of our TMs do not get their breaks outside of their unpaid lunch breaks.

Our TMs are overworked as it is but to tell them or "greatly encourage" them to not take any breaks is in my opinion terribly cruel and wrong. Plus in my state at least, it is illegal, and yet it continues to happen all the time.

We have some elderly workers and some pregnant workers so they truly need these breaks even more so than everyone else (however everyone deserves their breaks) but are encouraged and sometimes told flat out they can't take a break except for lunch.

Also, if anyone dares take a break, our TLs time them as soon as they leave the dept, but I found out that is illegal as well because the break should not start until the TM reaches the designated break area. The time it takes to get to that area should not be counted toward the break time.

I know some people take advantage and slowly stroll the break area, but those individuals should be talked to about their behavior instead of punishing everyone else.

Does anyone else have this happening in your store?

Hello,

I applied to team trainer except I am hoping to get more than 5%. Is there anybody who's done this before?