A Smile in Every Aisle Required -OR- a Donald Trump, You're F! - Bakery Clerk Hy-Vee Employee Review

2.0
29 July 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Close, Majority of co-workers pleasant, Competitive wages, Pre-work Training

Cons

"Smile in Every Aisle" Required... or a Donald TRUMP - You're F! Sadly watched co-workers fall in the line of duty or cry for being singled out for minor infraction of not smiling enough. On the plus side - Majority of co-workers are pleasant & the do offer competitive wages. Additionally there was good pre job training, yet not much in the way of in the actual position hired for - training. Have gained a new perspective & appreciation through the eyes of an employee. High hopes were quickly dashed. Bakery clerk in reality consisted of cleaning in the bakery w/ 10% bakery clerk duties - for me. Seemed to be those with age under their belt were assigned bulk of cleaning consistently. Never got as filthy/dirty working in HK, as in working in this role. Fine mist -to- full spray soaks from bakers cleaning hands soaks you down for the duration of a "part timer's" 8-10 hour shifts. IF you enjoy working in a wet undergarments (literally) topped with a wet shirt,wet jacket, wet apron & wet dress pants - may be the job for you. If OK going from wet, hot & humid conditions to the freezer appeals - apply! If you enjoy standing hunched over a lower sink as a dishwasher, + the repetitive motion of lifting HEAVY bakery equipment FREQUENTLY, strong guys stated they were "too heavy," cleaning off dried on flour/water, & dough proves a challenging. +, lifting heavy trash into the trash compactor. Beside the no water policy on the floor except the kind you can slip on, breaks are few & far between? 8-10 hour shifts & lucky IF allowed 15 and you have to ASK several times when closer to end of shift. 'Cause PT & scheduled for 6 hour shifts. There is failure to recognize WATER is ESSENTIAL. Arrive HYDRATED! They don't HAVE to provide a break unless under a certain age, though its recommended. Some PT work slightly less than FT so no benefits. The bi-weekly schedule=figment of someone's imagination, always provided last moment before start of the new week. unable to make any plans or make appointments unless put in a VACA request. If scheduled until a specific time on any given day, may be working 3-4 hours later. Letting others know what they're signing up for, & are getting themselves into beforehand. Job description & the real job are 2 very different things. Loophole of "other duties as assigned." While a pleasant atmosphere on the SURFACE, have experienced behind the scenes 1st hand.

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Pros

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Cons

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1.0
19 June 2026
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Pros

Paid breaks. Can be lazy and get the same pay as a hard worker.

Cons

Your high efforts are not rewarded. Benefits only include the time you put into retail that can be considered experience. Although you have the title for a specific position you will still be forced to complete tasks of another position. Although I was a checker, I was also put on hot food line, samples, cart duty, cleaning bathrooms, cleaning spills, watching self check out, stocking, and many more. Any sense of enjoyment with other coworkers gets shut down quick by management. Availability can be ignored by management. Lots of drama with coworkers. No penalty for inappropriate and unprofessional work. Management cares about business more than employees even though it is “employee owned”.

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