Pros
A gym where they pay you Lots of tasks in the center let you work up a sweat and move different sets of muscles. And you can move among them within a single shift. Melting pot Co-workers from around the world and across generations working together in relative harmony. I miss my foreign-born co-workers, from whom I learned a lot. Introvert paradise You can work for days without saying having to say a word to anyone. Or anyone saying anything to you, except for a smile or head shake greeting. Pay parity The people who direct you get the same hourly rate as you do (but some additional perks). Pay is decent for those without many skills or experience. Rugged, retro technology Machines and software built for reliability, not innovation. Downtime rare and backup options abundant. Opportunity Options (with limits) for overtime and additional shifts. Support for college and family care. Stock awards.
Cons
Ask and they will deceive Simple "why do we do it this way" questions of management met with shoulder shrugs and pat, vague answers - or outright lies. Gross inefficiency and morale-killing perverse incentives Scanner tools and cash incentives discourage rather than encourage broad-scale individual performance and improvement because they advantage people performing certain functions. Improvement resources inadequate Employees waste hours wandering around looking for locations and resources that shift regularly. No on-the-floor guides or maps to update employees about the changes. Line supervisors often as clueless about them as sorters. Inconsistent rules Early-release opportunities communicated different ways and at different times each day, with secret offers to some groups/individuals. Some techniques encourage workers to break company rules against cell phone use during shifts. Biased scanner-based feedback system Employees must answer three survey questions that appear on their scanner before the device becomes functional. The opening screen of responses includes only positive choices. Negative responses require tapping multiple keys and scrolling. Limited remedial training Supervisors respond when scanners indicate repeated errors. But there are no onsite tutorials or manuals employees can consult to answer their own questions or learn new techniques. And easily correctable pallet-building errors frustrate other employees but are rarely addressed. Standups are a downer Leaders spout stock safety and quality messages during meetings at shift starts that are handed to them by superiors and repeated incessantly. No visuals, no time for Q&A, lots of jargon that means nothing to most. No translation for employees with weak English understanding.
