Whole Foods Employee Reviews

5.0

Cashier/Customer Service (Former Employee)

16.11.2022, Job Location: Jacksonville, FL

This was the first job in awhile that I looked forward to waking up and going to they have a great floor staff for the most part and I didn't mind the bagging the thing that gets me is the way management makes it a point to rub in your face that they are management.

I was pulled off the floor in the middle of ringing up customers to discuss and sign a probation letter about showing up as if I am in high school instead of waiting for my break that was literally 30 minutes later smh by a person who didn't even know my name and it's sad really that is the atmosphere that they give to new employees when you have some who takes hour lunches come when they want and don't even smile or interact with customers.

I am not in school with wholefoods nor am I a child and shouldn't be treated as such I've had real life happenings and they come at me with a tardy tract while I'm in the middle of doing my job that could have waited for my break which was in 30 minutes or the end of my shift.

You don't pull someone off the floor while they have customers to "throw your weight around" that clearly could have waited and not something you do such as making a person feel talked down upon and expect them to just go back out on the floor in a good head space to deal with customers.

As customer service you should display courtesy and understanding to your employees as well because no one should have to deal with loudly being called away on something in front of customers for something that could have waited on my break or end of shift ya know when I have time to process or not dealing with customers. To me it seemed like a power trip and I don't have time for those nor do they have a place in a professional setting while dealing with others.

I drive 30 miles 60 including the ride to my home not to be reprimanded and talked down upon but to do my job.

2.0

Store Support Supervisor (Front End Supervisor) (Current Employee)

5.10.2022, Job Location: Bellingham, WA

If you’re looking to go into leadership the environment changes significantly. The expectations on you will be high but the reward will be minimal, you will be under a lot of stress when your Team Members need time off or you are facing staffing shortages (or both), and you will probably still be struggling to pay your rent at the same time.

Team leadership makes entry level positions great, you are supported and even to an extent coddled within the company guidelines, you will have folks who are interested in your growth and progression because they need good people to take some of the extensive load off of their shoulders, you will learn a lot and gain many mentors, and it is extremely difficult to get terminated.

Stay for the slow pace, leave for the advancement. Leadership positions are likely the worst compensated positions within the company when it comes to the workload.

2.0

Team Member (Former Employee)

8.9.2022, Job Location: Tennessee

A job at Whole Foods is a job at Whole Foods - the actual work is fine and it's an overall good company. However, having worked at multiple Whole Foods stores, this one in particular is mismanaged. They refuse to give you a regular weekly schedule, and there's really no excuse for that - the reason is because it's apparently too hard for the people in charge to balance so many employees, although many large stores can handle this just fine.

You will start at 5PM one day and 5AM the next, they don't care. There are far too many supervisors in this store, each gives different instructions and directions and they don't communicate with eachother. Team meetings were not allowed because of the pandemic, which probably was not the best choice for a store to run smoothly. Low pressure job though, cool coworkers and not entirely unpleasant.

2.0

Team Member/Cashier (Former Employee)

3.8.2022, Job Location: South Hills, PA

When I first started working for Whole Foods, I really enjoyed the job. Management and other team members were always supportive and helpful, and you never had to worry about being left to your own devices to complete a task or address a problem you weren't equipped to handle. Training was thorough and extensive.

Unfortunately, the work environment has been on a gradual decline to the point where many of my coworkers, and eventually myself, had to quit due to stressful working conditions and unfair treatment which took a toll on my mental health. Turnover rates kept going up and up. Constantly understaffed and overworked, constant drama between coworkers and team members, favoritism, and any and all concerns voiced to management fell on deaf ears. The break system was modified to minimize pay and actual length of breaks. We were monitored down to the minute and micromanaged to such an absurd extreme. I watched my normally happy and friendly coworkers all become miserable and tired every single day, counting the minutes until closing time.

The presence of Amazon and their online grocery ordering system made things so much worse. It was barely managed or monitored, with constant technical errors, and problems related to Amazon were constantly pushed onto front end management to handle when it wasn't their responsibility. Front end management is stretched so thin between grocery orders and constant Amazon package returns that they barely have time to address their own department's needs.

I recently had a conversation with a former co-worker who informed me things have gotten so bad that they're allowing employees to work 80 hour weeks and pick up shifts in any department because they are so horribly understaffed.

With the state of things now, stay far away from Whole Foods. The decent pay and benefits may be enticing, but it's not at all worth the stress and a horribly draining work environment .

4.0

Customer Service Supervisor (Former Employee)

13.7.2022, Job Location: Metuchen, NJ

It's a grocery store. If you can handle customer service then it is as any other in the field. That said, the company culture for internal advancement is very good. I started as a janitor and within two years received two promotions until I settled on my Supervisor role before leaving the company.

tl;dr As with any retail job it is brutal. If its something you can handle then they offer good advancement pathways.

1.0

Cashier and Specialty Team Member (Former Employee)

27.6.2022, Job Location: Wayne, NJ

This company is extremely numbers based and doesn’t respect its employees, many managers in ATL and above positions don’t do any work.

By far one of the most toxic work environments i’ve unfortunately had to work in. Management and coworkers will talk harshly & negatively about you to other employees above or below. Hr doesn’t step in, issues were handled on a store level with no real or lasting results.

No respect to availability or consideration in scheduling, there were many times I closed at 9:30 pm and was expected to be at work at 6:45-7:45 am the following day, along with being scheduled 6-7 days in a row.

The company is extremely strict on call outs and attendance, with long periods of time required to pass in order to clear your record of write ups and infractions.

Write ups are written for the stupidest reasons, there is a MULTIPLE page sheet of everything you can be written up for within the handbook. Discrimination and serious favoritism from higher ups.

Customers are not any better, very pretentious and impatient. Pay is not worth the work, and your mental health.

1.0

Cook/Prep (Former Employee)

12.6.2022, Job Location: Streeterville, IL

What is the best part of working at the company?
Your coworkers and that it can be an easy job

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Management. Very unprofessional, most of my department was constantly talked down to, mocked, treated like children, laughed at, etc. all by supervisors/management. The department manager knew this was going on and did absolutely nothing about it.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Toxic and hostile. It's easy to find some team members that are really awesome people and who can make your shifts fun, but also easy to find some of the worst most hateful careless management you've ever seen.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Clock in and make a list of what you need to do that day based on how the department looks. Do your job while picking up the slack from other lazy team members that don't do their work. While doing that, have your bosses literally bully you for no reason. Clock out, do it again tomorrow.

2.0

Prepared Foods Department (Current Employee)

1.6.2022, Job Location: Massachusetts

The company prides itself on being a more egalitarian style of leadership, referred to as "conscious leadership". If you are coming from a company with a traditional management style, you would do well to study this style of leadership before deciding if the company is for you.

This is especially true if you come in to a middle management position. There is no longer any specific training for outside candidates for these positions so you are thrown into a double learning curve.

With AMAZON having acquired the company several years ago, things have not improved to say the least. Stores have lost all their autonomy, and ability to make creative decisions in order to satisfy their specific customer base.

Employee morale is at an all time low. Team members are over worked and under paid yet are expected to maintain an extreme stoic loyalty to leadership and the company. Add to equation the unique ability for your employees to "vote you out" with in the first 90 days and it is a recipe for failure if you come from outside.

4.0

Various Positions (Former Employee)

8.5.2022, Job Location: Longmont, CO

I worked at Whole Foods for six months as a cashier, but also had duties in the cash office. I had the opportunity to be promoted, but unfortunately at the 5 month mark, as I was moving next month I couldn’t continue with that opportunity.

You definitely end up doing more work and tasks that aren’t disclosed when you’re hired so sometimes I felt overworked, but it wasn’t terrible. Weekdays tended to be slow when working as a cashier so at least you had some side work to do.

When you have a closing shift, the store closes at nine and even if you get everything you need to be done quickly, you’re not allowed to clock out until 10pm or you’ll be written up. Managers and supervisors were very supportive but they were short staffed to they tended to extend my hours per week more than i would’ve liked. I would work 9-10 hour shifts and still only get 2 15 min breaks and 30 mins UNPAID for my lunch.

Overall, it’s not a terrible place to work. They’re just typically understaffed because a lot of cashiers are just there veryyyy part time as a job while in college.

1.0

Whole Body Team Member (Former Employee)

12.4.2022, Job Location: Oregon

Once upon a time this may have been an okay place to work. Now, with Amazon ownership, this is a temporary spot for those looking for "real" jobs elsewhere. I would never encourage anyone to plant roots here or attempt to have an actual career here.

You may be valued by your coworkers, but you will never be valued by "Corporate." People's positions at WFM are regularily eliminated with little to no warning. I was employed there for six years. There were several employees I met who had invested years there, and when their positions were eliminated (because corporate profit and efficiency are the only actual values) were told they could stay on as cashiers, or take large pay cuts at other entry level positions.

Managers ("Team Leaders) are given impossible workloads. There are ridiculous pay discrepencies caused by the pay rate in place at the time you were hired. In other words, a brand new, inexperienced employee could be earning more than someone who has been with the company for years. This place should be avoided by anyone except those seeking a temporary job.

The Amazon philosophy is that human employees are disposable.

1.0

In-Store Shopper (Former Employee)

13.2.2022, Job Location: Alpharetta, GA

When they say they’re flexible they’re lying.

Schedules are posted 2 weeks in advance and are strict and pretty impossible to change. Working at Whole Foods was a terrible experience, I had no social life because I was working pretty much every day for 8 hours when I was only supposed to be part time, yet another downfall of their strict schedule.

Not only that but employees (specifically the Avalon location) are too comfortable being unprofessional especially to young women like me. Breaks are also very short and scheduled for you. I only lasted 3 months at the job because it was so demanding and I rarely had time off, when I did I was doing school.

Another thing is some people are payed significantly higher for no said reason for doing the exact same job. They also micromanage and track basically your every move so if you like everything I listed the job would be great for you!

2.0

Full-time Dishwasher (PM) (Former Employee)

25.1.2022, Job Location: San Diego, C

At first it was a nice job, with lots of positive feedback from the team and fringe benefits for employees, especially the free food.

Very soon into my employment, I started getting duties that were never mentioned in the ads and interviews dropped on me (especially the rotisserie machine), staff and management started being replaced in droves, and the work environment became hostile and oppressive.

The work became stressful and exhausting for all the wrong reasons (poor organization, lack of help, poor quality equipment, etc.), support from the rest of the team was virtually non-existent, policies would change on a near-daily basis, equipment was breaking down CONSTANTLY, and the schedules ensured that any time not spent at work was spent preparing for work.

For a company with as respectable a reputation as this, I am sorry to say it was a lousy experience that I would not repeat given the chance.

3.0

Front End Store Support Sanitation Maintenance Worker (Former Employee)

31.12.2021, Job Location: Honolulu, HI

I worked at the Queens WFM location in Honolulu as a housekeeping TM. To work in WFM you gotta be fast leg and reliable or dependable. Employees will have point systems for late/tardy, call outs or NCNS.

As Maintenace worker I help everyone in every department also to offer help whenever I know they need help or if they ask me even if it's not in my job description because Its nice to help people and everyone who works at WFM are awesome (we all help each other).

Managers are nice but they expect too much in my opinion like I have 2 legs 2 hands there will always be problems that slow you down and managers expects you to finish the daily cleaning and gleason log for every hour so I bustass the downfall is when I worked too fast and hard and somehow got injured that caused me to quit the job.

This is a great job and I highly encourage job seekers to apply because its $15 an hour and you work with good people but keep in mind you gotta be able to work fast even if your body is in pain.

2.0

Buyer (Former Employee)

30.10.2021, Job Location: Westwood, CA

The company as a whole is awesome. I can’t find another company that will pay as much as they do without a degree. In the three years I was with the company I met only 3 leaders who led by example. I’ve seen people get let go for not wearing PPE while others got a corrective counseling for sleeping on the job.

It just all depends on whether store leadership likes you or not. This company does not reward based on merit and they do not operate ethically.

1.0

Prep Foods Team Member (Current Employee)

4.10.2021, Job Location: Columbus, OH

At Easton Whole foods I work in the prepped foods department. The Leadership is uninspiring/lazy/unintelligent and come to get a check and leave. They don't micromanage but they do not care about you in the least.

I got written up when they changed my schedule without me knowing when the schedule was already posted, not good practice. I've had worse jobs but If you like a job where you feel some what important or have a fun group of people to work for stay away. People here do not like their job but they go everyday and never make a change.

Complacent people who are older and no fun to work with.

3.0

Bakery Team Member (Former Employee)

16.9.2021, Job Location: Jacksonville, FL

There was a list of tasks to be distributed among team members of my department and done every day, which was satisfying to check off as I went along.

Assisting customers and other employees from inside and outside of my department spaced these tasks out, and that was basically Groundhog Day. Management organized things very well, and made a little effort to be "caring" on a surface level, but only to the extent that it kept the cogs of the bigger machine working.

Physical and mental health were not always acknowledged as being important unless it was a blatant "no-no" such as handling food while sick with the flu.

The tasks were all menial, and customers were typically easy to help and respond to, so the hardest part of working there was simply the aforementioned "Groundhog Day" of it all. It's a job for robots, and aside from missing a handful of coworkers, I'm glad that I no longer work there.

4.0

Grocery Team Member (Current Employee)

26.8.2021, Job Location: Beaverton, OR

The only down side to the company is the medical insurance. It's not the worst, but not the greatest. Most people that I have worked with are friendly.

Management is better and more fair than most places. I have personally never seen any favoritism at either location that I have worked at. Overall I would definitely recommend this company to anyone that enjoys working grocery retail.

Store management (leadership), is very caring and understanding about your personal life and wants to make sure you come to work as your best self everyday. The company has great programs for helping people with, mental health, financial advice and so much more.

After telling them about my problems outside of work that was also affecting my work, they told me about my options as a teammember and I got myself on the right track. Most companies claim that they are this way, but really they just want to find the weakest link and get them to quit rather than help them.

5.0

Front End Supervisor (Former Employee)

10.8.2021, Job Location: St. San Francisco, CA

Whole foods late 80's, houston tx. (Shepherd store) w. Alabama ave. Started out in the sweet dream dept. Then became a 'meathead'(butcher) learned how to cut meat.Learned the trade of butchering.

Then moved to front-end cashiering dept. Whre I studiex the art of customer service. Whole foods gave me the power to make split decisions on making a guests experience better if within my means to do so. Embodied with this company taking a chance on me and my imagination allowed the art of sincerity to balance my confidence within myself and the company I grew to believe in. Touch, taste, sound and smells are the key stones to whole foods success.

The capture all your known senses the moment you step onto the glazed floor to the thoughtful less invasive lighting throughout the dwelling. The attention to detail noticed right away with the organization of the every orange, apple, cucumber. ... In produce.

That detailing taught me how important such significance may one feel while shopping there. The detail may guest feel the importance was done for them which transfered to the importance of the specialized care given to all products allowed on to the shelves. Had to pass strict guidelines in order to be healthy enough for our guest.

One thing in life I know for sure. The love of my family and I know the essence of giving sincere service to guest/customers. Willingly.

That's what made whole foods family, I willingly found my comfort in serving others. Whole foods not only taught me that but, gave plenty of examples why it was so confortable to be at work feeling like I was home instead of work. And for those notions, I am forever grateful and will continue to pass those lessons on in every job I take to task.

2.0

Seafood Associate (Former Employee)

21.7.2021, Job Location: Ann Arbor, MI

They try telling you that they value their employees, that you're more than just a number. However they are ruled by Amazon now, and the numbers are all that matter.

The "we're in this together" mentality only applies if you follow management blindly without having an opinion of your own. The second you disagree with anything management says they will find whatever minor infraction they can and slap you with a disciplinary action that automatically negates any raise you've earned and stops you from applying for any other job in the company for a year.

All of that despite a year of going above and beyond and never missing a shift while working full time during a global pandemic. Work here if you want, but know that you're only one wrong move away from disappearing.

2.0

Cashier (Former Employee)

1.7.2021, Job Location: Tucson, AZ

Flexible job during school, for the most part. However, after COVID the company implemented many random rules and regulations that just gave management a frenzy of control. Front end Team Leaders lean towards the end of micro managing. You will never be right and will be dismissed.

Open door policy is more of a formality. No room for growth unless you follow every order without question or critical thinking. You must be a robot with no opinion essentially. Most of the time you are left without support. Good luck relaxing with a 10 minute break as a cashier as well. I'd suggest any department except cashier/Customer service.

5.0

Whole Foods Market Meat and Sea Food Team Member (Former Employee)

11.6.2021, Job Location: Cedar Park, TX

My experience:
I started off part-timing in the kitchen as the salad guy. It was a 3.75/5 fast passed environment. (1 being slow, barely doing anything, 5-barely humanly possible. But most people can get used to it in 3 months if they are motivated.

I wanted a change of pace, so I went to the Meat and Seafood Department (They were together because my store was different.) Same speed as in kitchen but we got short-staffed. We had to work faster for a while, untill we got a rhythm going.

Work Culture:
You will succeed if you work as hard as everyone else that has been there. Everyone is courteous and friendly. You an always come to the managers if you have an issue. Overall a great place to work.

3.0

Team Trainer/Shift Manager - Management (Current Employee)

18.5.2021, Job Location: Philadelphia, PA

At my location, it all depended on the team, and the leader group. the grocery team cycled through team leaders so fast, it was called the "grocery curse". the only time store leadership wanted to talk to me was when i was discussing work with another person of color which made everything so uncomfortable.

Team leaders just sit up in the office if you don't force them to come down and work with the rest of their employees.
if you're luck enough to go to a smaller team, you'll have better luck getting the support you need to make it through the day.

After a year the whole keep your head down and just do your job mentality becomes insanity inducing.

2.0

Team Leader (Current Employee)

23.4.2021, Job Location: New York, NY

Whole Foods has been undergoing a massive culture change over the last ten years. The original company leaders, and the culture that was built into the store, has increasingly taken a back seat as a new group of leaders has been brought in.

More and more it feels like the values of the company are gutted- recycling and composting is advertised, but it's almost entirely not-implemented. Local Product is highlighted across the entire store, but then shelves are stocked with 90% of the space only going to companies who can sign contracts to fulfill the entire company on a global scale.

When I started the company placed a priority on balancing culture and operations- admittedly, maybe a little too much on culture. but Team members were invested in, training was ran by people who they knew and who checked in on their growth. Growth was nurtured by personal connection and customers were interacted with on a personal level, with team members who had the training to speak knowledgably to the products that they sold. Teams had the time to learn product and advocate for them in a meaningful way.

The pendulum has definitely swung though- these days, everything is rote, automated, dumbed down, and standardized. I don't feel any investment in the community in which I work- when 6 years ago, we sponsored and donated to multiple community organizations every month.

I get that we're investing in meeting a larger audience, and that by growing the business we move the industry further. but how it seems to me, someone who's been a leader in this company across multiple departments and stores, is that we're constantly compromising our own values for the sake of growth and reaching that larger audience, which ultimately dilutes the impact- and where I work, it feels diluted to the point of meaninglessness.

I don't know what the long term effect of this will be. I don't know if there will be a re-investment in culture after the operations get to a place the executive leaders want it to be- (which I doubt we'll ever reach that-I imagine we'll constantly be chasing ever more efficiency, lean operating, and low labor solutions at the expense any other criteria), but I do know now, at least at the store level, things feel gutted and without culture.

People are overworked by targets that seem impossible to meet and that they don't understand. The shopping experience has fallen through the floor ( at least in my store) teams are unmotivated, underdeveloped, and leadership asked to do so much simultaneously that they don't have the time to invest in learning and mentoring their team.

It's become a sad place to work.

2.0

Store Associate (Former Employee)

3.4.2021, Job Location: Commack, NY

Company lacks directive, has no order or structure. Their "core values" and culture is fake, the employees do not interact with one another. Since there is practically no management you are all alone, very relaxed.

Job is extremely boring. Product is over-ordered because they like to ensure that the product is "always there", yet the waste every day and expired product on shelf, is thrown out, I mean "donated". Amazon shoppers are extremely rude, back room is loaded with items on shelves ("steels") that sit for long periods of time if not properly rotated and while being extremely unorganized.

Logos on masks (which includes the american flag) or clothing are not allowed for political purposes. Terrible and extremely disrespectful to the country that our own flag cannot be worn proudly. Meanwhile they sell political magazines at the registers, that are leaned towards a specific party and candidate.

Despite pretty good and flexible hours, and $15 pay I would avoid. Raises are every six months at 4% max (which is only 60 cents @ $15 dollars) and is terrible. You will go nowhere with this company.

If it wasn't for Amazon and their hired shoppers I don't know how this store would stay in business. Workers come and go often.