A Target manager named Michael says he was told he was one of 8,000 full-time specialists and team leaders who would be demoted to part-time. Understandably bitter, he says Target is cutting cost at the probable expense of customer service.

He writes:

Target has just eliminated the Specialist and Team Lead positions at its stores. Basically the departments are no longer going to be run by competent people anymore, just whoever can get the job done the cheapest. This means downgrading 8,000 full time employees to part-time status. I was informed of that today I was one of those people.

The people they are letting go are the top performers and have been there the longest. We are the only people who know where things are.

We were never paid by commission or for sales.

Here’s some information from the e-mail that they sent to various Store Managers…

I just got off the phone with our ETL-HL. I requested off today so I missed the meeting. Interestingly enough our STL didn’t tell ANYONE (be they exec or anyone else) in the store about these changes until today. So ETL-HL gave me a call to let me know what I missed.

Pretty much just said specialist titles are gone and core roles of some front end team members are changing. We are losing 1 more TL.

Interesting little detail was that our ETL-HR apparently got an email (which was sent out company wide) with some guidelines HR needs to follow for the next few months.

Basically all current specialists are to be told that they will continue to perform as they have been. They will continue to be scheduled 40 hours.

It directed HR to hire at least 1-2 more team members for every area which will be trained to perform the core roles of current specialists. (so for example – each store should have 2 or 3 TMs trained in handling MMB roles, electronics, shoes, etc)

Apparently the email went on to say that HR will receive another email within 3-4 months directing stores to reduce current specialist hours to below 32 hours a week. Reason being the company wants to get all the current specs in the company OFF the full time benefits plans to reduce cost. (i.e. health insurance, etc)

Once that happens the extra team members that have been trained are supposed to be scheduled along with the current specs to fulfill the needs of the departments. So basically current specialists will become part time and will “share” the department with other trained TMs.

Even though the email said it was just to get them off the full time benefits…. My personal opinion is that this sounds like a plan to get replacement team members in place, then piss off all the current specs (making much higher wages) enough to quit…. thus a bunch of current specs will be replaced all around the company with part time entry level pay.

Current and former Target Team Members: What do you think the effects will be for customers?

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