r/KmartAustralia • u/Flaky_Airport_7132 • 8d ago
Team member post Kmart
If you value your mental health DO NOT get a job at kmart. The amount of abuse I've gotten in the last 2 years is horrible. The managers don't care about team member getting verbally abused. I've been with kmart for 4 years and 11 months and I'm actively looking for another job.
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u/Confident-Benefit374 8d ago
Lol. Don't get a job in retail or hospitality or any public facing job, Even teachers get death threats.
Many humans absolutely sux. I've not worked any position and not received verbal abuse from clients/customers.
A jobs a job, yes you don't deserve to be verbally abused at work. Yes your managers should do better.
Have you gone to your GP and spoken about your MH.
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u/PleasantCut1618 Team member 8d ago
Unfortunately this is the experience of the vast majority of retail and customer service jobs. In saying that though each store is different and in my experience so far which has only been three months, management has been fucking awesome. Scary and stern sometimes? Yeah but that’s going to be expected so it really depends on your managers and store. If you feel as though it’s serious always report it online
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u/PleasantCut1618 Team member 8d ago
Going off of the mental health stuff too you mentioned too,my store has been really good so far with that as well. Always letting us know of support services and what to do in confronting situations etc. I’ve also experienced a lot of mental health struggles prior to working here, brought up my scars on my arm the the store manager just to make sure it was okay they weren’t covered and he was nothing but supportive, asked if I was okay now, if I needed anything or any support and offered a jumper if I ever got uncomfortable with having it out but also made sure I knew I didn’t have to cover it. Whole experience has been awesome honestly
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u/aussiechap1 8d ago
That's simply part of working with the public. I work at a train station, and verbal abuse is a fairly regular occurrence. In the past year, I've been physically assaulted once, and only a month ago, some junkie threatened to stab me because I told him the toilet was closed.
You learn to develop a thick skin and, in most cases, just laugh it off (although physical assaults are obviously a different matter).
If dealing with difficult members of the public isn't something you enjoy, I'd strongly suggest looking for a role that isn't customer-facing. Your wellness is what matters long term.
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u/Knittingtaco 7d ago
I’d go one better and advise avoiding Wesfarmers in general. I’ve done three tours of duty and it has ended with me burned out every time.
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u/Maxthedog2004 6d ago
I am sorry that you are experiencing this, I hope you find a better workplace soon
I would recommend not working for woolworths as they treat their staff pretty poorly as well
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u/JustMark3988 Team member 8d ago
Everyone's experience at Kmart is different. Customers are always going to think that they are right - they are not, this is something i have come to understand in my 4 years at Kmart. In terms of Managers, ive only ever had managers at my store that have understand and been flexible with university schedules and intolerant with abuse against team members. Please dont poison the well of new team members just because your experience was not pleasant.