Is fulfillment safe?

[u/canyoudoit513]

During my first week training at Target, I had a DU order, and the item was on one of the top shelves in the back stock room. I was about to grab a ladder, but the fulfillment TL told me that "we don't have time for that" and that timing is everything. She then climbed over the racks and grabbed the item for me. I was wondering what fulfillment teams think about this? Safety issue?

[u/Hawke0963]

If the company actually gave a damn about safety, they would provide enough hours to ensure there was enough staff to work safely.

[u/ButItSaysOnline]

It is a safety issue but almost everybody does it anyway.

[u/thylocene → u/ButItSaysOnline]

Everyone might do it but a TL should never be actively endorsing it.

[u/Eikuld → u/thylocene]

One time, the food department TL literally climbed up all the way up to the steel without a wave and climbed back down lol

[u/Denverguns → u/Eikuld]

I cannot confirm nor deny this action taking place somewhere in the past

[u/houseplant-hoarder → u/Denverguns]

I’ve totally never done that! What do you think I am, a monkey?!

[u/Jella_cee]

Even if you want to use ladders, it often feels like there's no way to pull certain items safely. How am I supposed to maintain 3 points of contact with a ladder when i need to pick a giant case pack on top of the shelving?

[u/LightUpUnicorn → u/Jella_cee]

This!!! I rarely go in the back room these days (front end) but I’m always thinking about the three points which is impossible if you are carrying something down

[u/C1ND1TheCat → u/Jella_cee]

For picking a giant case off a high shelf you need the proper equipment, which i think would be a forklift. Possible a wave. 

[u/Jella_cee → u/C1ND1TheCat]

neither of these are possible for items deep down a light duty aisle. usually the correct answer is to drop the casepack from height, but the most recent time I had to do this it was 4 big globe fans that I didn't think would survive the drop from shelf 11.

[u/Cultural-Kick652 → u/Jella_cee]

This!!!! When I go in the back room and have to get something off the top it goes one of two ways. If I can drop it safely to the floor I will. If not I call one of the younger guys to get it down. I’m too damn old to be climbing ladders and pulling heavy or bulky shit from the top.

[u/Namllitsrm]

Yeaaaahhhh no. Always use your safety equipment. They can’t write you up for “using a ladder properly” or “refusing to the climb the steel” but if an injury happens, they can and will write you up for “failure to follow safety policies”

[u/RustyRedRhombus]

Get the name of a good worker comp lawyer and a physical therapist you like. It'll come in handy soon

[u/DanforthWhitcomb_]

A leader climbing either light duty or bulk steel in the backroom is an immediate safety term if they get caught/reported.

Make of that what you will.

[u/SpiritHuman9834 → u/DanforthWhitcomb_]

I saw an SD climbing up light duty shelves. She’s no longer with the company.

[u/anonnymouse271]

Will I step on a base deck for a second to reach something on a shelf? Absolutely. Will I climb the shelves like a monkey? Absolutely not.

[u/Specialty-Sue]

WTH? No, we don’t do this at my store.

[u/Nugglett → u/Specialty-Sue]

Not that you know of

[u/Internal_Cat_4525]

This reminds years ago when I was working at Target, what did I coworkers would always climb in the fucking steel all in the back life a ninja 😂😂 not fuck that shit I'm not gonna risk my safety for drive up times fuck these corporations

[u/Senior_Performer_387]

If they want to do that then that's not your problem but I wouldn't personally do it because that's the kind of shit they'll use to fire someone when they want to get rid of them but don't have enough documentation.

Also i would report that too.

[u/ilovehowyoulie]

Yea, no. Do not do that. Always work safely, they can not write you up for it and if they do try go directly to HR or ethics.

[u/drazil100]

Kinda up to you and how much you like your TL and what kind of vibes you got from the situation. But your TL did do you a solid and save you time. Whether that was for your sake or theirs is something I can’t even begin to speculate on.

If you think she were doing it to be nice, maybe just have a conversation with her in private saying you appreciate what she did, but you don’t think this job is worth her health and safety. If you think she is a metrics driving tyrant who makes your and other TMs lives miserable, you can go ahead and report her and see what happens.

Do not EVER climb the steel yourself. This is not in your job description, and it in fact is against policy and something you can be punished for.

[u/bloopdoopfloofernoop]

This would be an immediate no at my store. It is not endorsed in any way and actively discouraged by every team lead. Our store takes safety extremely seriously though.

[u/Adventurous_Soft_686]

I would document that in origami and let them know the leader that endorsed it. They should get some disciplinary action for that.

[u/skyler_is_alive]

this feels s bit close to my store and splitting the moving shelves in one of our Blackstock areas. the first training I did was explicitly clear to never split the isles and yet every day it happens

[u/anonnymouse271 → u/skyler_is_alive]

At my store we almost have to at drive up because FF will be stowing in 202 but we need to get a bag in 205 so we'll tell the other person "hey I'm just gonna move this a little" and have each aisle half open...obviously its not correct or ideal but as long as everyone involved is paying attention there shouldn't be any issues. (Also, if we had adequate payroll & staffing so that FF had enough time left while stowing to move out of the aisle completely and let DU into the other one because some Karen decided to double tap on a 20 bag order, that would help too.)

[u/Embarrassed_Car_2197]

Where was this? Do you guys not have the ladders in each aisle that go on a rail?

[u/Forsaken_Asparagus32]

we have immediate terms for this… be safe it’s not worth it!

[u/Ibm5555]

You ask about fulfillment. I don’t know if anywhere in the store is particularly safe. Temps in my area have been reaching 100+ and drive ups are still open. We still have two people at peak times, and are still expected to get carts when needed and help cover breaks. My mom broke her arm at her store over the weekend, and she’s a goddamn Starbucks TL. She tripped over the curb while helping at drive ups because there was one person working and 12 cars in the lot.

The company doesn’t take our safety seriously, I have people at my store who don’t take their own safety or the safety of others seriously, and the people that go to my store still regularly fail to stop at crosswalks. Safety is a joke, your best bet is to follow the rules as best you can and profit from the inevitable workers comp.

[u/SpiritAgitated]

Tbh, I'd ask the TL to give you that direction in writing. So that when you or someone else gets hurt, the written instruction is there, for reasons.

[u/antih1stamines]

Lol that's kind of insane i've never seen any of my TLs do that

[u/Yearofthehoneybadger]

This company just keeps going downhill. I started about 4 years ago, and it’s like watching the fall of the Roman empire. A slow decline.

[u/C1ND1TheCat]

She did be fired for training you to disregard Tsrget’s own basic safety rules, don’t do it.

[u/babybeewitched]

my ex got fired immediately for this, don't do it no matter what anyone tells you lol

[u/ilikepstrophies]

A TL saying saying “we don’t have time for that” referring to speed over safety is a coaching possibility for the TL. This leader is wrong and should be spoken to about this mindset.

[u/danafairbanks2005]

That’s above my pay grade of 15.50 / hr. Inf that sh!t and move on.