In a remarkable incident, the entire workforce of a Dollar General store in Mineral Point, Wisconsin, quit at the same time due to concerns over pay, work hours, the company’s donation policy, and their overall treatment. On 9 March, none of the six staff members, including the manager Trina Tribolet, showed up to open the store, leaving behind handmade signs thanking customers and explaining the reasons for their resignation.
The signs read, “We quit! Thank you to our amazing customers. We love and will miss you!” and “The whole team has walked away due to a lack of appreciation, being overworked and underpaid”. Another sign elaborated on their dismay with the company’s policies, processes, and procedures, stating, “We will not work for a company that does not stand behind in true honest form of what they want the world to see them as”.
The primary reason for the mass resignation was a disagreement over Dollar General’s donation policy. The company requires employees to discard items approaching the expiration date or those that the store no longer sells. However, employees had been labeling items as damaged and donating them to community members instead. When corporate discovered this workaround, they instructed employees to stop, leading to their decision to quit.
Dollar General’s donation policy has been a point of contention for employees, as they believe it prevents them from helping those in need. The company has donated nearly 7,500 pounds of food to local food banks in Wisconsin over the past twelve months, but employees argue that the policy is too restrictive and does not allow for adequate donations.
The store was closed for three hours after the walkout and has since reopened with new or transplanted staff. The company has released a statement expressing its commitment to providing an environment where employees can grow their careers and feel valued and heard.
This incident highlights the growing frustration among employees over pay, work hours, and company policies. As the “Great Resignation” continues, companies must address these concerns to retain their workforce and maintain a positive reputation.