Working at Walgreens — Reviews by Employees

Pay - The pay, especially for the area I live in is great. I am currently in the EXA position and I'm making more than many of my friends, and fellow graduates even without having to go to college.

Respect - You get what you give. The managers I have worked for have all been great. The only quarrel I have with this category is the respect your co-workers give you. The employees who are there to just get paid and don't really care about the job are whom give the least amount of respect.

Benefits - They are not bad at all. The retirement which they have a guaranteed match of $2 for every dollar you put in up to 2% of your pay is very competative. You also get and extra amount based on their profits for the year. The two years I have been in it, the match has almost been a $3-1 match both years.

Job security - I would have rated this higher last year, but then they cut assistant managers hours. Now they recently announced cutting assistant manager positions across the board. They are not entirely eliminating it, only having 1-3 (from what I heard) based on a stores volume. They will be adding another position which takes over the customer assistant issues including phone calls, refunds, and exchanges.

Work/life balance - What do you expect for retail? Being an EXA and salaried I knew what I was getting myself into. I know I am going to have to work insane hours especially around the holidays. But what are you going to do? If you want to succeed you have prove yourself.

Career Potential/growth - I started out as a service clerk, went to photo, then HPS, then SIMSC, to Assistant all in under 2 years. Now just under another 2 years later I got promoted to EXA. The potential is out their if you are willing, and prove yourself so. They are still building Walgreens at a greater than average rate compared to other retail stores, so the positions are still going to be there.

Location - Can't complain, they have 3 within a 30 minute drive from me.

Co-worker Competence - This also rates with respect. You have co-workers who actually care about their jobs, and then you have the ones who only care about their checks. Any retail job you are in will have the same problem.

Work environment - Its great for being in retail. I'd rather work in a little Walgreens store, rather then a big warehouse like walmart.

OVERALL - I actually love my job. Retail of course isn't for everyone, but in my case, I enjoy it. I would recommend Walgreens for anyone who is currently working in retail and don't like their job. It is a company whom if you prove yourself and care about your job, you will get what you deserve. If you are only there to get your paycheck, and don't care/respect your job, I'm sure you will be like the people on here who post only negative comments about it.

i've been working at walgreens for about 6 months now. i only work part-time. i'll go ahead and go through the different ratings.

PAY.......... it's pretty good for the amount of work you have to actually do. on an average day, if you work the front register like i often do, all you have to do is stand there and scan items, occasionally clean something maybe. and i started at $7.75/hr.... sooo i'd say that's alright with me.

RESPECT........... even if they can be really frustrating, the assistant managers at my store are pretty cool most of the time and treat us all like real people. it's the store manager that seems to view all the employees as robots working to get his money. nobody is really mean, but you have to wonder if the store manager actually appreciates what you're doing.

BENEFITS.......... i don't work full-time so i don't really know anything about walgreens benefits. sorry.

JOB SECURITY.......... apparently it's very hard to get fired from walgreens once you've been there for a while and showed that you know what you're doing. there have been people not show up for shifts and not get fired, although i would not advise you to ever do this, because it probably depends on the management from store to store.

WORK/LIFE BALANCE......... obviously since i don't work a whole lot the work/life balance isn't a huge deal for me. but just from looking at the schedule, i can see that those working 35+ hours will do plenty of "turnarounds" which is where you leave the store at night after closing around 11pm and have to be back to open up again at 645am. so that sucks.

CAREER POTENTIAL/GROWTH.......... again, i don't really know a whole lot about this. but i have heard several people say (even in reviews on this site) that if you don't have a degree, you're not going anywhere.

LOCATION......... if i get all green lights, i live about 4 minutes away from my walgreens, so i really can't complain at all.

CO-WORKER COMPETENCE.......... this is going to vary from store to store. almost all of the employees at my store are awesome people who i'm really glad i met. some young, some old, high school, college, and beyond. all of them cool people. however, i've been to another walgreens a few minutes drive away and the people there don't look too exciting at all. so yeah, it depends.

WORK ENVIRONMENT......... i mean, it's a store. you have to stand the entire time so get used to that. it's not awful though like it may sound.

other things:
PHOTO......... if you are applying for the photo tech position, don't count on getting there right away. i applied for this position and when they hired me they were like, "yeah we're actually okay in photo, so we're going to start you up front so that you get used to the registers and then try to get you as many shifts in photo as we can," which was alright, but it took about 3 months for me to start being actually scheduled regularly in photo, and now six months later i am still in the system as a Service Clerk instead of a Certified Photo Specialist, which means i would get a raise. and it also means i haven't actually gotten the official training to use the gear, just been trained by the other employees. it's fine, i know how everything works for the most part, but it's just one of the many things they seem to just say, "we'll get around to it," and never do.

COUPONS......... get ready. the worst part about walgreens is the ccoouuppoonnss and the crazy people who try to take advantage of them so that they can get a basket full of items for next to nothing. i understand the benefits of finding a bargain, but deliberately trying to cheat the system with walgreens coupons is more like what you'll see on a regular basis. if you have a very short temper, this might cause a problem.

overall, this job isn't terrible.... but they're cutting down hours so i'm looking for something new and better. why are they cutting down hours? they hired too many people and now can't schedule everyone enough. i'd say the two worst things are the coupons and the management. there are plenty of things that you will see management do and think, "whyyyy!!!??" on the other hand, the two best things are the chances of meeting new friends, and getting paid a decent amount for a relatively easy job.

I'm an MGT with about 2 years experience.

I feel the pay and benefits are quite good. Seems we get paid a bit more in this neck of the woods, no doubt because the local market and cost of living demand it, but it's still pretty good in spite of that. While I wasn't happy about the overtime cut, it was a prudent thing to do given the economic circumstances. It was better than cutting our pay per hour, or laying people off like so many companies have done. Having said that, I do agree that ALL staff should share in the suffering (from MGRs to EXAs to RPhs to corporate), and it was wrong to give pharmacists a raise in this climate, if not in deed than at least in appearance. It was also wrong to give us such short notice. Poorly executed decision that unnecessarily pissed a lot of people off. Most of us are over it.

Before the events of the past year I'd have given job security and career potential a much higher score, but both have suffered as a result of "Rewiring for Growth". While I still think both are above average, there is no question that there are now fewer opportunities and more cause for concern. However, I think the opportunities are still there, but it may taker longer to find one. Growth has slowed and there are more people vying for fewer positions. Since I joined this company largely due to the great career advancement opportunities, I am disappointed by this. Do I blame Walgreens? Not really. They're doing what they have to to stay healthy and profitable, and that's in the best interest of all of us, even if it hurts us in the short term.

Location is one of the best things this comapny has going for it with a store in nearly every part of the country. If you ever wanted to transfer, you couldn't work at a better place except maybe McDonalds or Subway. My store is 10 minutes away. If I had to travel further to move up, that would make sense to me and be worth it. You have to go where the opportunities are, they won't always come to you. My MGR lives an hour away.

Respect is pretty good, both from my superiors, equals and those I supervise. Yes, there is gossip which I would condemn more strongly if I didn't sometimes engage in it. I do feel, however, that DMs and MGRs sometimes treat us like children. The work environment can be very negative, overwhelming and infuriating, especially at the holidays, which is most of the year (there's always one of the little buggers lurking around the corner, and it always seems to be cause for panic). There is a sense of urgency almost all the time, like the sky is always about to fall. This gets very very tiring and creates much stress and anxiety. It can be multi-tasking hell, like the guy in the circus who tries to keep all the plates spinning at once. Makes it very hard to enjoy the job as you can never relax. While I admire the company striving to be the best and get the most out of its people, there is a limit. We can often pay far too much attention to detail and seem to micromanage everything. This gets draining and overwhelming, and is one of the things I like least.

As for competence, I think there are a lot of poorly trained MGRs out there, and poorly trained people in general. In fact I think our training is horrible, esp. for MGTs. Nobody has the time to train subordinates properly, and the computer is a real poor substitute. Much of it is easily forgotten, esp. since much of it is seldom used in real life on the job. We need to do much better here. I would recommend more group training classes, which seem to pack the most punch and have the added benefit of creating camraderie. Yes, they are costly, but the benefit is huge.

Overall, I'm still giving the company the benefit of the doubt. It's like the stock market - you have to weather the ups and downs and look at the big picture. If you're in it for the long haul, I think this is a good company (and stock) to be with. But you have to be willing to ride out the storms. The sea will eventually calm and it will be clearer sailing. I'd give it another year. It's easy to complain, and some of it is justified. Much of it is not. Life, and work, is what you make it. Be the change you want to see in your store.

I have worked for Walgreens for awhile now and have to say that overall it is a good company to work for as long as you do your job and come to work as scheduled.

Pay: Pay can always be better, but in some positions, you can earn extra pay by selling promotional items. I think management gets a decent wage for retail, although I don't agree with their overtime hours getting taken away. Mgt's probably work the hardest in a store and deserve that extra 4 hours in overtime.

Respect: Most managers in my district give you the respect you deserve, that is a 2-way street, you have to give respect to get it. If you have a problem with management, speak to them directly, if that doesn't work then you can always talk to your distict manager and problem will be solved.

Benefits: This company gives 5 paid holidays, a special off day, 6 sick days a year that you can bank if not used, paid vacations, disability pay, profit sharing, insurance. Alot of companies don't offer alol of this anymore.

Job Security: That depends on your position, they are making cuts in higher up positions, and cutting hours depending on your store's sales or your departments productivity, so if your doing everything you can to make your department profitable, you won't have a problem.

Work/Life Balance: I don't have a problem with the balance, I work my 40 hours and plan activities on my off time.

Walgreens pays better than any other retail, they won't fired anyone unless you do something really bad, and if you work hard its easy to move up in the company. There are Walgreens everywhere so finding a place to work close to home is easy. The major negative is the work environment everyone knows everyone and loves to talk about each other.

I have worked for Walgreen's now for two and a half years, and I continue to enjoy work everyday. I started off as a service clerk. I would not recommend working as a service clerk very long if you don't have to. I then got accepted into the Business management internship, which opened up a huge opportunity for me. With the opportunity came greater pay and more respect. Obviously you will not get the respect you want without working for it and earning it from your peers. I am now an assistant manager waiting for the interview for ADSM class. One thing i would say about this company is that if you are in the stores, your job security is great. They are not closing stores or cutting positions within the stores. It is true that your work/life balance is not the greatest but if you are working retail you won't find that good balance anywhere. All in all Walgreen's is a great company to work for with profit sharing and benefits that blow out other companies. I would recommend this company to anybody that is willing to work for what they want. If you are looking for an easy ride and a slack job, try a movie theater or something, this is a serious company looking for serious workers.

PAY: Up until a few weeks ago, I'd have given this a MUCH higher rating. Now, I feel like I should be getting an extra job to make up the difference, only swing shift aspect makes that nearly impossible. RESPECT: I've heard a lot of stuff on here about how little respect MGTs get. I'd have to say that this is probably dependent on your DM, Store manager, EXA. Even more important is YOU. Respect is earned, it doesn't come with a name badge or a degree. I work my butt off at my store, and my Manager, EXA, and DM see it and respect it. BENEFITS: MUCH better than my last job, although that place paid them 100%. I'm an advocate of a govt single payer system, so I think all employers should just stop doing insurance and force the govt to do their duty. JOB SECURITY: Not bad, considering the economy. People need their medicine and toilet paper. Marketing is also focusing on "affordable essentials" rather than fourth-rate electronics, so I think we're sitting good. WORK/LIFE BALANCE: I have a GREAT EXA. Any time I ask off, I get. He works around my occasional classes, and my religious commitments. Sure, we work holidays, but this is retail. Quit whining. Want holidays off, work for the post office. CAREER POTENTIAL: I feel like my personal situation is pretty good. Sure, there are less jobs, but that just means you have to work harder to be noticed, and it means that the company will perhaps weed out the lazy MGTs and EXAs that suck. LOCATION: I started out driving 40 miles, but now work less than 10 min from my house. A close location seems to be one of the ways hard workers are rewarded. I consider the money I'm not spending on gas to be a raise of sorts and recognition for my hard work. CO-WORKERS: We have a good team. A couple people I could do without, but as a wise man I know once said "Someone has to be your worst employee" WORK ENVIRONMENT: I've been there nearly a year, and I still like coming to work. BOTTOM LINE: I'm more than pissed about the pay cut, but also have a great Store Manager who motivates me and recognizes my hard work and creative endstands. I see people complaining that MGTs are "stockboys"... Yes, I stock quite a few shelves, but one has to find the places in his life to find joy... in a perfectly faced stockroom, seeing stuff flying off your endstand moments after you finish it. Find joy where you are, and if you can't look inward and figure out what would make you happy before I get transferred to your store and have to deal with your attitude.

Work environment is what you make it. Work hard and you will have a great work enviroment!!!
Co-worker competence This is still retail, and you get what you get! not everyone is perfect.
Locations are great sometimes you may have to drive 20 or 30 minutes.
career and growth have really slowed down from 600 stores a year to only 200 a year!!!! this is a joke opening 200 stores a year is hard in any retail world and 600 is just dang near impossible.
work/life balance well if there was anything bad I could say about walgreens it would be this even as a store manager with 20yrs in retail and a college degree you still are working 6 days a week and are suppose to work at least 1 night a week.
job security is great even in hard times walgreens has been strong.
benefits are the best in the industry!
Respect if you are a dumb ass you don't get much respect! if you are fair and really try you will get the repect of eyveryone in your area.
Pay is not bad but it was once alot better for the store manager(bonus restructure really hurt) we only get 50% of the increase of the RX.

Been with company for eight years as mgt and have been asked by my store manager every year to become an exa and have said no every year because I was happy as a mgt. Now I come to work and with no warning am told overtime is being taken away which means I will be losing between 500-600 dollars a month how is this fair and how can they say they are doing it to save jobs when they are buying rite aids in debt as much as the nation is! I always felt safe working here now I worry everyday what they are going to do next, this simply just isn't right

I have been with the company for almost 5 years, in the IT department call DTR. I believe overall, Walgreens is a great company!
Pay: Great, I couldn't find any other company that would give me more.
Respect: I believe this all depends on how you interact with people. I do not have to deal much with customers, as a "tech guy" I deal mostly with store and RX personals. For the most part, they like seeing me coming in to fix their things.
Benefits: Health insurance is ok but not great.
Job security: Was good but hearing rumors about more layoffs is not so great...
Work/Life Balance: Hours are great for the most part, I am oncall some weekends.
Career Potential: Good, if you work hard and willing to move.
Location: Can't complaint, I live 20 minutes from the office.
Co-Worker Competence: I have a smart and hard working boss, have total respect for the guy.
I have read some negative feedbacks about the company from the store side. It's really not all that bad. I love my job and from my experiences, Walgreens is a great company to work for.