Morale Problems
Uncertainty about layoffs continues to bedevil workers at J. W. Robinson, the beleaguered, 24-store chain that recently announced its second top-management change in less than a year.
“The morale of this store, and I would bet . . . with all Robinson’s, is the lowest in my six years,” said a Woodland Hills employee, one of several who called The Times to voice concern. “People are scared, afraid for their jobs. Nobody yet since the takeover (by May Department Stores in October) has said, ‘OK, this is what’s going on.’ ”
About a dozen employees report that some stores’ entire housekeeping and engineering staffs have been let go and replaced by outside cleaning services.
Asked about layoffs, a spokesman for St. Louis-based May Department Stores reiterated: “We have said that Robinson’s expenses are too high. There are functions that are going to be combined, reduced or eliminated. We’re working hard to handle that in a sensitive way and will handle as much through attrition and reassignment (as possible).”
At one Westside location, the store “tried to find jobs for all laid-off people,” an employee said. Some housekeepers, for example, were put to work checking garments in the dressing room area. The same store also held a “pep rally” of sorts on Jan. 31 where managers “tried to dispel rumors” about layoffs and put people at ease, the employee said.
Retail observers note that consolidations and layoffs are to be expected when ownership shifts, especially to a company such as May Department Stores, which has earned a reputation on Wall Street as a disciplined company that keeps a firm grip on expenses.
