# Anybody worked for Lidl or Aldi?



## Younggrinner (28 Aug 2007)

Hi,
I'm thinking about applying for the store/district manager position in Lidl or Aldi. I've heard some horror stories from 'friends of friends' who have worked there. However I don't personally know anybody who has actually worked there. Has anybody here worked for them and what were their impressions of the conditions/environment?

Ta.


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## Caveat (28 Aug 2007)

Younggrinner said:


> Hi,
> I'm thinking about applying for the store/district manager position in Lidl or Aldi. I've heard some horror stories from 'friends of friends' who have worked there. However I don't personally know anybody who has actually worked there. Has anybody here worked for them and what were their impressions of the conditions/environment?
> 
> Ta.


 
Again, this is only what I've heard - which is that pay & conditions are generally better than their competitors - but that you _really_ work for your money.


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## Younggrinner (28 Aug 2007)

Caveat said:


> but that you _really_ work for your money.


 

I expect that....but does that mean a 50 hour week or a 70 hour week?


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## Caveat (28 Aug 2007)

Younggrinner said:


> I expect that....but does that mean a 50 hour week or a 70 hour week?


 
All I can say is that I worked for one of their big competitors about 15 years ago - 70 hour weeks were the norm then.


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## europhile (28 Aug 2007)

[broken link removed]

I rather like this bit.



> This bad press continued in the Czech Republic, where female workers were allegedly forced to wear headbands during their menstruation periods so that supervisors would allow them more bathroom breaks than other staff.


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## Ciadan (28 Aug 2007)

My friend has just quit an Asst. Man. position with Aldi - after clocking up an average of 70 hours per week. She said it was the worst place she ever worked.



europhile said:


> [broken link removed]
> 
> I rather like this bit.
> Quote:
> This bad press continued in the Czech Republic, where female workers were allegedly forced to wear headbands during their menstruation periods so that supervisors would allow them more bathroom breaks than other staff.


  Unbelieveable!!!


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## ninsaga (28 Aug 2007)

Ciadan said:


> My friend has just quit an Asst. Man. position with Aldi - after clocking up an average of 70 hours per week. She said it was the worst place she ever worked.



..........why? what made it so bad?


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## ClubMan (28 Aug 2007)

> This bad press continued in the Czech Republic, where female workers were allegedly forced to wear headbands during their menstruation periods so that supervisors would allow them more bathroom breaks than other staff.





Ciadan said:


> Unbelieveable!!!


Key word on this page: "allegedly".


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## z109 (28 Aug 2007)

[broken link removed]I rather liked this bit from the article:
"Checkout understands that the policy of multi-tasking (where all employees, including managers, are expected to engage in every kind of general work across the store) is still used in discounter stores."

Demarkation! Demarkation! Demarkation! (if you say it in a north Dub accent, you sound like a dalek).


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## woods (29 Aug 2007)

One of my family members did work in that position but had to leave. I will ask her more about it but I do recall hearing her say that she was getting lots of points on her licence for speeding because she had to travel from one shop to another and did not have enough time to do it.


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## ClubMan (29 Aug 2007)

woods said:


> I do recall hearing her say that she was getting lots of points on her licence for speeding because she had to travel from one shop to another and did not have enough time to do it.


Amazing - just when you think that some motorists can't come up with even more imaginative and creative excuses for speeding somebody else comes along and ups the ante.


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## Towger (29 Aug 2007)

Younggrinner said:


> Hi,
> I'm thinking about applying for the store/district manager position in Lidl or Aldi.



Are you sure you did not ask the same question two year ago here : http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/show...eferrerid=&highlight=working+for+Lidl+or+Aldi 

Much the same answers...

Towger


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## woods (29 Aug 2007)

ClubMan said:


> Amazing - just when you think that some motorists can't come up with even more imaginative and creative excuses for speeding somebody else comes along and ups the ante.


I put your carefully thought out and well presented comment to her by way of rebuke and her reply was
" Ok, let that smart--s find himself in Letterkenny late some evening and be told that the manager in Killarney is not coming to work tomorrow and he has to be there at opening time to cover for him and see how well he does"
I backed you up and told her that 2 wrongs do not make a right and then I left so that she would have time to think about what she had done.


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## woods (29 Aug 2007)

woods said:


> One of my family members did work in that position but had to leave. I will ask her more about it


The money was good. She started on 52K plus expenses. 
Eight out of her graduating class joined the company and when she left about 10 months later there was only one other survivor.


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## ClubMan (29 Aug 2007)

woods said:


> Eight out of her graduating class joined the company


Just curious (if you're at liberty to answer) - graduates from what course, what attracted them to this job and what did they do after? On the face of it, €52K (flat salary or base + bonuses + other benefits?) for a graduate job sounds pretty good to me anyway!


> and when she left about 10 months later there was only one other survivor.


 How are they doing?


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## woods (29 Aug 2007)

They were graduated from a business masters program so that may explain the inflated salary, that and the long hours and the tough expectations.
They are all doing well and none of them have returned to the company.


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## ClubMan (30 Aug 2007)

Thanks - that would explain matters a bit alright. Do you mean a (postgrad) masters degree or an _MBA _or something else?


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## woods (30 Aug 2007)

It was a postgrad. Hers was in corporate stratagy.


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## Younggrinner (30 Aug 2007)

ClubMan said:


> Amazing - just when you think that some motorists can't come up with even more imaginative and creative excuses for speeding somebody else comes along and ups the ante.


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## Younggrinner (30 Aug 2007)

Towger said:


> Are you sure you did not ask the same question two year ago here : http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/show...eferrerid=&highlight=working+for+Lidl+or+Aldi
> 
> Much the same answers...
> 
> Towger


 
Nope, wasn't me.  Thanks for the link though.


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## Younggrinner (30 Aug 2007)

Thanks for all the info folks. Still no replies from anybody who has actually worked with them....maybe they're being watched!


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## rabbit (31 Aug 2007)

From what I heard its a horrible place to work, and most people do not last long there.


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## ninsaga (31 Aug 2007)

..... sales assistants, store managers, area managers?

or all of the above rabbit.....again if so then why


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## ClubMan (31 Aug 2007)

rabbit said:


> From what I heard its a horrible place to work


Which? _Lidl _or _Aldi_?

From my experience of shopping in both some people obviously do last years.


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## potnoodler (1 Sep 2007)

Friend of mine went to Belfast to train with Lidl , stuck it for three weeks then chucked  it in 70hr weeks and all the salaried staff are expected to stay even if there is no work. Knew it wasn't going to get any better when started the job. Money aint so great if you calculate the over time.
It may be ok if you re fine with the hours but you ll be doing that amount so don't plan to have a social or family life while you're there


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## rabbit (2 Sep 2007)

ClubMan said:


> Which? _Lidl _or _Aldi_?


 
Lidl.


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## rabbit (2 Sep 2007)

potnoodler said:


> Friend of mine went to Belfast to train with Lidl , stuck it for three weeks then chucked it in 70hr weeks and all the salaried staff are expected to stay even if there is no work. Knew it wasn't going to get any better when started the job. Money aint so great if you calculate the over time.
> It may be ok if you re fine with the hours but you ll be doing that amount so don't plan to have a social or family life while you're there


 
It may be ok if you are young and single and do not mind hard work.


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