A user on TikTok has gone viral after sharing his thoughts on a hiring advertisement for Ross Dress for Less.
In a video with over 60,000 views, TikTok user Mychal (@mychal.with.a.y) disputes many of the claims in the hiring advertisement, which was on a poster outside the store.
In the clip, he claims that the listed “great benefits” is actually “horse shit insurance that’s going to start after 6 months.” He then says that the “associate discounts” are actually just 5% off, and that the “flexible hours” refers to the ability for employees to be five minutes late three times before firing them. The last ‘benefit’ listed was “work where you shop,” to which Mychal replied, “work where you already steal shit.”
“Tell the TRUTH Ross4Less,” he writes in the caption, though he follows this statement with “#joke.”
@mychal.with.a.y Tell the TRUTH Ross4Less #funny #joke #work #comedу #foryoupage #rossforless #rossforlessfinds #retail #retailtiktok #usa ♬ original sound – myke_with_a_y
At first, some users spoke about the veracity of his claims.
“As a former Ross worker, All true,” shared a commenter. “I quit after I got a 7hr week.”
“Nailed it,” added another.
However, other users were quick to jump in saying that Mychal was incorrect about his statements.
“20% discount and 40% discount every 4 months and only about 2 -3 full time employees per store depending on how big. And no benefits to pt employees,” claimed a commenter. “As a former employee i should know.”
“It’s 20%. Literally only managers are full time. They start at $11 and you can be 6 minutes late before a manager has to clock you in,” offered a second. “Only good thing about it is it’s easy mindless work and 40% off days.”
The claims about discounts in these latter comments seem to match what current and former employees state on Indeed.
“As a part time worker, you only get 20% discount, and quarterly 40% discount at Ross and dd’s discounts,” alleged a user on Indeed.
“For full time employees only: medical, dental, 401k, paid holidays (including your birthday!), paid vacation, maternity leave,” stated a further Indeed user. “All employees get an employee discount at Ross and dd’s, and can use the Employee Assistance Program. There are certain double discount days.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Ross Dress for Less via the contact form.
Update 3:07pm CT October 21: In a TikTok direct message exchange with Daily Dot, Mychal shared his inspiration for making the video.
“I’m a stand-up comedian in Chicago and I felt a funny clip was the best way to spread the message of the discontent among the working class and the relationship between them and big corporations that simply see us as cattle and profit,” he explained. “I was inspired by seeing the sign after walking out of a Chicago store with 20 people in line, and ONE clerk. He said he was all that showed up that day and the wait will be long….The worker couldn’t have been more than 18/19 years old and completely checked out.”
Mychal added his repeated experiences at Ross witnessing understaffing and poor management led him to make the video in support of its employees gaining better hours, working conditions, and benefits.
“I have had many personal experiences at Ross that lead me to finally post some observations. The store is way understaffed, and the stories I hear from friends and family that work for the company is that they don’t treat the staff respectfully; they underpay them [and badly] under-schedule them,” he wrote. “There are only a few full-timers that are allowed insurance and benefits so the hiring advertisements are misleading. The stores are way under stocked and more resemble and loosely assembled rummage sale. Like the decline of so much of America’s retail, the focus is far less on the experience and customer service and more on making as much money as possible as fast as possible, and that is clear in the way Ross operates. I find myself shopping there less and less and I hear the same from friends and family.”
