Dollar General has come under fire numerous times in recent years due to its alleged issues with merchandise and staffing.
Multiple TikTok users have posted videos showing stores overflowing with stock, in some cases making the stores themselves difficult to navigate. Other customers have filmed stores with only one employee. In November of last year, a Dollar General employee made a TikTok begging for corporate to notice the store’s issues, noting similar problems to the ones outlined above.
“We are overloaded with freight, and we do not have enough hours in the week or enough people in the week to put them away,” the TikToker said in the video. “…We are completely overwhelmed.”
Now, another user has posted a video critical of Dollar General, sparking discussion in the process.
A clip with over 14,000 views was recently posted by the Union Southern Service Workers (@raiseupthesouth), a union “formed by workers from across the service industry” that “includes fast food, restaurant, retail and care workers.” The union had recently joined in a protest with hundreds of Dollar General workers to treat their workers better, with some citing a recent statistic that “49 people have been killed at Dollar General stores since 2014,” per CNN.
In the video, a Dollar General employee voices concerns for his safety while working at the store alone.
@raiseupthesouth @Dollar General thinks it’s okay to have just one worker in the store, but that kind of understaffing is a safety issue! One of many health and safety issues that Dollar General disregards when it comes to their workers. #OrganizetheSouth #UnionsforAll #UnionStrong #Unions #work #WorkerPower #CorporateGreed #putinaticket #dollargeneral #understaffing #healthandsafety ♬ original sound – Union Southern Service Workers
“The way our policies are set up, there’s supposed to be two people that close, but in the case that a co-worker is either sick or [has] something important going on within their family life—if they leave, I have to literally stay here and keep the store open by myself at night,” the worker says.
“I feel like that’s dangerous, as me being a male, but it’s even more dangerous for females,” he continues. “That gets overlooked a lot.”
The worker also details several times he was tasked with running the store alone.
In the caption, the organization added, “@Dollar General thinks it’s okay to have just one worker in the store, but that kind of understaffing is a safety issue! One of many health and safety issues that Dollar General disregards when it comes to their workers.”
Commenters largely agreed with the video’s sentiment.
“Yes! They expect a clean, well-stocked store, but give the managers so little hours and expect the managers to pick up the slack,” wrote a user.
“there is no reason 3 employees shouldn’t be able to be there at all times so if something happens to one there’s at least 2 people,” added another, tagging Dollar General’s TikTok account.
“Companies will forego their own rules and policies discretely if it means they can increase profits and save money,” offered a third commenter.
The Daily Dot reached out to Dollar General via email and the Union Southern Service Workers via Instagram direct message.
