Trader Joe’s is encouraging part-time workers to work at least three days per week, according to a report in The Guardian and a social media post from Trader Joe’s United, a group seeking union representation at the chain.
“We’ve been hearing about this new ‘policy’ from crew across the country,” the union-organizing group said in a Twitter post on Thursday, with a link to the Guardian article.
According to the article, the retailer, owned by the heirs of German supermarket magnate Theo Albrecht, is rolling out an informal policy in January 2023 that will require store employees to work a minimum of three days per week in order to keep their jobs.
Neither the retailer nor Trader Joe’s United could be reached for comment.
The article states that Trader Joe’s is seeking the change in part because of “hiring issues” and because they want employees to be more engaged and knowledgeable.
Workers say the three-day minimum would impact part-time workers who have other jobs, have child-care responsibilities that prevent them from working more hours, or perhaps are semi-retired and simply want to work fewer hours.
The move comes as momentum for retail unionization has been heating up around the country. Two Trader Joe’s locations have already voted to unionize, and workers at a handful of Whole Foods and Starbucks locations have also voted to unionize.