Lowe’s adopts four-day work week after worker complaints

• Lowe’s employees have long criticized the company’s scheduling policies.
• They describe a workspace with low morale and struggling to maintain a work-life balance.
• The retailer’s latest responses include giving employees the option of a four-day work week.

After years of employees complaining about a “chaotic” scheduling system, Lowe’s is giving full-time salespeople the option of a four-day work week.

Lowe’s employees have long blamed scheduling problems for what they say is widespread employee morale. They say the home improvement giant’s computerized system of working hours is ruining their weekends and making work-life balance impossible.

The company now says it is undergoing an overhaul, including the introduction of a four-day work week.

“Based on recent feedback, last week we began offering most full-time employees the option to schedule a four-day work week that maintains working hours,” a Lowe spokesperson told Insider. “Most of our full-time associates are on consecutive days off.”

The spokesperson added that the latest changes are intended to give employees “more flexibility and consistency in their work schedules while continuing to provide excellent customer service.”

“We value the hard work of our employees and recognize that they have unique and evolving work-life needs,” said a spokesperson.

Retailers have posted phenomenal sales during the pandemic as customers sought to improve their homes. Since then, however, growth has slowed and some employees are beginning to warn about working conditions.

Insider spoke to six Lowe’s employees working in various stores about the problem with their scheduling system. An insider confirmed the employment of a worker who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation.

They say that ever since Lowe’s began using the software program Kronos, they began using software programs that use algorithms to set working hours. Last year, despite my attempts to improve my scheduling, the feeling was prevalent that I rarely missed an entire weekend.

In 2019, Lowe’s began switching employees from a four-week rotation with weekends off each month to a system called “customer-centric scheduling,” which gives employees weekends off every eight weeks. That year, Insider interviewed 17 of his then-and former Lowe’s employees in 14 states. They said it meant more holidays with non-consecutive schedules, hurting morale.

“We’re closed every Monday, then Friday, then every Tuesday, then Thursday,” one Florida employee recently told Insider. It was always shifting, but I knew what it was.”

After getting feedback from employees, Lowe’s modified the system last year.

“In 2019, we introduced a new scheduling program that allows employees to request standard shifts, and last year offered more frequent weekend breaks,” the spokesperson said.

But employees said they sometimes had to work six days in a row to take precious Saturdays and Sundays off.

“It’s holding your private life hostage,” a Florida employee told Insider. I work a full day or six days in a row and then take two days off, but much of that time is spent recovering physically, emotionally and mentally.”

As of last week, Lowe’s was tweaking the system again.

“Chaos” system

In interviews, employees said they were burned out by long workweeks and struggled to complete tasks like going to the gym, cleaning the house, and buying groceries while on vacation. .

One veteran employee described the scheduling system as “chaotic” for both employees and managers, “making it difficult to balance work and life.” Employees also said the situation had exacerbated staff shortages at stores.

“Sometimes we have three or four departments open for a few hours during the working day,” said a longtime employee. “Regularly, like Loader, where there’s no one in a department or position, at least he has an hour or more gap.”

They said the set-up made planning activities outside of work difficult and stressful.

“People are tired,” said one employee. “We all want some consistency.”