Archived Question from Canada

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Hello everyone! I was recently hired as a Backroom Team Lead for Target Canada, no stores are open yet and training doesn't begin until next month. Just wondering if anyone can tell me what to expect in terms of hours and responsibilities? What does a Backroom TL day look like? what are some things that make a good or bad back room TL? any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated Thanks!
 
Greetings and salutations.

Great to have the first folks from across the way.
 
I wonder what the pay grade for Canadians in their assigned roles will be? I also wonder what they'll think of corporate in a year from now. I swear, if the starting rate for being SFTM is more than start rate for BR or PFresh, pigs are gonna fly.

It would be such a double standard if our respective Canadian TMs get a higher hourly wage than us in the states.
 
It would be such a double standard if our respective Canadian TMs get a higher hourly wage than us in the states.


...No? TMs in different states--or different cities within the same state--already get higher or lower hourly wages, so which TMs would you even be comparing the Canadian TMs to?

Even if all U.S. TMs did make the same (starting) wage, there's no reason TMs in another country should be expected to earn the same amount. I mean hell, they aren't even being paid in the same CURRENCY...
 
The Canadian dollar and US dollar are nearly equal right now. As in 1 US dollar equals .998 Canadian dollars.

But I live in a state with a higher minimum wage, so I'm already making more than some of you with your first raise on an N03 pay grade, most likely. Of course the cost of living here negates that out, but you get my point.
 
It would be such a double standard if our respective Canadian TMs get a higher hourly wage than us in the states.

It would be illegal for them to be paid the same wage as their US counterparts. The minimum wage in Ontario Canada is $10.25/hour whereas the highest state minimum wage in the US is $9.04/hour (in Washington state according to http://www.dol.gov/whd/minwage/america.htm#.UKwefYfrp8E)... Soooo yeah....
 
The Canadian dollar and US dollar are nearly equal right now.

Yes, you've identified exactly the issue. ;) They're nearly equal TODAY. As soon as their relative values shift in either direction, though, what was "equal pay" today would no longer be equal. There's just no reasonable basis to even suggest that pay COULD be equal when it's based on different currencies, since the exchange rate will inevitably vary over time. That was my point.
 
They've been nearly equal for quite some time, actually (a couple of years). That's how I was able to make the statement and the look it up to see where it was at for the day.
 
...No? TMs in different states--or different cities within the same state--already get higher or lower hourly wages, so which TMs would you even be comparing the Canadian TMs to?

Even if all U.S. TMs did make the same (starting) wage, there's no reason TMs in another country should be expected to earn the same amount. I mean hell, they aren't even being paid in the same CURRENCY...

Exchange ratio is practically 1:1

I should have been more specific. Canadians have universal healthcare, spot probably doesn't have to pay to provide those types of benefits.

All I'm trying to point out is that Spot has been focusing on cutting payroll hours to the bone -- and they're starting to cut into benefits as well. It would be messed up if our cousins to the north get paid a higher starting and/or living wage than their counterparts to the south.

Hell, isn't part of the reason payroll axing was happening because of Spot expanding to the North?
 
The Canadian dollar and US dollar are nearly equal right now. As in 1 US dollar equals .998 Canadian dollars.

But I live in a state with a higher minimum wage, so I'm already making more than some of you with your first raise on an N03 pay grade, most likely. Of course the cost of living here negates that out, but you get my point.

Yeah, it's also the fact that they have a universal healthcare system that won't cut into spots bottom line. I'm not really complaining about my pay, since I am at PG R06. I'd just be mildly amused if the Candian Targets became the US Targets of the 80's and early 90's; while Spot tries to make do with as little payroll as possible in the States.
 
Although we have universal healthcare every major corporation offers FULL medical and dental benefits to FT team members including target they wont be saving any money there. In terms of pay grade I've been to glassdoor.com to check what a Backroom TL makes in the states compared to what I will be getting. I am being paid a good amount more, BUT a few big retailers have moved to Canada in the past 10 years and have all entered the market attracting top talent with higher then average pay to launch, Months later massive layoffs occur and those positions are rehired at the normal rate. TL and ETL's in Canada will probably all be paid a nice premium to launch the company but those that aren't top performers shouldn't expect to keep their job.
 
They've been nearly equal for quite some time, actually (a couple of years). That's how I was able to make the statement and the look it up to see where it was at for the day.

Yes, but go back just three and a half years instead of two, and you'll find the rate was around 1.3 USD to 1 CAD, because our economy was so bad. If we continue to improve, it could swing further back in our favor (as it used to be: the CAD was worth less than 90 US cents, in fact often closer to 70 cents, for an unbroken period of roughly 30 years, from the mid 70s to mid 00s). You just can't EVER reasonably treat two currencies as equivalent long-term just because the current exchange rate is equal, even if it has been stable for a couple of years.

That being said, the currency was just a minor point in my original argument. Even if the countries used the same currency (or the two currencies were somehow permanently set at equal value relative to one another), it wouldn't matter. Healthcare (as others have pointed out) and other things, like price variations, availability of public transport, etc. (collectively: "cost of living"), were really what I was thinking about. No two countries are the same. A euro doesn't go nearly as far in Denmark as it does in Bulgaria, despite the fact that it's still a euro in both (see report).
 
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Although we have universal healthcare every major corporation offers FULL medical and dental benefits to FT team members including target they wont be saving any money there. In terms of pay grade I've been to glassdoor.com to check what a Backroom TL makes in the states compared to what I will be getting. I am being paid a good amount more, BUT a few big retailers have moved to Canada in the past 10 years and have all entered the market attracting top talent with higher then average pay to launch, Months later massive layoffs occur and those positions are rehired at the normal rate. TL and ETL's in Canada will probably all be paid a nice premium to launch the company but those that aren't top performers shouldn't expect to keep their job.

I'm just curious has the pressure from unions had any effect in your area?
 
No, Target purchased the Lease agreements for former Zellers stores. Zellers is a discount retailer owned by the Hudson Bay co. Hudson decided to close all of its Zellers locations and in a SEPERATE deal sell the retail space to Target. The unions are just making noise because that's what they do, they have no basis for any argument as Target did not absorb Zellers in any way shape or form, nor does target owe any of those people anything. If a former Zellers employee wants to apply at target they are guaranteed a interview. BTW the reason Zellers had to close was BECAUSE of those lazy unmotivated union employees. Canadians disliked Zellers because the stores were always a mess and the employees were generally rude and uninterested. Target would shoot itself in the foot by keeping those employees.
 
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