Employee Retention of CVS Pharmacy : CVS Pharmacy, or simply CVS, is the second largest pharmacy chain in the United States (after Walgreens), with approximately 7,027 stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico.[1] As the retail pharmacy division of CVS Caremark, it sells prescription drugs and a wide assortment of general merchandise, including over-the-counter drugs, beauty products and cosmetics, film and photo finishing services, seasonal merchandise, greeting cards and convenience foods through their CVS Pharmacy and Longs Drugs retail stores and online through CVS.com. It also provides healthcare services through its MinuteClinic healthcare clinics as well as their Diabetes Care Centers. Most of these clinics are located within CVS stores.
CVS is incorporated in Delaware, and is based in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. It was founded in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1963.
The popular pharmacist there was full of herself, and made tons of mistakes. And don't take it out on the techs when you hand a bag to her and tell her to ring it up and then the customer comes back or calls and says it's the wrong person's medication. It's the pharmacist's job to check them, it's the tech's job to get them from the bins and ring them up. And as for the lead tech, your job is to TRAIN new techs so the old ones can move on and new people can be hired. People tend to lose patience when the trainer is a bad teacher and refuses to do her job. And when you wirte someone up for trying to sell needles when she has asked twice for you to help a customer who wants to purchase them and she has to go to where they are to look for them and then has to ask the pharmacist because you are ignoring her, you'd better pray that the employee doesn't come to the drive up window and ask for you just so she can spit on you. Also, it takes a really stupid person to call someone else stupid when she is standing right there. And it is really rude when the former employee who has transfered to another store comes in to that store, which is closer to home, to fill a prescription and is asked by the lead tech "Why don't you get prescriptions filled at your own store?" Former employee or not, anyone who comes into a store where they are not employed are customers, and deserve the same respect as customers who don't work for the company at all. If she thinks I am a jerk for reporting her, I only did it because she said that without thinking at all. My coworkers were idiots, world of warcraft weirdos, jerks, and psychos.
As for the environment, I would have to say it was boring, repetitive, cold, unhappy, and cruel. I couldn't afford to pay bills sometimes because my hours were constantly cut. I always got the night hours, which caused me to sleep until noon during the day and then have to go back for more torture. Luckily I got a transfer to a store where I get treated better by my boss and most of my coworkers.
Following our objective to be a broad and deep resource for anyone seeking information and resources about employee retention, we offer this growing list of links to a vast array of articles that have been published in the media about this topic. We regret that copyright laws do not permit us to post the entire articles for your convenience, but at least you have a focused resource available for your education and research. New items will be added almost every day.
These articles provide insight into much of what is happening around the world to build employee retention and workforce stability. Reducing uncontrolled employee turnover is a major strategic challenge for practically every employer in the developed world. As the pioneering leaders in the field of employee retention (our founder, Roger Herman, wrote the book that opened the field in 1990), we offer a wide range of tools and services to support employers. Our website, www.hermangroup.com, is designed to be a one-stop resource center for anyone interested in retention. Here you can learn about our work, some of what our colleagues are doing, and more. We invite your comments... and an opportunity to be of service.
"The CVS Prescriptions for Homeownership program will work perfectly with my $5,000 D.C. Homebuyer Tax Credit to help people who want to work here live here," said Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. "I congratulate CVS/pharmacy, Freddie Mac, Bank of America, Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church, and MV Vision for making this program available to DC area residents."
"We're proud to be able to help our employees take their first big steps toward homeownership," said Gordon Howard, Area Vice President of CVS/pharmacy. "Innovative programs such as Prescriptions for Homeownership provide us the opportunity to support our workforce and help promote employee recruitment and retention."
CVS/pharmacy's Prescriptions for Homeownership also aims to improve the homeownership rate, which in the D.C./Baltimore, Md. area is 65 percent, trailing the national rate of 69 percent.
"Many individuals haven't pursued homeownership because of a lack of information about the home-buying process, less-than-perfect credit, and/or insufficient funds for a down payment," said Bob Tsien, senior vice president of Freddie Mac. "Employer-assisted housing programs such as Prescriptions for Homeownership are one solution that are increasingly being utilized."
For example, according to the Society for Human Resources Management 2004 Benefits Survey, 12 percent of employers offered home ownership assistance programs in both 2004 and 2003, compared to 7 percent in 2002. In addition, 8 percent of employers offered down payment assistance in 2004, compared to 9 percent in 2003 and 4 percent in 2002. The organizations most likely to offer mortgage assistance are in finance and manufacturing sectors.
The Workforce Home Benefit is a signature Freddie Mac initiative that is available across the country. Freddie Mac developed the offering to help employers throughout the United States foster homeownership for their employees. Workforce Home Benefit can be customized to meet employers' needs. Freddie Mac also offers a Workforce Home Benefit to its own employees.
A major tool within Prescriptions for Homeownership is access to mortgage products and services that are designed to meet the individual needs of consumers. CVS/pharmacy has chosen Bank of America as their exclusive referral partner for mortgage programs.
"We applaud CVS/pharmacy for their efforts and are proud to be a part of the Prescriptions for Homeownership program," said Gwen Thomas, Bank of America Neighborhood Lending Executive. "Bank of America has worked hard to create mortgage products and services that simplify the process and make homeownership more affordable for consumers. We are happy to be able to offer those products and services to CVS associates."
"Freddie Mac is delighted to bring our Workforce Home Benefit initiative to Washington - and to a local employer in our neighborhood," said Bob Tsien, senior vice president of McLean, Va.-based Freddie Mac. "We are pleased to be part of this effort to help CVS/pharmacy employees live near where they work and to strengthen the community through homeownership."
Retention
Training. In order to meet the criteria for promotion, workers need opportunities to learn the skills necessary for advancement. Formal classroom training can be combined with on-the-job learning to increase transfer of learning to the job.
· Career Ladders. Internal career ladders have become less prevalent as a result of the outsourcing of non-core functions to specialized firms. As a result, more employers are involved in sector or industry based career ladders to meet specific skills needs. Employers who participate in career ladders find that workers in entry-level jobs are more motivated to succeed at their current job because it will make them eligible for advancement (Mills & Prince, 2003). Whether internal or external, career ladders should outline opportunities for promotion and advancement, and clearly define the skills, credentials, and experience necessary for moving into a new position.
· Mentoring. Mentoring programs match new workers with more experienced coworkers. This relationship provides new hires with the job, interpersonal, and organizational skills to help them be effective on the job (Prince, 2003). Mentors facilitate a smooth transition into the workforce and can help new workers view jobs as a first step in a career path.
Excellent Supervision Research has shown that employee retention is most highly correlated with the relationship with the immediate supervisor. Managers who set clear expectations, provide opportunities for employees to use their talents, allow input into decision making, and care about their employees increase retention (Buckingham & Coffman, 1999). Employers can foster excellent supervision by providing training to front-line managers and by rewarding good management.
Compensation Practices. Placing clients at firms that pay higher wages than their competitors decreases the likelihood of turnover and puts clients on a faster track toward economic self-sufficiency. Compensation strategies that link pay to performance, such as performance bonuses, profit-sharing, and employee stock ownership plans, keep employees motivated and provide more opportunities to learn new skills. Pay-for-skills rewards employees for learning new job-related skills. Some employers provide incentives for participating in job-related training that leads to advancement.
Family Friendly Benefits. Benefits that make it easier for employees to balance work with family obligations have been shown to increase productivity, reduce absenteeism and lower turnover rates. Providing on-site or near-site daycare programs, sick childcare options, or childcare referral options helps overcome one of the major barriers to employment for low-wage workers. Flextime is often critical for single parents who are struggling with childcare responsibilities. It also affords workers the opportunity to take advantage of training and education to upgrade their skills. Employers who offer tuition reimbursement are more likely to retain workers, especially younger, non-management women who have achieved lower education levels .
Conduct a needs Assessment. In order to effectively serve employers, agencies need to become aware of how they can be of assistance. As a first step, agencies can conduct an employer needs assessment on the types of retention and advancement services they would find valuable, job skill requirements, and the retention potential of the job (Freeman and Combes Taylor, 2002).
· Appoint Employer Account Representatives. Establish a single point of contact for employer customers, ideally with a staff member with experience in the employer’s industry. These liaisons can foster ongoing relationships with employers by communicating information about funding and services, convening employers to share best practices, and providing informational training sessions.
· Aggressively Market Retention and Advancement Services. Employers need to understand the business benefits and cost-savings of retention and placement strategies. Research has shown that the employer policies and programs outlined above designed to increase employee skill levels and firm loyalty, simultaneously increases firm competitiveness and profitability.
Integrate Retention and Advancement with Placement Efforts. Initial job placements with employers can be leveraged into opportunities to provide additional services. For example, agencies can provide post-employment wrap-around services such as case management and incumbent worker training. Improved integration is critical for both job seekers and employers. From the job seeker perspective, better integration enables individuals to pursue long term career goals when each educational offering is part of a an overall career strategy (Poppe, Strawn, and Martinson, 2003). From the employer’s point of view, a one-stop provider makes it easier to work with the workforce development system, increasing its overall effectiveness.
· Use Intermediaries. Intermediaries who have established relationships with employers, such as local chambers of commerce and employer associations, have the necessary credibility to deliver further services. For example, employer associations who are providing job placement services for employers may also be qualified to deliver training classes or offer mentoring services. Community-based intermediaries typically have credibility with low-income clients as well, making it more likely that they will access retention and advancement services.
· Make Services Accessible. Services should be located at or near the employment site and accessible by public transportation. Training provided at the worksite leads to higher rates of participation by workers and that state-funded employer-focused training for incumbent workers raises earnings and retention (Poppe et al, 2003).
· Market services to all levels in the Organization Buy-in for retention services from top-management, human resources, and front-line supervisors is critical for successful implementation of programs (Hamilton, 2003). Such buy-in will help ensure that organizational systems and resources will support retention and advancement efforts. To increase the likelihood the services will be used by low-wage workers, these employees need to understand the benefits of participating in opportunities such as training or mentoring programs.
CVS is incorporated in Delaware, and is based in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. It was founded in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1963.
The popular pharmacist there was full of herself, and made tons of mistakes. And don't take it out on the techs when you hand a bag to her and tell her to ring it up and then the customer comes back or calls and says it's the wrong person's medication. It's the pharmacist's job to check them, it's the tech's job to get them from the bins and ring them up. And as for the lead tech, your job is to TRAIN new techs so the old ones can move on and new people can be hired. People tend to lose patience when the trainer is a bad teacher and refuses to do her job. And when you wirte someone up for trying to sell needles when she has asked twice for you to help a customer who wants to purchase them and she has to go to where they are to look for them and then has to ask the pharmacist because you are ignoring her, you'd better pray that the employee doesn't come to the drive up window and ask for you just so she can spit on you. Also, it takes a really stupid person to call someone else stupid when she is standing right there. And it is really rude when the former employee who has transfered to another store comes in to that store, which is closer to home, to fill a prescription and is asked by the lead tech "Why don't you get prescriptions filled at your own store?" Former employee or not, anyone who comes into a store where they are not employed are customers, and deserve the same respect as customers who don't work for the company at all. If she thinks I am a jerk for reporting her, I only did it because she said that without thinking at all. My coworkers were idiots, world of warcraft weirdos, jerks, and psychos.
As for the environment, I would have to say it was boring, repetitive, cold, unhappy, and cruel. I couldn't afford to pay bills sometimes because my hours were constantly cut. I always got the night hours, which caused me to sleep until noon during the day and then have to go back for more torture. Luckily I got a transfer to a store where I get treated better by my boss and most of my coworkers.
Following our objective to be a broad and deep resource for anyone seeking information and resources about employee retention, we offer this growing list of links to a vast array of articles that have been published in the media about this topic. We regret that copyright laws do not permit us to post the entire articles for your convenience, but at least you have a focused resource available for your education and research. New items will be added almost every day.
These articles provide insight into much of what is happening around the world to build employee retention and workforce stability. Reducing uncontrolled employee turnover is a major strategic challenge for practically every employer in the developed world. As the pioneering leaders in the field of employee retention (our founder, Roger Herman, wrote the book that opened the field in 1990), we offer a wide range of tools and services to support employers. Our website, www.hermangroup.com, is designed to be a one-stop resource center for anyone interested in retention. Here you can learn about our work, some of what our colleagues are doing, and more. We invite your comments... and an opportunity to be of service.
"The CVS Prescriptions for Homeownership program will work perfectly with my $5,000 D.C. Homebuyer Tax Credit to help people who want to work here live here," said Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. "I congratulate CVS/pharmacy, Freddie Mac, Bank of America, Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church, and MV Vision for making this program available to DC area residents."
"We're proud to be able to help our employees take their first big steps toward homeownership," said Gordon Howard, Area Vice President of CVS/pharmacy. "Innovative programs such as Prescriptions for Homeownership provide us the opportunity to support our workforce and help promote employee recruitment and retention."
CVS/pharmacy's Prescriptions for Homeownership also aims to improve the homeownership rate, which in the D.C./Baltimore, Md. area is 65 percent, trailing the national rate of 69 percent.
"Many individuals haven't pursued homeownership because of a lack of information about the home-buying process, less-than-perfect credit, and/or insufficient funds for a down payment," said Bob Tsien, senior vice president of Freddie Mac. "Employer-assisted housing programs such as Prescriptions for Homeownership are one solution that are increasingly being utilized."
For example, according to the Society for Human Resources Management 2004 Benefits Survey, 12 percent of employers offered home ownership assistance programs in both 2004 and 2003, compared to 7 percent in 2002. In addition, 8 percent of employers offered down payment assistance in 2004, compared to 9 percent in 2003 and 4 percent in 2002. The organizations most likely to offer mortgage assistance are in finance and manufacturing sectors.
The Workforce Home Benefit is a signature Freddie Mac initiative that is available across the country. Freddie Mac developed the offering to help employers throughout the United States foster homeownership for their employees. Workforce Home Benefit can be customized to meet employers' needs. Freddie Mac also offers a Workforce Home Benefit to its own employees.
A major tool within Prescriptions for Homeownership is access to mortgage products and services that are designed to meet the individual needs of consumers. CVS/pharmacy has chosen Bank of America as their exclusive referral partner for mortgage programs.
"We applaud CVS/pharmacy for their efforts and are proud to be a part of the Prescriptions for Homeownership program," said Gwen Thomas, Bank of America Neighborhood Lending Executive. "Bank of America has worked hard to create mortgage products and services that simplify the process and make homeownership more affordable for consumers. We are happy to be able to offer those products and services to CVS associates."
"Freddie Mac is delighted to bring our Workforce Home Benefit initiative to Washington - and to a local employer in our neighborhood," said Bob Tsien, senior vice president of McLean, Va.-based Freddie Mac. "We are pleased to be part of this effort to help CVS/pharmacy employees live near where they work and to strengthen the community through homeownership."
Retention
Training. In order to meet the criteria for promotion, workers need opportunities to learn the skills necessary for advancement. Formal classroom training can be combined with on-the-job learning to increase transfer of learning to the job.
· Career Ladders. Internal career ladders have become less prevalent as a result of the outsourcing of non-core functions to specialized firms. As a result, more employers are involved in sector or industry based career ladders to meet specific skills needs. Employers who participate in career ladders find that workers in entry-level jobs are more motivated to succeed at their current job because it will make them eligible for advancement (Mills & Prince, 2003). Whether internal or external, career ladders should outline opportunities for promotion and advancement, and clearly define the skills, credentials, and experience necessary for moving into a new position.
· Mentoring. Mentoring programs match new workers with more experienced coworkers. This relationship provides new hires with the job, interpersonal, and organizational skills to help them be effective on the job (Prince, 2003). Mentors facilitate a smooth transition into the workforce and can help new workers view jobs as a first step in a career path.
Excellent Supervision Research has shown that employee retention is most highly correlated with the relationship with the immediate supervisor. Managers who set clear expectations, provide opportunities for employees to use their talents, allow input into decision making, and care about their employees increase retention (Buckingham & Coffman, 1999). Employers can foster excellent supervision by providing training to front-line managers and by rewarding good management.
Compensation Practices. Placing clients at firms that pay higher wages than their competitors decreases the likelihood of turnover and puts clients on a faster track toward economic self-sufficiency. Compensation strategies that link pay to performance, such as performance bonuses, profit-sharing, and employee stock ownership plans, keep employees motivated and provide more opportunities to learn new skills. Pay-for-skills rewards employees for learning new job-related skills. Some employers provide incentives for participating in job-related training that leads to advancement.
Family Friendly Benefits. Benefits that make it easier for employees to balance work with family obligations have been shown to increase productivity, reduce absenteeism and lower turnover rates. Providing on-site or near-site daycare programs, sick childcare options, or childcare referral options helps overcome one of the major barriers to employment for low-wage workers. Flextime is often critical for single parents who are struggling with childcare responsibilities. It also affords workers the opportunity to take advantage of training and education to upgrade their skills. Employers who offer tuition reimbursement are more likely to retain workers, especially younger, non-management women who have achieved lower education levels .
Conduct a needs Assessment. In order to effectively serve employers, agencies need to become aware of how they can be of assistance. As a first step, agencies can conduct an employer needs assessment on the types of retention and advancement services they would find valuable, job skill requirements, and the retention potential of the job (Freeman and Combes Taylor, 2002).
· Appoint Employer Account Representatives. Establish a single point of contact for employer customers, ideally with a staff member with experience in the employer’s industry. These liaisons can foster ongoing relationships with employers by communicating information about funding and services, convening employers to share best practices, and providing informational training sessions.
· Aggressively Market Retention and Advancement Services. Employers need to understand the business benefits and cost-savings of retention and placement strategies. Research has shown that the employer policies and programs outlined above designed to increase employee skill levels and firm loyalty, simultaneously increases firm competitiveness and profitability.
Integrate Retention and Advancement with Placement Efforts. Initial job placements with employers can be leveraged into opportunities to provide additional services. For example, agencies can provide post-employment wrap-around services such as case management and incumbent worker training. Improved integration is critical for both job seekers and employers. From the job seeker perspective, better integration enables individuals to pursue long term career goals when each educational offering is part of a an overall career strategy (Poppe, Strawn, and Martinson, 2003). From the employer’s point of view, a one-stop provider makes it easier to work with the workforce development system, increasing its overall effectiveness.
· Use Intermediaries. Intermediaries who have established relationships with employers, such as local chambers of commerce and employer associations, have the necessary credibility to deliver further services. For example, employer associations who are providing job placement services for employers may also be qualified to deliver training classes or offer mentoring services. Community-based intermediaries typically have credibility with low-income clients as well, making it more likely that they will access retention and advancement services.
· Make Services Accessible. Services should be located at or near the employment site and accessible by public transportation. Training provided at the worksite leads to higher rates of participation by workers and that state-funded employer-focused training for incumbent workers raises earnings and retention (Poppe et al, 2003).
· Market services to all levels in the Organization Buy-in for retention services from top-management, human resources, and front-line supervisors is critical for successful implementation of programs (Hamilton, 2003). Such buy-in will help ensure that organizational systems and resources will support retention and advancement efforts. To increase the likelihood the services will be used by low-wage workers, these employees need to understand the benefits of participating in opportunities such as training or mentoring programs.
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