Goodwill Industries International

I curently work for Goodwill and although I must say working with the trainees is a wonderful experience, the supervisor and director do make every day a challenging day. You are talked down to , talked over when spoken to, treated rudely, most times ignored when you offer suggestions, or belittled with the anwers you are given to your suggetions. My current supervisor has less experience in both the company and the field as I do , however , she is right and dare I question or comment on anything after all I don't get paid to think and I dare not speak to anyone all questions, regardless how small or simple and all statements such as someone calling to say they are picking someone up early MUST BE DIRETCED to her (and then usually she forgets to relay the message and the indiviual in not ready making me look bad) I am NEVER permitted to answer the phone or have phone calls unless an absolute emergency, my lunch is taken in the building with the trainees and I nor anyone else in the ... Read more

Here is why Goodwill sucks.... Do some homework folks. The following facts are matter of public record! During this Holiday season, when we are continually urged to give our fair share to the less fortunate, we would do ourselves all a great service to learn a bit about where and to whom we choose to share our personal goodwill. By doing basic homework, some appalling facts come to light about how we are all manipulated into giving to organizations that give the impression they are totally about helping the needy when in reality they are all truly about helping primarily themselves. The most deplorable misrepresentation in our community is that of Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin. Goodwill Industries is a ‘not-for-profit’ organization—not to be confused with a ‘non-profit’ organization. Simply stated, it means they can make all the profit they want as long as it goes back into the company – such as into salaries. As an example: According to public record, our local Go... Read more

All the negative things that everyone here has said about Goodwill are absolutely TRUE. I was fired from Goodwill today and they didn't really give me a reason. I worked at an attended donation center in Eugene, Oregon and they accused me of not keeping the site clean. Now, I suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder, so I have to keep EVERYTHING clean, at home and at work. They told me that they had several complaints from donors that said I was rude to them. I am incapable of being rude to anyone. But I really don't think those were the real reasons why they fired me. I wrote two letters to the management telling them my concerns. After I submitted the second letter I was fired. I did not use any foul language in these letters or demean anybody in any way. Here are some incidences that had happened to me while I worked for Goodwill: -Consistently worked 10 hours straight several days in a row without any breaks. I told my supervisor this and she told me it was my problem, ... Read more

i liked working as a donation attendant but had problems why i hated there. 1.no stable schedule. schedule changes every week. one week 28 hours the next week only 16. hard to live off of this even if you share rent. one day work 4pm to close next day 12 to 6. 2. supervisors and manangers bully, belittle , talk to adults like kids, yell , dont care about people who did the work only those that kissed their ass. yell more at the people who actually worked. 3. too much favortism. favorites got more hours more than 32 per week. allowed to slack and goof off. 4.not improving disadvantaged people. they are over worked and the disabled are underpaid. 5.production unreasonable. hardliners produce 100 peices an hour and softliners 75 peices an hour. receive write ups if you dont keep up. most stuff people bring is garbage. 6.uncomfortable work environment. superiors spill your secret that suppose to stay in office. too much gossip, managers only care about money and making themselves ... Read more

Nasty place to work, Thrift store prices are becoming a thing of the past. Helping nobody that really needs it.

I worked for a Goodwill in the NCW region (anyone from this area will know what that is). I was hired to manage a fairly new concept to Goodwill; a 3,000 sq ft. book dept that stocked over 30,000 titles. Previously to Goodwill I had worked for an independent bookstore for over 8 years, so i considered myself an expert in the literature world. All was good for the first couple months at this Goodwill, I had freedom to make changes and improvements which increased sales nearly double from the previous year. I also helped to launch an ecommerce book selling division. The company also approached me and asked if I would set-up the floor plan and be part of a new million dollar store being set-up to the north of my city ( i'd also like to add that this new million dollar store has a "meditation/ lactation" room with leather furniture!Spendy!)I agreed to this project with the understanding i was going to be compensated for my extra hard work. not so. i was compensated for gas. mind you this w... Read more

Wow - a site that I was looking for!! I was fired by Goodwill, yesterday, for "throwing a monitor" into one of the huge cardboard boxes which was empty. Mind you a monitor is not light by any means and having to gently place a 50 lb monitor to the bottom of this thing is not possible. Never mind the fact that these computer parts are recycled and don't work ANYWAY.... I was fired for that reason. That is not all. The Goodwill store in Janesville, Wisconsin is by far the worst I have ever worked at over the past 2 years. Employees are treated like total crap, in most cases downright hostile. I was a donation attendant at this one and was told on a day to day basis "Don't let the customers see what we are throwing away".... yes we would throw away things before we even look at them. Even toxic materials. The production crew was forced to make "Production Goals" that are unbelievable - in the range of $14k to $22k a day. A DAY. These goals are based off of previous year numbers, sa... Read more

This is awfull I looked at the dates of some of these posts. People Pass this site around to you know. And to any employed by goodwill you know. I have not met one happy person in the two years I have worked there. And every post I have read hear is true. I personaly have seen 10's of thousands of $$ crushed in the compactor were I work. Horrid mistreatment of employees and mor. It is a fear based company for the people who are required to to work there. There is so so very much more I intend to write about this awful fake company

Good thrift stores, I think Fred Grandy runs this organization still.

I was employed by goodwill store in Western Chicago Suburbs and I can also atest to the fact that donations brought into these stores are mostly thrown out and good items are taken off the shelves and thrown in the back to be put in the garbage for more stuff.They also treat there employees like crap.In the back where the stuff is unpackaged there is no saftey to protect the workers hands from the sometimes harmful fecal/urine stained items and broken glasses.Plus, they dont train or treat any person with a disablility with respect or train them. I have a mental disability and they just shipped me out with no concern. I was promised breaks and worked a 9 hour shift with no break.I also know that they have employees clean out the bathrooms with no proper gloves ect and those employees are then put out on the floor handling items.This place is horrid and I dont recommend anyone donate to them("dont let the donors see you throwin stuff out or breaking it when they pull up") and everything... Read more

i currently work for goodwill and no i don't have have any dissabilaties and i'm not mentally ill. i am the person who straightens the store and stocks shelves and i just thought i'd let the very ignorant person who wrote that comment in on a little secret... we're not all retards. i really didn't appreciate that anyway as for everything else your right. i'm a little upset today because i just checked my bank account and found that there's no christmas bonus for this year. i really needed that extra little bit just to pay rent this month but it looks like rent and christmas are not in goodwill's vocabulary. i've been working for goodwill industries for 20 months now and it's just not paying the bills. everyday feels like a sin when perfectly good donations are thrown out just because we have to much of something or when a stupid bag comes in and is priced for $300.00. or when theft is a major issue but upper management just lets it occur even when it does affect your personal paycheck.... Read more

They help good people... but im sure someone gets rich from running the organization.

I suppose this outfit is fine as long as administrative costs are not too high. I haven't heard one way or the other.

I love goodwill. You can get brand name idems like: Abercrombie and Fitch, Aeropostle, American Eagle, Old Navy, and many nore, for really cheep. I love to go there, its my favorite place to shop. I can get 10 shirts there, for the price of one at some other store. You can really find treasures there. Most of the clothes are in great condition there. I rearly find anything stained or ripped there. AND Since you grow up so fast, you only wear clothes for a year or two, so why pay high prices for a shirt you will wear once. I can get a shirt there for $2.00 - $3.00 there. I also recycle everything I possibly can. So, why not get cheep, high quality clothes insted of expensive, high quality clothes? plus, you will help recycle to save the earth.

GLAD TO HAVE FOUND THIS SITE....MY LOCAL " GOODWILL" IS A JOKE. ASIDE FROM CHARGING PRICES THAT ARE CLOSE TO RETAIL, I HAVE PHOTOGRAPHED THEIR DUMPSTER, WHICH WILL BE IN THIS WEEKS PAPER..... PEOPLE DONATE THINKING THAT ITEMS (ones i shot) mainly brand new childrens toys, with tags and nooooo stains, tossed in the dumbster. HMMMMM NON PROFIT, WONDER WHAT THE CEOS OR PRESIDENT OR WHOM EVER RUNS THE LOCAL GOODWILLS TAKE HOME EACH YEAR???? NOW IF THEY DID NOT WANT TO SELL PERFECTLY GOOD TOYS, GAMES ETC. PLACE IT ASIDE AND CALL A CHURCH OR BETTER STILL HAVE A FOR FREE BIN. RECENTLY SALVATION ARMY WAS IN THE PAPER FOR REFUSING TO ACCEPT TWO COUCHES BECAUSE THE MGR CLAIMED THEY HAD STAINS, SHE MUSTA NEVER HEARD OF SHOUT ETC. I WANTED TO EXPOSE HER FOR OVER TWO YRS, SOMEONE BEAT ME TO THE PUNCH. NOW THE STORE IS PRETTY EMPTY THESE DAYS. ALSO SEE MGRS HOARDING QUALITY ITEMS TO LOAD UP FOR THEMSELVES AFTER WARDS. GOD FORBID YOU HAVE ONLY 5 BUCKS FOR A PAIR OF JEANS PRICED AT 8 DOLLARS....OR A H... Read more

I used to work at a Goodwill store for about a year and a half and I can tell you that the longer I worked there, the worse I thought if this place. The employees are treated like dirt and although some may be 20+ years old, they are treated as if they were 13. You RARELY get raises and when you do, they suck. The turnover rate is horrendous - people get fired all the time. They have this point system where you get fired once you're out of points, from calling off of work or coming in late. I personally have known people who lost their final points because of the following reasons: someone lost their license and had a difficult time getting to work on time, someone had severe bronchitis and missed a week of work, someone's mother was in critical condition in the hospital and he pretty much chose seeing his mother over coming in for work that weekend, someone else lost their job for putting a hole in a wall with a forklift but the hole was there before he got hired...there are many othe... Read more

It depends on who's in charge. I've known some that still adhere to the original tone and some who do every little dirty underhanded thing you can think of, including but not limited to, stealing from homeless people, taking home goods before higher officials can catch them, keeping garages filled with drop offs and later, having yard sales at the expense of the under priviliged, and even abusing the employees. I've turned one in to the authorities. No problem!

This is an organization that had pure intentions in it's beginning, but is sliding downhill faster as years go by. At one time, it was an organization that helped people in need. Today, I honestly couldn't tell you what their intentions are, but I'm willing to bet $$$ has something to do with it.

I worked at Goodwill (in NC) for 2 years. People honestly do not know what goes on in these stores. We have consumers (which are mentally/physically disabled employees that are paid a special wage which is much lower than the $7.00) and they are put in and pushed to work harder than a person making twice the pay. To me, it was sickening. I actually went to the Vice-President and asked him about it, and was given the These people are learning a trade speech. I still view it more as a taking advantage of someone type position. Because they sure didn't learn anything about working in the real world. Take that with employee theft, horrible customers, low wages, bad neighborhoods, late hours, robberies, and constant harassment from management, and you will see that this is a horrible place to work. It was the last place I worked before I started writing my book on corruption in non-profits. For research I worked at 3 different Organizations/stores. Goodwill was by far the worst. On a scale ... Read more

The Goodwill in Hazeldell Washington made untrained employees clean up the mess after a drug addict (presumably) used their fitting room to shoot up, leaving the needle in the middle of the main store and blood all over the fitting room. They then immediately opened the fitting room to the public. This particular Goodwill store has the worst track record for treating their employees unfairly and with unbeleivable contempt. Their utter disregard for their employees' safety (and the public's) is consistent with their general policy of controlling their staff through fear and intimidation. This store also cut many employees hours just low enough to deny them the insurance package they were promised when they were hired. This is an evil store, full of unhappy people being treated like dirt on a daily basis. The store number is 360-576-9916. Call and share your view of their behavior if you have a spare moment PLEASE! (Goodwill upper management in Portland could care less about all this...)

I just had a very disagreeable experience with the Goodwill San Francisco store at Geary near Hyde Streets. Inspired by someone in my building who was having a moving sale, I decided to do some weeding out of things I haven't used in a while and take them to Goodwill. This time when I started to take things out of my cart to put into their indoor bin, some guy came up to me and said he wanted to see what I had. He grabbed two jackets that were on the top and said they were dirty. They were NOT dirty -- they might have had ring-around-the-collar stains on them, but they were not "dirty." I thought Goodwill routinely dry-cleaned donated clothing items! Okay, so for some reason he considered these two very good, warm jackets "dirty." But THEN he just dismissed me totally, saying he didn't want **any** of it, without knowing about ANY of the other stuff I had crammed into this cart -- out of the goodness of my heart -- to donate to this very ungrateful charity, who, by the way, I hav... Read more