Is Working in Retail Close to Slavery?

Once I had thought maybe I was alone in this notion. Time and time again I've been proven wrong.

Many people don't think about what goes on in a retail store behind the scenes, only coming in to select the items they wish to buy. Unfortunately what people don't realize is, these people who work in retail, are stressed out, tired, and usually not happy with being there. Granted, we have all had our issues with service from a retail store, the people not being helpful or friendly in some way. Have you ever thought why? Some think it's because they are miserable, not positive about themselves. Honestly, you couldn't have hit it closer to the mark.

The reason for terrible service or items not being up to par has a lot to do with the company, and it's employees. The notion that life in a retail store is like a Walgreen's commercial is comical at best. The majority of retail businesses focus so much on pleasing the customer that they forget about the most essential ingredient. The employees.

The majority of men and women who work in retail management combat the most bizarre and simply abusive general public. They also work beyond a recommended life/work balance, putting in at least 50-70 hours a week. Another large issue is companies tend to cut back on employees and thus sending the management into a "retail hell" by only having enough hours to run the store with only one manager and one employee for the duration of the time the store is open.

It's a falsehood that bigger retail chains tend to have massive amounts of people working at a given time. They only want it to "look" that way. In reality those same people are doing 4-5 different positions in the store during the time they are there. When you approach these people asking for help, they simply don't have the time to walk around with you and help you pick out the items you may need.