Emily Brown
A Dollar General store in Wisconsin was forced to close after every member of staff quit at the same time.
That'll certainly send a message!
Trina Tribolet was one of six members of staff working at the Dollar General in Mineral Point, Wisconsin, when they all decided to walk out on Friday (March 8).
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Tribolet claimed she'd been working seven days a week because, as the general manager of the location, she was only allotted so many paid hours to give to her staff.
Speaking to CBS7, Tribolet said: “Until Friday night when we walked away, this weekend was my first time off since Christmas.”
Tribolet had been working as the manager at the store for about a year, and revealed that she and other members of staff began talking about walking out a couple of months ago.
On Friday, they followed through with their plans by leaving at the end of the shift and leaving notes on the door to say they had all quit.
The manager said the staff didn’t want to leave their customers in the lurch, but she claimed they were underpaid and overworked, and wanted their work to be appreciated.
“A lot of our regulars came in there every day, and it’s hard on all of us to not be able to see them every day because they brighten your day,” she said.
Though she did have issues with hours and pay, Tribolet said the 'last straw' related to the company's food donation policy, as the former manager was disturbed by how much of the food they were ordered to throw out.
Dollar General donates food to pantries, but there are specific guidelines the company follows, and only a portion of what’s available goes to helping other people.
“There have been tears that have been shed over the fact that we’re throwing away coffee that is not expired, but it’s close,” Tribolet said.
“Or you’re throwing out a box of Lucky Charms that you know there’s a whole bunch of kids that would love to eat those, but you can’t donate them out because you’re supposed to throw them away," she continued.
With no one around to open the store on Saturday morning, the Dollar General remained closed for about three hours.
A spokesperson for the company said the store now has new staff.
In a statement to UNILAD, they added: "At Dollar General, we are committed to providing an environment where employees can grow their careers and where they feel valued and heard.
"We apologize for any inconvenience our customers experienced during the three hours the Mineral Point store was closed this past weekend.
In response to Tribolet's issues with the food donation program, the store’s public relations team said it is following guidelines laid out by Feeding America.
It said: "Additionally, we are proud to serve local Wisconsin communities with donations through our Feeding America partnership at 21 stores across the state. The Mineral Point Dollar General store has donated nearly 7,500 pounds of food to local food banks such as Second Harvest Food Bank of Southern Wisconsin over the past twelve months.
"Food safety is a top priority for Dollar General and Feeding America members, therefore, DG stores are required to follow Feeding America donation policies.
Now she's left the store behind, Tribolet shared plans to take a mental break, while other members of staff have already moved on to new jobs.