Whole Foods and Publix, two well-known supermarket chains, do the Culture Showdown tango today. We’ll take a look at both companies’ work cultures from the inside out, depending on Comparably’s employee-submitted data to see which company has happier, more cared-for workers. A little preliminary info: High-toned Whole Foods has a much smaller number of stores in the country, just 479 compared to Publix’ 1250. But Whole Foods was bought a few years ago by universe disrupter Amazon, which means major distribution capability. To combat this, Publix has announced a deal to deliver with Instacart starting in 2020.
OVERALL CULTURE
Publix wins for Overall Culture, but by a relatively slim five points.
About Whole Foods, one employee writes, “They figure out what people need to be the best employees. They’re not interested in working you to death and then hiring a replacement. I feel like I matter. Plus, when you work over a holiday, they feed you and have sports massages available. It’s awesome.” Another isn’t so sure: “I was excited to get hired here and it has been downhill ever since Amazon took over. Whole Foods has completely lost touch with their core values.”
Publix workers are often incredibly proud of their company culture: “While I realize no company is perfect, I am not sure where we could improve on the culture of Publix,”writes one employee. Another says, “I used to not like it, but they helped me come out of my shell and meet so many people.” A third writes, definitively, “We all get along extremely well, work together well, respect each other, help each other, and overall we just have great teamwork which is by and large due to management picking the right people to work there.”
CEO
Publix’ Todd Jones’ score beats Whole Foods’ John Mackey’s by almost ten points.
One Publix employee says of Jones, “We are proud to have him as our CEO,” and cites Jones’ contribution to disaster relief during the aftermath of Hurricane Michael. About company leadership in general, another writes that they appreciate the brass’ “open door policy, and how they listen to your concerns on how the store should be run.” A third says, “Management routinely works 12-14 hour days 5-6 days a week. The work life balance isn’t great for those with families, at least in management.”
About Whole Foods’ Mackey, an employee writes, “Most people think he has the company and team members’ best interests in mind. He’s generally thought to be abrasive though – just an odd guy. I don’t know if many people think that matters too much in his position. So long as he’s making smart decisions for the company.” Another says Mackey is “very down to earth. Attends store openings and set ups in jeans and sneakers, gets his hands dirty.”
COMPENSATION
Publix takes the brass ring once again, this time in terms of worker compensation, beating Whole Foods by almost ten points.
One Publix worker writes, “I think that for the work we do the compensation is good and offers us, the employees many opportunities to save and move up in the workforce.” Another writes, “it would be nice to get a raise, but that will come with time.” “They should reinstate Sunday pay for everyone who is full time or part-time; in addition, bring back vacation pay for part-timers,” writes another Publix employee. “We earn stock in the company through an employee ownership plan that everyone who works a certain amount of hours for a year or more qualifies for,” says a fourth.
“The company has good compensation for its workers,” writes an employee of the package Whole Foods offers workers. Another says “the wages are above market average.” “Better treatment and pay, plus more generous breaks, and small things like letting us keep water nearby would be nice,” writes a further Whole Foods worker. One more writes, “Employees need to get better benefits and pay, hands down. If not, they need a union.”
PERKS & BENEFITS
Whole Foods pulls out a close-call win here, beating Publix’ score for Perks & Benefits by four percentage points.
A Whole Foods worker writes, “Time off, including paid, is generous. Salaried employees, who are often in management positions, usually work more than 40 h/w but there’s a culture of talking about work/life balance and genuine effort from higher ups to cultivate it.” Another says the company offers, “20-30% off food. Free healthcare with seniority/years of service.” One more Whole Foods employee raves about the company’s Team Member Relief Fund from experience: “I had a medical issue and couldn’t work for a month. I spoke to my team leader and they sent me a check to cover rent and bills. Twice a week my co-workers would grocery shop for me and bring us good, healthy food, as well as treats for my son.”
A Publix worker writes, “They do provide benefits but you have to work certain amount of hours to receive them and it seems that they kind of make sure you don’t get that far.” Those benefits, when achieved, include “Health, dental, vision, long term disability and life insurance. Its employee owned. Sick and vacation pay. Holiday pay.”
GENDER
Publix racks up another win in the Gender category, leaving Whole Foods in their wake to the tune of six percentage points.
DIVERSITY
Diversity, our last category, represents a dead heat between Publix and Whole Foods.
One employee says of Whole Foods, “there is diversity among the team.”
For Publix, a worker writes the company has “great work diversity,” but another says the chain needs to add more “fairness and diversity in the workplace.”
