Put away your phone, learn your brisket, and be ready to stand for 8 hours with no lunch break.
It takes more than just making sure those bathrooms are spotless to work at Buc-ee's.
Are you friendly and eager to lend a helping hand? Then you
should have no trouble getting a job at your neighborhood Buc-ee's.
"Welcome to Buc-ee's!"
"Welcome to Buc-ee's!" "Welcome to Buc-ee's!"
According to Climb, applicants aren't required to have much experience in order to secure
employment. Besides maybe a high school diploma, potential candidates can woo the recruiter with
a few simple traits: an upbeat attitude, a strong work ethic, and plenty of flexibility.
Many Buc-ee's alumni who've posted on Indeed agree that the hiring process is
fairly routine for a service gig. Applicants are contacted by management to set up an
interview to determine if the individual is a good fit for the team. If selected,
they'll complete a background check and drug test. Depending on the particular circumstances,
candidates might even go through multiple interviews before finding out if they got the job.
Like most entry-level positions, going from the interview to wearing the badge
is also quick. Climb reports a couple of days on average,
but some employees allege scoring the role in 24 hours, with a gift associate writing on Indeed -
"You spend about 9 hours training on [a] computer and then you are officially an employee."
A single Buc-ee's location can house as many as 250 team members under its roof
to keep up with the influx of customers and daily
tasks. As general manager Floyd Freeman tells Alabama Living -
"It takes an army to keep Buc-ee's operating 24/7."
While it can be overwhelming, the plus side is that it can also be
rewarding since there are constantly co-workers around. If expanding your
social circle is a goal, it'll definitely happen at Buc-ee's.
Taking into account the convenience store's astronomical measurements, it's no wonder
the chain maintains a fleet of hired hands to perform the necessary, if not adrenaline-packed,
tasks that a bustling, theme park-esque rest stop like Buc-ee's is capable of demanding.
In this economy, the federal minimum wage is downright paltry at $7.25 per hour, as listed by
the U.S. Department of Labor. Buc-ee's workers, on the other hand, can make double that amount.
In 2021, Austonia reported that wages started at $14 an hour for cashiers or gift associates,
complete with opportunities for advancement to higher-paying roles, and that figure increased
to $15 or $16 in 2022. Buc-ee's takes pride in its attractive compensation, as evidenced
by the signs hanging throughout the store advertising each position's hourly expectations.
To keep current workers on board as well as draw new faces into the hiring pool,
general counsel Jeff Nadalo emphasizes the importance of keeping wages competitive, saying -
"We have to look at a business plan that serves the customer but also provides an
environment where employees are going to want to stay and will encourage career development."
Clearly, a good paycheck matters to just about any worker in any field,
and plenty of Buc-ee's employees cite the high pay as a prime incentive to work there.
If there's one thing that might make you reconsider working at Buc-ee's, it's the high
turnover rate. According to The Washington Post, poor management, rigid policies, and exhausting
work conditions have come under scrutiny by workers who claim the company drives them away.
People who have worked at Buc-ee's express more than just indifference
upon leaving their jobs. Take this account from a former cashier posting on Indeed -
"They work the heck out of good employees until they quit and then borderline shun them for it."
Add in surveillance cameras and signage reading "don't forget who pays you,"
and it isn't so surprising that people would flee.
"They definitely have a, uh, a higher expectation and you know that probably
you know, ties into, you know, why they do uh, pay a little bit more."
Even after boasting generous wages and a 401K plan, Buc-ee's struggles to match its
employee-friendly image when it's evident hirees would much prefer taking their labor elsewhere.
The retailer's Indeed profile shows a 2.7-star average from over 800 reviews.
According to a merchandise team leader,
don't expect any lulls or low peaks at this 24/7 rest stop, as they wrote on Indeed -
"You will stay busy for your entire 8-hour shift."
As anyone who visits Buc-ee's can confirm, a normal part of the experience is seeing
employees hard at work in their respective departments. Keeping the store's metaphorical
engine running means there's not a minute for workers to spare or let up on their duties.
Remaining open for long stretches of time essentially demands a non-stop stream of labor.
As such, workers endure a lot of pressure while on the job. To give outsiders a sense of just
how much staff members hustle around the clock, take this little fact nugget from Alabama Living:
A location in Baldwin County allegedly receives shipments every single hour.
Although Buc-ee's is one of the few retail establishments that advertises 40-hour work weeks,
the chain isn't exactly consistent with scheduling. One Indeed review revealed
employees often work past their shift when there's not enough staff to cover the load. However,
Buc-ee's will shave off the extra time from their next shift to keep
their hours below the threshold for providing full-time benefits.
It's also not unheard of for Buc-ee's employees to clock in more than just
the standard eight hours. One individual who posted Buc-ee's work schedule wrote -
"These shift guidelines are never followed and you
can guarantee that you'll be there for more than 10 hours at a time."
Eight hours doesn't seem so bad in a vacuum. But multiplied by seven consecutive days of standing
on your feet non-stop? Well, you can bet even the most chipper busy beaver would be wiped out.
Former and current employees alike have attested to receiving as little as five
minutes to collect themselves during a whole shift. According to one Reddit commenter,
the chain doesn't provide restroom breaks, lunch breaks,
or even a break room for employees to temporarily kick their feet up.
Eight hours of work in exchange for a lunch break is a widely accepted norm in retail
work these days. However, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration writes that employers
don't have to provide these benefits, or at the very least won't face trouble from the federal
government for refusing. So technically, Buc-ee's is able to get away with skimping on time off.
In addition to short breaks, Buc-ee's does not allow its employees to sit down,
with another Reddit user commenting -
"They get a five to ten minute 'personal
moment' where they're allowed to eat STANDING UP at a table in the back."
A cashier alleged that even getting a chance to use the restrooms could
be a struggle. They told The Washington Post -
"I've asked sometime to go to the bathroom,
and it's been a couple hours before I'm allowed to go."
Texas Monthly writes that phones are strictly off-limits for employees,
and that rule takes effect the moment workers clock in. It's a longstanding
policy that if violated, could get workers terminated on the spot.
Of course, it makes sense that a retailer would enforce rules
surrounding phone usage. But at the same time, banishing phones from the premises
has been a hassle for employees who need to make childcare arrangements or tend
to personal responsibilities. As one food service associate wrote on Simply Hired -
"Your family has no means of contacting you the entire time you are at work,
even if it's a life or death emergency situation."
Surprisingly, workers aren't the only ones expected to grind off the grid. Per Buc-ee's,
it axed phone lines from stores years ago due to the inconvenience caused
by workers answering the calls and customer inquiries are now taken through the website.
As The Nashville Ledger writes, employees are hired specifically to clean, scrub,
and polish every toilet bowl at Buc-ee's until it sparkles. Furthermore, according to The St.
Augustine Record, workers are assigned to monitor the restrooms on a 24-hour basis,
ensuring that the cleanliness the chain successfully markets is always on display.
"You know we uh, we try real hard to keep the bathrooms as clean as
we can keep them. I think we do a pretty good job."
When Buc-ee's won Cintas' coveted Best Bathroom in America back in 2012,
it was the hard-working Buc-ee's staff who received a shout-out
for a well-deserved victory, with market development official Gary Gonzaba raving -
"Whenever I go here, there's always someone — seemingly right behind me — cleaning up."
Buc-ee's is adamant that its workforce presents a clean-cut image, which is why when walking into
one of its locations, you won't see body piercings or ripped jeans on anyone wearing a name tag.
Strict dress codes aren't unusual in the world of retail, but Buc-ee's enforces some staggeringly
rigid rules on personal appearance that might not register to visitors passing through.
Buc-ee's dress code is posted on its website, listing open-toed footwear, unnatural hair dyes,
and disheveled attire as being firmly prohibited by the company. According to Texas Monthly,
male employees can't grow out their hair, and Indeed reports that ear piercings are
the only valid body modification, assuming that they're single studs in the ear lobe.
The store bars tattoos that are visible, and as far as facial hair goes, it's better to play it
safe according to another commenter on Indeed - "Beards are acceptable, but keep it neat."
From the moment you approach Buc-ee's Texas Round Up, you'll see pitmasters
wearing cowboy hats while wrangling slab after slab of smoked meat. While the chain keeps the
process under wraps, The Nashville Ledger reports that there's plenty of evidence to
suggest the standards are astronomically high for any worker wielding the knife.
Food Network reports that Randy Pauly, the company's director of barbecue who
oversees the Daytona Beach store, has a resume that includes eight world championship wins,
a telling sign that Buc-ee's takes its barbecue extremely seriously.
"FRESH chopped brisket on the board! Oh look at that!"
By that logic, the company isn't afraid to invest time into employees to truly let their
skills marinate, and with lots of practice, become the reigning kings of the grill.
Austonia writes that Buc-ee's has been known to promote workers from within, encouraging
retention by making the store atmosphere a place team members can enjoy long-term. Simply put,
there's a lot of potential for lower-rung hires seeking out a higher station at the company.
Operations district manager Mandi Carlile reveals that it took six
years as a cashier to eventually land the corporate role they're in today,
with Mandi writing in a testimonial for the company's website -
"I believe I am an example of what job opportunities
are available to all employees at Buc-ee's."
Even with these rosy promises of career advancement, the reality isn't always so
pretty. One Indeed comment attests to management favoring certain people for promotions, while
another claims job growth is a rare occurrence. In fact, some employees accuse the chain of
choosing to hire outside the company, rather than granting an existing worker a new title.
Should you violate the terms of your Buc-ee's contract, you just might land in a heap of legal
trouble. In 2016, a former assistant manager was sued by Buc-ee's for over $67,000 after
breaking their agreement early. The Houston Chronicle writes that because the employee quit
a year prior to the original agreement, they would need to pay the company back
the retention pay that was included in their salary, hence the lawsuit's eye-popping sum.
Retention pay is a method of compensation provided by a company to motivate long-term
employment. According to The McKinney Law Firm, P.C., for a business like Buc-ee's
to mandate such strict conditions is unusual. Not only did the employee's contract demand six
months advance notice for leaving before the agreed-upon time frame, but the chain
expected a refund of the retention pay accrued during their tenure if they bailed prematurely.
Initially, the employee lost the case and was handed a $100,000 bill for Buc-ee's side. However,
the Texas Court of Appeals reversed the ruling in 2017, forcing Buc-ee's to cough
up the amount to the affected employee instead. Considering they were hired on an at-will basis,
the San Antonio Employment Law Blog argues the original agreement was out of bounds
with the employee's role, and therefore unreasonable for Buc-ee's to enforce.