Dollar General staff all quit at same time, citing ‘lack of appreciation’

MINERAL POINT, Wis. (Spectrum News) - A Dollar General store in Wisconsin was closed after all its employees quit at the same time.

Trina Tribolet was the general manager at the Dollar General in Mineral Point for about a year. After their shift Friday, she and five other staff members left notes on the door saying they all quit.

“This is something we’ve been talking about the last couple months,” Tribolet said. “Until Friday night when we walked away, this weekend was my first time off since Christmas.”

Tribolet says the staff were underpaid and overworked. She adds she’d been working seven days a week for months because, as the manager, she was only allotted so many paid hours to give to her staff. She will now be taking a mental break while the other former staff members take new jobs they already had lined up.

Tribolet says the staff didn’t want to leave, especially when they have customers who rely on them, but they wanted all their hard 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.

No one came to open the Dollar General on Saturday morning, so it was closed for about three hours, according to a company spokesperson. The store now has a new staff.

The spokesperson said Dollar General is “committed to providing an environment where employees can grow their careers and where they feel valued and heard. "

While there were many issues working at the store, Tribolet says the food donation policy was “the last straw,” as she was disturbed by how many items were thrown out. She says Dollar General donates food to pantries, but there are very specific guidelines and only a portion of what’s available actually helps 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.”

Dollar General’s public relations team said that they’re following Feeding America donation guidelines.

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