Nordstrom Complaint - Age discrimination

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-02-18:

There is the possibility that Nordstrom hires the most qualified people, and it has nothing to do with age. Do you personally know any older women who applied for a job at Nordstrom but were turned down? I think a store like Nordstrom would welcome mature employees.

Posted by singsing on 2011-02-18:

Odd, but when I'm home, I shop at the Portland OR Nordstrom stores (Downtown and Washington Square) and have not even noticed this. I do remember being waited on by people of varying ages. I find this true at the Vancouver, WA Nordstrom also. The people that have waited on me have always been very helpful and nice too. I am not young, so please don't think that's the reason I am not agreeing. Perhaps not as many older women apply for a job there? I guess I really don't care who waits on me as long as they can do their job well and give me assistance when I need it.

Posted by GenuineNerd on 2011-02-18:

There have been many cases reported where the aging unemployed have faced age discrimination when applying for employment. Some "help wanted" ads even mention "over 50 please do not apply" or "if you are unemployed please do not apply". This is blatant discrimination, although unenforceable. A good number of the unemployed, including "99ers" (those who maxed out the number of weeks of collecting unemployment compensation) are over 50...they had seniority at their previous jobs, but couldn't even get a job at a fast food joint. Many employers are guilty of this...if they hired the over-50's, the unemployment rate would go down.

Posted by Jen shops alot on 2011-11-27:

As recent employee of over 21 years with Nordstrom I would have to agree with some of the above comments. I had and outstanding employment record as pacesetter for 20 years. I feel that I was forced out of the company on bogus charges because of my age. The new Nordstrom employee is very young "20's", in-experienced with a poor work ethic. I'm guessing that's why they all still live at home with their parents. The managers are mostly in their 20's as well. Many of my co workers have been treated un-fairly based on age,all over 40. They are flooding the sales floor with so many sales people that no one can possibly meet their goals. In this way the managers can decide who they want to get rid of based on numbers alone. They can keep all of the new 20 somethings that they just hired and boot the older women that don't seem to fit in with their new image. I gave a big part of my life to Nordstrom and really thought that I would work there until retirement age but I guess they saw it differently. It's funny that they would let go of a million dollar seller for over 20 years to make room for another future Nordstrom leader.

Posted by shannon on 2011-12-16:

Okay...of course they don't want people over 50! This is a HUGE job, it's walking around and standing up and being with people all day. I'm 19 and I have trouble being able to stand like that all day! So of course they're going to hire who is best for the company! I sure WOULDN'T want a 50 year old over a 20 year old, they move slower! and that is just a fact, it's not discrimination and honestly I think if you're THAT old and have worked there for THAT long you probably should have moved up a LONG time ago so that us "20 somethings" can work on the floor and earn our ways up.

Posted by ruth on 2012-02-12:

First there's fifty then there's fifty,I could work circles around most 20 year olds any day of the week.Shannon has a lot to learn.

Posted by Roberta on 2012-07-22:

I have worked at Nordstrom for over 8 years in a large store, over 400 employees. I have witnessed the company firing all but one manager over 40 in the last 4 years. For all 8 years these managers were promoted through various levels, all stars and even though they were meeting or exceeding their goals....they were let go. There is only one manager left in our store over 40, and I suspect he will be gone soon. Sad, since the company had invested in their promotions, relocations and obviously grooming and training over many years. Very sad.

Top million dollar sellers who are over 40 are being given the worst schedules, etc. I am over 50 and the comment above about strength and the ability to physically do the job is laughable. The 20 year olds stand around talking about what they are going to purchase, and each other. I am busy helping customers and have to stop them talkng and ask them to help the customer waiting behind mine. I can run rings around their physical activity. I walk 2-3 miles a day weekdays ad 5-8 on the typical weekend no problem. A man gingerly gave me a load of dresses and then was shocked when I took it all on one finger.

There was a management meeting around 2 years ago where they were told, word for word, "if the managers do not want to move up or around (location), then they should be coached down or out". I have seen this happen systematically. Whether or not they meant to do so, this policy is effecting anyone over 40 in large numbers. Some over 40 have well established ties and/or family in their area and may not want to move up or around the country.

One of the new stylists (around 22) told an older woman customer that since she couldn't find anything the customer liked that: "you are just not trend forward enough for our services". This customer was very wealthy. I was assisting one of my regular customers and the other customer asked me for my card. She told me her story and said she had money to spend, but was almost going to give up on Nordstrom.

I have also seen long term employees fired within 1 and 2 years of retirement from Nordstrom.

The new younger stylists are coming in without any experience in the store, with our products or experience handling customers and customer issues. They are hired and their starting commission is 9% whereas longer term employees, even pacesetters and over million dollar sellers only receive 6.5% or so...depending on job.

Managers over 40 are almost gone, sales associates are probably next.

I had thought that Nordstrom was better than this. When I started at Nordstrom I was amazed that no matter the mix of ages, types, sexual preference in any given room - we got along and respected one another. Now it feels like a high school (not far off) lunch room where there are cliques and finger pointing. Very, very sad.

Posted by Vilo30 on 2012-12-23:

I work at a Nordstroms in LA and I must agree that the staff is indeed getting younger and younger. I don't think it has anything to do with Nordstrom in general but mainly with the management they put in charge. If they hire a young person to be a manager then (a) That manager is going to hire those he or she relates too. (b) You may even notice that whatever the race of the manager is he or she will only hire those of the same race.

We recently go a new manager who was Latino to work within our department. When she came in she came in changing things and acting like a bat out of hell. She had a pitbull type of attitude and seemed very mean to her new staff. One by one as each staff member whom became fed up with her ways left the store or quit and the one thing I notice is that they were all replaced by younger, latino staff who were very uneducated and willing to stab anyone in the back to get ahead. You make or say anything negative and they would run and tell her, you do anything wrong and you found yourself being written up. I don't think Nordstrom in general know this type bahavior is going on in their stores, but believe me it is.

Posted by bocaboy on 2013-01-20:

Nordstrom age discriminates on hiring managers only not hiring employees...they don't look at the age they only want sales...you could be a serial rapist or drug addict for all they know they think of there sales associates as expendible anyway...as long as u don't make the company look bad they will throw anyone on the floor...but if your older and have more management experience, most likely they will hire the 20 year old serial rapist before you

Posted by Jack on 2013-02-25:

Ive worked at Nordstrom for ten years and have observed that the company believes its future lies with a Younger Customer (YC in Nordstrom parlance). To go after the 'YC,' Nordstom is hiring younger employees and managers, and weeding out the more seasoned employees. It's no coincidence that the older veterans also have larger salaries, a bottom-line which can be lowered considerably by replacement with a younger worker.

Departments that cater to an older customer are being phased out(Narrative)while other departments are being revamped to appeal to twenty-somethings (Savvy). The entire Visual Merchandising team (the crew that changes the mannequins and install the window displays)are being replaced with younger, part-time employees who are willing to work at a much lower wage.

Is this age discrimination? Nordstrom has a sterling reputation in human rights policy and yet they seem to be getting away with firing their older employees, many who have been loyal to the company for years.

This issue is Nordstom's 'dirty little secret' and I am glad that it is being aired.

Posted by SAYNOTONORDSTROM on 2013-05-23:

I’m over 40 and recently Nordstrom “separated” employment with me. “Separated” was their terminology not mine.

“Why?”, you ask. I would like to let you know what reason they had or gave me but they gave me nothing more than this, “We’ve decided to separate with your employment.”

One might assume there must have been some justifiable act that occurred that led to our “separation”.

Well I’ll tell you what occurred but I don’t think it justifies the “separation”..

1. Almost 2 years employment
2. Sales were consistently level 3 or 4
(Nordstrom has scale of 1 - 4, 4 highest, and I was told my management that they prefer
3’s even more than 4’s. Reason being, as I WAS TOLD, Nordstrom’s philosophy is that if
all the departments sales staff is level 4 it’s only because the department has an
abundance of traffic and easy customers. Therefore they must throw in more people and
make sharks out of all of them.)
3.Made or exceeded my monthly quota for opening new credit card accounts
4. Won several department sales contests (Vendor promos)
5. Received several customer compliments (Customers called and wrote my manager and
the store manager.)
6. Loved by my Manager (She bragged about me all the time!)
7. Got along great with the rest of the department so well that none of us wanted to leave
each other (This is also rare!)
(Manager and sales friends constantly continue to call/text me and tell me they miss me.)
8. And I loved the people I worked with (Even my Manager and the ones near by- Really
rare!)
9. Gladly abided by the Manager’s policy, taking turns helping customers. (“You help one and
I’ll help the next...Many depts don’t “play” well like that!)
10 Called in sick once after it went around to everyone
11. Loved restocking shelves and supplies in down time
12. Constantly received compliments on my outfits
13 Not once complained to management or HR (Another rare occurrence.)
14. Had fun working and with the customers
15. I’m computer savvy (Used to teach co-workers various programs)
16. I’m healthy, active, slim and have good genes as far as looks go
17. And while the younger salespeople go in the stock room to make personal calls, texts
and instagrams,I preferred working, (Not saying I didn’t sneak an occasional purchased
ebar beverage in the back w/o putting it in my store approved cup, but I didn’t care to be
in the stockroom keeping up moment-by-moment contact with everyone like most of the
20 something crowd did. And that’s not due to my age, I’ve never been into personal calls
while at work. And no, I REALLY DIDN’T MIND if they did that while I worked on the floor,
that’s more sales for me.)
18.I naturally have a happy,upbeat attitude and I care about people and providing a good
experience (There are plenty of Sales Associates that really don’t care.)

22. Never written up
23 Good performance reviews
24. No warning or “talks”

And, a couple other occurrences -

25. More than one manager, while talking about their promotions, mentioned to me that the
store didn’t want Sales Associates or Sales Managers who were much older than 20
something.

26. It was only recently, prior to the separation, that I finally became eligible for health
coverage. (In a nutshell:You have to work full time hours, which in slow times you work
less, for consecutive 6 months before you’re eligible.)

27.To replace me there were 2 young women hired for part time. (20 something and won’t
expect benefits.)


AND, NOW GET THIS - Nordstrom, the company that decided to separate from a very good employee but couldn’t provide me with any reason, is trying to DENY my claim for unemployment benefits. And the Unemployment Insurance Department received no reason either.

i have to wonder. If they’re so wonderful, so ethical and caring to their employees why can’t they provide the reason.

AGE DISCRIMINATION? What do you think?

I think it may be a combination of my age and not wanting to contribute to the health plan they say they offer.

Regardless of that I still recommend you don’t consider Nordstrom for a job. (Nor a shopping place any more.) After the pain of the sudden separation began to clear up, I CAN SEE THIS WAS A BLESSING FOR ME. I’m one of the lucky ones. I was so busy working a very hectic and abnormal schedule, spending too much money and too many hours keeping up with the Nordstrom Glam...that I didn’t have a chance to think about how little I was earning for such hard work!

It’s true. Very few people can make even an adequate living there. If you have to support yourself, you may as well forget it. Especially of you want any other aspect of your life available,

I could never live on my own and expect to do so by working at Nordstrom, especially if I refuse to give Nordstrom 80 hours a weeks and still barely cover rent and food or refuse to set up sketchy sales and rip off schemes.