A Dollar General manager shares the final emotional moments of her position as she packs up her office and quits due to strains on her mental and physical health at her workplace.
In a video with over 2.1 million views, TikTok user Jess (@messyjess86) shows boxes of unopened stock on carts throughout the store and in the back room.
“I am officially done,” Jess says in the clip. “I am on a skeleton crew once again.” A skeleton crew is when businesses employ the minimum number of workers to keep afloat. Workers on a skeleton crew are frequently overworked and underpaid to keep costs down.
Why is this Dollar General Manager quitting?
“I actually want to work. But I don’t want to work on my own,” Jess tearfully says. “I am so tired of giving this company every ounce of me.”
She explains that due to understaffing and unreliable workers, she has to work 80-hour weeks for the past four months just to maintain essential operations at her store. But she doesn’t have time to complete all the tasks needed to keep the store presentable.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do for income. But it’s pick between income or my mental health,” she says as she places her belongings in a bin, preparing to vacate her office in the back of the store.
Jess also shows a note she wrote to one reliable worker, wishing him well and explaining why she was leaving.
“I can’t mentally do it. I can’t physically do it,” Jess says at the end of the clip. “I need all of the good juju.”
What’s happening at Dollar General?
While Jess doesn’t share specifics, she alludes that Dollar General corporate hasn’t allowed her to hire more workers to meet the demands of keeping up with her store. This left her to pick up the slack herself.
Other current and former Dollar General store managers share their experiences in the comments.
“I feel you there. I was a key holder at Dollar General and it sucked cause I had to work all time since we had a skeleton crew too I was over worked and under paid for my position,” one writes.
“Girl, I was doing 70-hour weeks and my DM told me to come in earlier to stock. My blood pressure was SO high from that job. I had no choice but to leave,” another says.
Jess responds, “They want us here at 6 a.m. most days now. Plus, work till however late you have to. It’s BS. This company is about to go down. 5 years tops.”
Viewers respond
Other viewers—many who say they frequent Dollar General—respond to Jess’s video.
“Our local DG here has been closed the last couple of days because everyone walked out! I’m in Indiana, so it must be the company in general,” one says.
“Ugh, I’m so sorry I go to Dollar General a lot and I see the same manager ALL THE TIME,” another writes.
While Jess has yet to accept an offer for a new management position, she comments that she just received one for a grocery store role.
According to Axios, Dollar General and other dollar store brands are struggling with finances and a slew of other problems, including worker safety, theft, inventory damage, and excessive discounts.
@messyjess86 My mental and physical well being mean something to me. My family is being neglected by me because of this job. So im saying. I have given so much to this company and store and i just keep getting defeated. So im officially saying #goodbye #dollargeneral #iquit #mentalhealthmatters #dobetter #fyp #contentcreator #foryou ♬ original sound – Jess~mom,beauty,fashion&ttshop
The Daily Dot reached out to Jess via email and TikTok direct message. We also commented Dollar General for further comment.
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