CVS Store Managers Being Pushed Beyond Their Limits?
I’m a CVS store manager, and I wanted to bring up something that’s been weighing on me and likely many others in the same role. I’m curious if anyone else has experienced these issues and what your thoughts are.
As store managers, we’re salaried and expected to work 45 hours a week. But over the years, CVS has been consistently reducing payroll, making it impossible to complete all of our required duties without putting in significantly more hours—often 50–60 hours a week or more. And we don’t get overtime pay for those extra hours because we’re classified as “exempt.”
Here’s where it gets tricky:
Supervising fewer than two associates: Due to payroll reductions, I’m often supervising only one associate per shift—or sometimes working completely alone. From what I understand, one of the key criteria for exempt status under labor laws (Fair Labor Standards Act, FLSA) is regularly supervising at least two employees. If that’s not happening, should we even be classified as exempt?
Performing non-managerial tasks: A large chunk of my time is spent doing work that a non-exempt associate could handle—like running the register, stocking shelves, or cleaning—because there simply aren’t enough hours for associates to take care of it.
This feels like a serious misalignment between how our jobs are classified and the reality of what we’re doing. And honestly, it’s taking a toll—mentally, physically, and emotionally and skewing any chance at a work-life balance.
If this is happening across the board, it seems like a widespread issue that might even justify legal action or some sort of collective push for change.
So, my questions to other CVS store managers are:
Are you finding yourself in similar situations with reduced payroll forcing you to work excessive hours or handle non-managerial tasks?
Are you frequently supervising fewer than two associates, or even working alone?
Do you feel that CVS is taking advantage of salaried managers by stretching us too thin and forcing us into situations that might not align with labor laws?
If this resonates with you, I think it’s time we start a conversation about this. If enough of us are experiencing this, we might be able to come together and push for better treatment, whether that’s through collective action, legal avenues, or just raising awareness.
Let’s discuss—your experiences, thoughts, and any advice are all welcome.
*yes, I had chatgpt help me write this, as it did a far better job proofreading and making what I had typed flow far better grammatically.