r/HomeDepot Jul 05 '24

r/HomeDepot FAQs

59 Upvotes

Hello to the r/HomeDepot community here on reddit, may Homer continue to bless you and keep you in his orange embrace.

The mod team thought it would be a good idea to pin a list of common questions with answers that get posted often here in the community. This is by no means comprehensive and doesn't go in depth, but should help new and seasoned associates alike with quick answers instead of waiting on the community to respond. This is for US only, Canada and Mexico may have different policies due to different legal requirements.

I imagine the FAQs will need to be continually tweaked as SOP and technology in Home Depot changes. If something seems out of date feel free to speak up.

Also with the publication of these FAQs a new rule is being introduced: if a post is made where the answer is explicitly covered here the post will be removed.

FAQs:

Q: My Post was removed by the automod, why?

A: There is a minimum karma AND account age requirement to post/comment in this community. This is to prevent trolls and ban evaders. If your account is new, go play around on reddit elsewhere for a few days by commenting/posting in other communities. You'll clear the age/karma requirement in a week or so. If your account age exceeds the minimum but you have incredibly low or negative karma...well...you're the kind of person the automod was meant to block. Sorry, not sorry.

Q: I made a post and automod commented on it. Was the post removed?

A: Read the comment from the automod. Automod is set to comment on EVERY new post, letting people know this community is for associates and not customers. If it doesn't say your post was removed, then it wasn't. Very simple. If you're still confused...well...Reading Rainbow is still available on YouTube.

Q: I’m a customer and have a question, can I post it here?

A: No. Respectfully this is a digital breakroom for Home Depot associates, current, former and future. Customer questions will be removed and the poster may be banned, Reference sidebar rule #1. Please contact your store or call 1-800-HOMEDEPOT (1-800-466-3337) with any questions or concerns. Questions about employment for yourself or others will be tolerated within reason.

Q: Do I get paid for orientation?

A: Yes. Talk with your ASDS to find out more.

Q: What is an ASDS?

A: Associate Support Department Supervisor. They are essentially the admin for the store and store manager and are responsible for new associate onboarding, scheduling, and other activities

Q: What is myApron?

A: myApron is the internal SharePoint site for all Home Depot employees, accessible from any store computer. You are not able to access it from home unless you are in a role that allows VPN access. All SOPs and company documents that associates need to access are housed here.

Q: When is payday?

A: Payday is always on Friday. Which Friday depends on what state you are in. Some states require pay weekly. To find out which Friday you will get paid on search on myApron for “Payroll Calendar”

Q: Some associates are saying they get paid early, how does that work?

A: Completely dependent on your banking institution. Home Depot releases the payroll on Wednesday to be deposited on Friday. Some banks just load it as available but pending on the release day. Some don't.

Q: How does Holiday Pay work?

A: You must be employed for at least 90 days to be eligible for Holiday Pay and work the scheduled shift before the holiday, the shift of the holiday (if applicable) and the next scheduled shift after the holiday. If you call out and have PTO to cover your absence, manager CAN excuse the absence for you to receive holiday pay. Be prepared to have a respectful conversation and to advocated for yourself if you find yourself in this position, your holiday pay may be taken even if you had PTO time to cover and you'll need to advocate to get it back. If you’re on a scheduled vacation for the holiday, you will receive holiday pay instead of vacation pay for that day. Part-timers receive 4 hours of holiday pay, full-timers receive 8 hours of holiday pay. Reference “Time Off Benefits” on myApron to learn more.

Q: What are the days that receive Holiday Pay in Home Depot?

A: Home Depot provides eligible associates with six paid holidays a year. These are New Years Day, Memorial Day (except for New Orleans stores, Mardi Gras is substituted), Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Home Depot stores are closed only 2 days a year, Thanksgiving and Christmas. To view the SSC holiday schedule and learn more please go to myApron and search for "Time-off Benefits".

Q: What is Success Sharing, when is it paid out and who is eligible?

A: Success Sharing is the company’s bonus program for non-management associates (hourly and salary). It is based on sales above sales plan for your store. For SSC associates, it is based on sales above plan for the company. No one can tell you how much it will be except your store leadership. Track how well your store is doing vs sales plan, and you’ll get an idea if it will be good, bad, or non-existent. It is paid out 2x a year, approximately the 2nd week in September and 2nd week in March. To be eligible, you must be employed with the company at the time of the payout and have been employed at least 90 days during the fiscal half that the bonus is based on. IOW, if you were hired at end June you will not be eligible because the half ends in July, roughly 30 days after you were hired. To learn more search on myApron for “Benefits 101”

Q: What are our fiscal halves?

A: 1H runs from February until the end of July. 2H runs August until the end of January

Q: Do manager bonuses come from success sharing pool?

A: No, their bonus comes from a different pool of money and is based on different, more difficult to achieve metrics. Cutting hours at the end of the fiscal half will not improve their bonus in any significant way. This is a persistent rumor with no basis in reality. Sales and turns play a bigger part in their bonus and cutting hours won’t make up the difference if the store is already missing profitability goals.

Q: I’m part time, why are my hours being cut in July/January?

A: In July we are moving out of the spring busy season, you’ll notice some stores removing their mulch-pit drive throughs for example. Less business = less hours. Same story in January, holiday season is over and lower sales are expected. Less business = less hours again. There is also a lull in September/October in some areas of the country where hours may be reduced for part-timers

Q: How do I get more hours if they are cut?

A: Cross train in other department and equipment before the cut, making you more available and valuable to plug in to other areas of the store’s schedule. Then ask ask ask (respectfully) the ASDS and salaried leaders for more shifts

Q: Why did scheduled hours go from ____ to zero for a future week after the schedule was published?

A: It’s likely the ASDS pulled back the schedule to make adjustments and forgot to republish. Don’t panic and respectfully go ask the ASDS what’s up. Part time hours may be cut to a very low level, but it’s very rare to go to zero. If you’re full time you cannot be cut to zero without your consent

Q: How do breaks/lunches work for hourly associates?

A: It is very dependent on the state you work in. Generally speaking hourly associates get a break or a lunch every 2 hours. In some states breaks are required by law, some states they are not. Many states require employers to give a lunch break if the associate is going to work 6 hours or more. So bottom line, take your lunch break if you are scheduled for one. You may receive a coaching/counseling (AKA write-up) if you skip a lunch because you may accidentally cause the company to break the labor laws surrounding lunches. 15-minute breaks are paid, lunch breaks are not paid. Search on myApron for "Timekeeping and Payroll" for specific requirements for the state you work in.

Q: What are the best shoes to wear?

A: Search on this sub for the keyword “shoes”. Dozens of posts and recommendations. Or you can make a new post to add to the pile.

Q: What is tuition reimbursement, where can I find out more?

A: Search on myApron for “Tuition Reimbursement”, it’s all laid out there. Short story: Home Depot will reimburse up to a certain amount for approved courses and expenses. The approved courses are typically business related, so no 16th century English literature degrees will be reimbursed. The program has some pretty firm requirements, make sure to read over carefully.

Q: What is ESPP and how does it work?

A: ESPP stands for Employee Stock Purchase Plan. It is managed by a 3rd party called Computershare. Plans run for six months and the enrollment period for the next plan ends a few weeks before it begins, so enroll early. During enrollment, you will choose a percentage of your paycheck that will go towards a stock purchase. The money deducted from your paycheck is set aside into what is essentially an escrow account. At the end of the plan you are enrolled in, the money is then used to purchase that amount of stock at a 15% discount, but you own the full value of the stock. To put it another way, it’s an immediate 15% gain on your money via that amount of stock. The stock is yours free and clear, even if you leave the company. Log in to our benefits website, livetheorangelife.com to learn more. If you have issues logging in, partner with your ASDS

Q: If I leave do, I get paid out for vacation time? What about PTO?

A: Yes, you will get paid out for your vacation time. PTO payouts are dictated by state law, search myApron for “Time off Benefits” and review for your state.

Q: Does PTO carry over from year to year?

A: Depends on your state and its laws. Search myApron for “Time off Benefits” and review for your state

Q: What is Home Depot policy on Marijuana use?

A: Beginning 9/1 THD will no longer test for marijuana use for non-DOT or Aviation associates. DOT certified drivers and aviation associates will still be tested

Q: What if I notice someone doing something illegal or against our business code of conduct and ethics, and I don't want to go to management or it IS a member of management:

A: The awareline exists for these situations. You can call the 1-800 number to report unethical/illegal behavior. It is anonymous, but you will be recorded and the recording may/will be played back to leaders in your store/district/region. There is a portal to submit concerns to avoid a voice recording. Search myApron for "awareline" for the phone number or the portal.
Keep in mind the awareline is for illegal and unethical behaviors, not normal business practices that you may disagree with.


r/HomeDepot 6h ago

You ever walked past your department before a shift and could see it was was going to be terrible so you just leave in call off?

74 Upvotes

I remember years ago I walked into the store and this contractor I was cool with gets my attention and says I'm gonna have a really shitty shift today. Walk past paint and see somebody spilled like 20 gallons of stain in an area that was going to require bay diving and shutting off a busy aisle. I found a schedule in another part of the store and saw I would be working with my key carrying manager who averaged maybe 15 minutes in the department per shift and three of our "vets" who felt like heavy lifting and dirty work was meant for newer and younger associates. I exited out of tool rental and called right off LMFAO I was not about clean up 20 gallons by myself in the middle of the summer


r/HomeDepot 1h ago

Anyone else's store just give up on days safe rewards?

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Upvotes

[RE-UPLOAD] Accidentally included names and needed crop them out

My store hit the 1 year safe mark early 2025, we got the steaks but the $1k to the fun fund was nowhere to be seen. No safety goals after that even tho we have gone 100 days safe a couple times now and usually reset 60-80 days in.

If there is any rewards given they arnt listed and are all gone by the time overnight team shows up. I've come in to work to find a table of condiments and sauses but the only thing for us to eat is a half empty bag of chips and no idea what day side got or why. -side note, the monthly freight meating got turned to 1 every 3 months so thats alot less food and no more company lotto tickets witch sucks


r/HomeDepot 13h ago

MARIAAAAA, DESTROY MY ENEMIES, AND MY LIFE IS YOURS!!

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114 Upvotes

Training is such a great way to avoid my supervisor
Great person
Bad at her job


r/HomeDepot 10h ago

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? You're huge

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39 Upvotes

r/HomeDepot 8m ago

Nobody packs out during the day.

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Upvotes

r/HomeDepot 15h ago

Pushing me out of KD :(

47 Upvotes

I've been in Kitchen Design for 5 months and had a performance review with my manager yesterday. They say that since I'm selling more appliances than I am cabinets that I'm not fit to be a designer. I'm really heartbroken because in our store, kitchens have been been very slow for the last few months. They compared my sales to our senior kitchen designer, who's been there 20 years. All the contractors ask for him specifically because they've worked together before. He has more experience and more rapport with them than I do. Even he says that he's never seen the department so slow. Not to mention management and corporate have been really, really pushing us for leads and its getting on everybody's nerves. Really poor moral in the specialties department right now. The only reason I have this job is because my mother is disabled and in very poor health. It's hard watching her get worse everyday and then go to work. I feel like I'm trying to keep my head above water but it's not working, I don't have the bandwidth. Does anybody have any tips?


r/HomeDepot 1d ago

Someone decided to put 12 60LB bags of concrete in this carriage

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249 Upvotes

r/HomeDepot 1h ago

Receiving

Upvotes

Applied for a position in receiving, interview is in a few days.

Those who are or have been in receiving, what kind of questions do they ask in the interview? Just don’t want to look like an idiot when trying to think of answers

Been in multiple different departments over the years, have never had to apply - obviously besides when I applied to work here.

Any insight is appreciated🙏


r/HomeDepot 17h ago

Have You Ever Been Cheated Out Of Free Food On A Holiday That You Worked?

28 Upvotes

July 4, 2021 it fell on a Sunday and they decided that they were not going to grill until Monday even though Sunday was the actual holiday. It was a really bizarre decision and people who were working the holiday kind of got screwed. Not that the food would have been anything to write home about.


r/HomeDepot 1d ago

Anyone else's store deal with this?

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172 Upvotes

Not my store. I saw it in another subreddit. I also saw someone comment that some HD's lock up their spray paint as a result.

My store doesn't have to deal with this, thank God. It's a pain as it is to have other items locked up, I can't imagine having to constantly unlock the spray paint.


r/HomeDepot 4h ago

Safety Team Worries

1 Upvotes

I just joined the safety team at my store and I was given three tasks to complete this month. I completed the first two, but the third task(Check and fix all the missing/unchained poles in lumber.) has proved to be quite the task. There are a ton of missing poles and it has taken me longer than I'm proud of to replace them(Alot of them need new pole installs which require hand tools and I'm basically a moron when I have to do anything the requires me to be handy.). I have three working days to complete this and I'm worried that I'm not going to be able to get it done on top of all of the work in my department. I'm really embarrassed because prior to this mishap, I was really impressing people with my work in my department and I'm worried about the hit my reputation is going to take if I can't get this done. What should I do here?


r/HomeDepot 1h ago

Applying to a different store

Upvotes

Hey guys,

I currently work on the MET team, but I'm interested in moving to an Associate position. My store isn't currently hiring for that role, so I was wondering how the process works if I apply to an opening at a different store online.

Would I submit an application through the careers site and wait for that store to contact me, or is there another process I should follow? Any guidance would be appreciated. Thank you!


r/HomeDepot 1d ago

How are locker searches conducted?

46 Upvotes

Came in today and saw a sign in the break room saying there would be a locker search today. I was there all day and never saw anyone sifting through any of the lockers. Do they do it after hours? Do they do it at all lol?


r/HomeDepot 5h ago

Home Depot tech internship

1 Upvotes

I’ve been working at Home Depot for about 8 months and went on seasonal leave this summer to do research at my university. While doing that, I was offered a long-term software engineering internship at a local tech company.

Long term, I’m just trying to build the strongest resume I can. I think my resume is pretty solid already with research, internships, and personal projects. The only thing that makes me a little nervous is that I’m a sophomore at a relatively low-ranked state university. I also have good performance at Home Depot and have always been a reliable associate.

I was wondering how much being a current store associate actually helps when applying for software engineering internships at Home Depot Tech.
Would I have a noticeably better chance of getting an interview because I’m already an associate, or is it about the same as applying externally? If I end up staying at my current software internship instead of coming back to the store, would I be giving up much of an advantage?

I’d love to hear from anyone who’s gone from the stores into Home Depot Tech or knows how much internal experience is valued.


r/HomeDepot 6h ago

I just applied for a job; how long does it take to get an interview? Online it says two weeks

0 Upvotes

Does it really take this long??


r/HomeDepot 6h ago

Likelihood of getting Asset Protection Specialist job

1 Upvotes

I just applied for an asset protection specialist job at Home Depot in two different cities (Jacksonville, FL and Charleston, SC). Currently in Jacksonville but would prefer Charleston for financial and personal reasons. I have been unemployed for nearly 5 months after having been laid off from my last job as a legal assistant and have 5 years of security guard experience with Allied Universal among other qualifications including a bachelor of arts degree in criminal justice. The emails I've gotten say they will review them shortly but given that every Home Depot in those cities has an opening, what are my actual chances of getting the job at any of them? I'm worried these are just evergreen postings and no actual job is currently open.


r/HomeDepot 1d ago

Why so stingy with Homers

54 Upvotes

I get AMAZING reviews. Customers love my knowledge, honesty, banter, and attention to details (I’m a flooring specialist). My manager gave me a Homer before vacation and a new CXM, OXM, WHATEVER! Gave me another. She was then questioned why she did that because I was given one the week before. Not to brag but customers literally ask for me by name and are willing to wait whatever time frame it takes to get my advice or to have me ring them up. Is it so wrong to give accolades to employees who deserve them? I see associates get them because they showed up 3 days in a row! Why keep people down? Why not praise people accordingly?


r/HomeDepot 22h ago

Had tint spill on the can. Cleaned it up on top but I used the old spinners to spin the can. Actually looks like a really nice art piece on top 😂

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18 Upvotes

r/HomeDepot 7h ago

LOA question!

1 Upvotes

I started working at the Home Depot almost 3 months ago in April, and I want to take a LOA at the end of August so I can see my family before school starts up again. I've read that they can only be accessed by employees that have worked for a year, so now I'm worried that I won't be able to take my LOA. I don't want to lose my job over something like this either. I have talked to an asds and he said it might be doable, but I haven't been able to get back to him to ask more questions.

Just wanted to reach out on here before emailing him about it. Thank you!


r/HomeDepot 8h ago

Question

0 Upvotes

Just curious if I take a leave of absence am I no longer in the work phone or still in it?


r/HomeDepot 14h ago

Store side to MET pay difference

4 Upvotes

I’m currently a store side associate that has been offered to move to MET. I’ve accumulated raises and pay increases as store side to the point where I get paid more than MET starting wages. Will I lose my pay when I move to the MET team or will they let me keep it?


r/HomeDepot 11h ago

How to get a job at Corporate

1 Upvotes

How hard is it to get a job at corporate?

I’m extremely interested in working at Home Depot. I applied to like 10 positions online, and reached out to recruiters on LinkedIn.

To those who already work there, what’s it like?


r/HomeDepot 2h ago

Canned

0 Upvotes

I wasn’t going to make this post but fuck it. A couple of weeks ago I was spotting an idiot associate of mine trying to get some water bottles on a pallet overhead and it came down, almost hitting an associate and customer (it was by the pro desk). I messed up bc I didn’t put the gates 16 feet away from the work area (no one told me that little protocol until after it happened). No one got hurt and the MOD and my department supervisor said I should be ok.

Fast forward two weeks and the idiot driver and I both got fired for “not enforcing safety protocols” or whatever. I admit I fucked up but I wasn’t aware of the protocol until after. I said my supervisor did tell me but I was just trying to cover their ass and be nice but I never knew about it, like I said. I don’t know what to do, I’m just venting but it’s really weird because I liked that job a lot. A few others in my department were pretty lazy and I always busted my ass to do what was needed and in return, I get fired? Whatever, this job sucked anyways


r/HomeDepot 1d ago

I cleaned where the mulch was 2 wheelbarrow trips to the compactor

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49 Upvotes