17 Pros and Cons of Working for CVS

Working at CVS doesn’t just apply to the company.

It’s important to ponder the pros and cons of any retail store position.

Is this the kind of work you would want to do?

You’ll soon find out.

Pros of Working at CVS

1. Flexible Scheduling

At CVS, you can work morning, afternoon, or evening shifts.

It may depend on each store and how they assign the exact start and end times.

Still, you can at least choose the approximate time of day you want to work.

This gives you time to take your children to and from school or have a social life.

You can also work your shifts around another job, adult education classes, volunteer activities, and more.

This mostly applies to part-time employees though.

Full-time workers may have a regular time when they show up on their schedule.

2. Employee Discounts

CVS employees enjoy 30% off CVS Pharmacy store-brand items.

If you work here, you can also take 20% off other regularly priced items.

The discount applies to shopping both in the store and online.

Employees can also participate in what’s called the “MinuteClinic” voucher program.

This includes no-cost or discounted vaccinations, general medical exams and sports physicals, and wellness services.

3. Decent Pay

Minimum wages across the country vary.

Some states still have it set at below $8.00 per hour, while other states pay at least $11-$15 per hour.

The average cashier position pays at least $12 per hour and should cover your cost of living, no matter where you live.

At the low end, you would make at least $9 per hour.

The most a cashier would earn is about $15 per hour.

You probably could raise your earnings to about $19 per hour if you worked in the pharmacy department.

Some positions you could make this much money in include work as a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPHT).

Even some Pharmacy Techs in training can make between $12-$19 per hour.

The highest pay goes to the Pharmacist, who earns an average of $58 per hour.

A Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) working at CVS would earn an average of $27 per hour.

4. Variety of Job Openings

It’s no secret that most of the job openings offered to the public are cashier positions.

However, you could also take on a Retail Shift Supervisor or Operations Supervisor position or work as a nurse, pharmacist, or Inventory Specialist.

Otherwise, you could move into the corporate headquarters and work in the finance department.

You also could perhaps go to school to become a Paralegal, Audit Manager, or Accountant.

I’m telling you this because I used to take cashier jobs and not think of the potential for advancement.

Many people don’t.

Starting out as a cashier doesn’t mean you have to stay in that position.

5. Comprehensive Health Benefits

CVS provides a comprehensive health plan for its employees.

This includes medical coverage and pharmacy discounts.

The store also offers flexible spending accounts (FSA) to help workers manage their out-of-pocket medical expenses.

This includes some over-the-counter health supplements and related products.

You receive an FSA debit card.

Then, the items you pay for will automatically be charged to that payment method when you check out.

CVS also marks items on its website as “FSA eligible.”

That makes it easy to find the FSA health items you need when shopping online.

6. Prioritizing Health and Well-Being

CVS has a pharmacy in it and it does sell health supplements.

It doesn’t surprise me that it also does its best to nurture the well-being of its employees.

They cover a range of issues, such as helping workers improve mental health and getting a good night’s sleep.

This includes involvement in a program they call “Thrive.”

Thrive has linked up with CVS Health to help employees prevent burnout.

It provides an outlet for employees to communicate about their struggles. It’s meant to provide stress relief.

7. Meet New People

At CVS, you will work with people who come from all different backgrounds.

This provides you the chance to make new friends, some of which you may have for life.

You also can brighten the day of customers who may not have anyone to talk to but you.

It’s a chance to reach out to people in an unexpected way that they may appreciate.

8. Develop Customer Service Skills

Some people might think of cashier work as a dead-end job.

However, you can use your time in this position to develop your customer service skills.

Learning how to talk to people and help them resolve issues will help you no matter what your future goals are.

You could later become an office manager or work as a nurse, for instance.

Any customer service skills you acquire will build your confidence for future positions.

9. Tuition Assistance

CVS offers tuition assistance.

You may not even have to pay anything at all for the courses you take, according to at least one employee review.

The amount you have to pay for schooling depends on the degree you choose.

You can expect either assistance with paying for your educational cost or reimbursement.

I like the idea of cross-training opportunities tied into tuition assistance.

This helps you transition into another position.

10. Somewhat Relaxed Dress Code

CVS cashier employees still have to wear either black or tan/brown pants.

They also have to wear a polo top and closed-toed shoes.

Pharmacy employees also must wear neat attire under their lab coats, or they need to wear scrubs.

Still, you do have some variations of what you can wear aside from these guidelines.

It’s not as strict of a dress code as other companies might have.

Cons of Working at CVS

1. Demanding Hours (Sometimes)

It doesn’t happen all the time, but you may have those times when you can’t leave when you want to.

You may end up having to stay an hour or two past your shift at least.

You also sometimes may feel obligated to go to work when you don’t want to on your day off.

That makes it difficult to make plans if you want to have a life outside of work.

On the other hand, you can say “no” if you have to as well.

2. Not for Everyone

Not every job is for everyone, regardless of the company you work for.

CVS is no different.

Sometimes, employees have an unforgettable, positive experience.

Others have a negative one.

Some issues may arise at some stores that have nothing to do with the company itself.

There’s quite a bit that goes into matching the right employees together to make a team.

That’s why.

Certain CVS locations may just have a more equipped staff than others.

Either way, this company and the work you would do for it may not be what you really want to do or were meant to do.

For instance, I had a phase in life when I no longer wanted to work around people that much.

I ended up switching to janitorial work.

At this time in your life, you may decide CVS is really not for you.

3. Possible Burnout

You sometimes don’t feel like you have a choice as far as how many hours you work.

This could burn you out.

At some point, you will have to decide to set limits.

Otherwise, you’re not going to be any good for your employer or customers if you do too much.

Only cover shifts if you know you can handle it.

Don’t do it to the detriment of your physical and mental health.

4. Upset Customers

I myself don’t work at CVS, but I do work in retail.

Most of the time, I enjoy interacting with customers as I check them out.

You will, however, have that one person during your shift that may test your patience.

It can ruin your whole day if you let it.

Don’t let one rude customer upset you so much so that you can’t even enjoy the rest of your time there.

5. Feeling Like You’re in a “Dead End”

Some people may “go all the way” with CVS from being a cashier to taking on a corporate position.

Others may become discouraged, thinking that the position they’re in is all it is and they may want more than that.

If you feel like you reached a plateau in your time at CVS, you may need to look for a new job.

Don’t stay there if you think of it as a dead-end job rather than a place where you have a future.

5. Tough to Find Shift Replacement

Some employees reported that it’s tough to find someone to replace their shift.

This sometimes even happens if you’re sick.

What are you supposed to do?

If you don’t feel well, however, nursing yourself back to health should be a priority.

I myself had to learn over the years that everything would work itself out.

6. Sometimes Monotonous

Some employees have mentioned that the work they do can get “tedious and monotonous.”

On the other hand, you can switch stations, such as working at the photo counter or in the pharmacy.

You can also work on the sales floor or stock shelves.

You don’t always have to stay at the register scanning people’s orders.

Still, it can get boring sometimes, no matter what your position is.

7. Too Fast-Paced for Some People

Some people like a fast-paced environment.

CVS can sometimes have lines of people coming to check out at the counter all at the same time.

For some people, it’s overwhelming.

If you don’t think you can handle this type of stress, then you should probably not work around customers much.