Dollar General Workers Report No Heat, Broken Doors and Delays

Frontline workers at a Dollar General store reported an extended failure of heating and building maintenance that they said left staff and customers exposed to dangerously cold conditions. In a Dec. 17 post an employee said the problem had been ongoing for months and remained unresolved despite repeated reports to maintenance since September.

"My building has no heat. it’s had no heat. We had no heat in the summer they didn’t fix it then. Now it’s -5° our doors are broken as well so they’re wide open. This has to be an OSHA violation to a degree right? It’s middle of dec we’ve been putting in work complaints since Sept. They’re not going to fix it. But we’re getting no extra pay nothing this is ridiculous."

Staff in the discussion thread recommended several escalation steps and described a pattern of slow repairs across stores. An assistant manager urged coworkers to escalate maintenance tickets and to encourage customers to file complaints with corporate. Other commenters recounted long wait times for HVAC repairs at nearby locations, including one report that air conditioning fixes took nearly two months during the summer. One commenter suggested contacting OSHA after repeated unaddressed tickets.

The reported conditions carry immediate implications for worker safety and operational continuity. Temperatures at or below zero increase risk of cold stress, equipment failure and increased absenteeism. Broken doors that remain open raise theft and liability concerns and undermine the store environment for employees tasked with serving customers. Workers also said they received no additional compensation for working in the conditions, which can aggravate morale and retention pressures in an already tight labor market.

The incident underscores how delayed maintenance and limited local authority to secure rapid repairs can create compounding workplace risks. Employees can use internal maintenance tickets and corporate complaint channels to seek resolution, and federal workplace safety rules provide a regulatory path if hazards are not addressed. For stores, prompt repairs are necessary to protect employees, reassure customers and avoid potential regulatory scrutiny or legal exposure.