r/pharmacy•
yakult296

Safeway Pharmacy Grad Intern/Floater Work-Life Balance

General Discussion

I worked at Safeway pharmacy as a pharmacy intern during my time in school these past two years. Recently I graduated and joined as a grad intern and some things came up that I found a bit concerning but wanted to see if any other floaters, interns, or staff pharmacists have had any similar experiences.

During my interview, I asked a lot about work-life balance and the ability to control schedule due to obligations (religious and continuation of schooling) and I received an answer of "we can discuss this after training" and "HR will reach out to you about your accommodations."

After starting training, my DPM reached out to me and told me that I could not take time off for a 3 day trip I have planned with a group over a holiday weekend I had planned over 6 months ago and booked everything for and was told that interns and floaters are not allowed to take vacations days or holidays off for their first two years (which I didn't recall it being brought up during my interview). And in addition to that I was told that I did not bring up my need for a religious exemption and that my obligations that required me to spend time away from work on a certain day of the week were not as important as my work as an intern when in reality, I did bring this up over the interview and no one reached out to me during the entire onboarding process. On top of this, the DPM told me that she herself was religious and she still works every day of the week when needed (paraphrasing for anonymity), and this statement made me feel a bit unsafe and slightly discriminated against as I feel her religious obligations should not have any sway on what my obligations are in my religion.

So at this point, I don't really feel heard as a "new grad intern" and it feels like my wellbeing and growth for the future doesn't matter and the only thing that matters is the hours I put in. Because of this I am highly considering leaving the field and just focusing on continuing my education.

Perhaps maybe I am viewing this from the wrong perspective and someone can help me understand why my point of view is wrong so that I can better understand the field. Any propositions and solutions are also greatly appreciated. Thanks for hearing me out!

Posted Jun 25, 2026, 7:01 AM UTC

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