With our summer Workamping gig in Lake Tahoe coming to an end we started looking for a winter job somewhat close by. We contacted and
JCPenney is an American founded retailer with department stores across the country. They offer men’s clothing, women’s clothing, children’s clothing, fashion accessories, beauty products, and home decor including bedding and furniture. Consumers can shop online on the JCPenney website to find exclusive sales and promotions since they focus on affordable pricing. They have been using Workampers for seasonal work in some of their 11 Supply Chain Facilities since around 2018.
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Location
With Covid still around we didn’t want to move too far for our next gig. The JCPenney Distribution Center we were looking at working is located in Reno, Nevada only a bit more than an hour drive from Lake Tahoe. While not an ideal location with winter coming we hoped and prayed that we wouldn’t get too much snow before we completed our commitment. Luckily the weather held out for the duration of our stay. We only had one day of snow and the roads were clear by early afternoon. Other than being cold the weather stayed nice.
The Reno Distribution Center is over 2 million sq. ft. with over 7 miles of conveyor belts. It is an impressive building although a lot of the work is low technology. They print out tickets that need to be picked, put on conveyors to packing and then shipped out to their destinations.
Positions
I was put in stocking where I would put away over 100 cartons of items a day. They also moved me around
On another slow day we were curious about where all the items we picked and packed were going for shipping. We took a walk to the shipping area where their supervisor stopped us and asked if we were looking for something to do. Sure, we told him. He put us on the conveyor belts where the packages go to the trucks for loading. It was easy work but as we started working the guys who were working there just disappeared leaving us to do their jobs.
Schedule
Working 5:00am to 3:30pm. Our schedule started out as four 10 hour days per week with three days off. It was a good schedule giving us
Pay and Benefits
The Pay Schedule for 2020 Workampers was $16 per hour (which included a $1/hr Covid bonus) plus $100 per week stipend to cover RV Campground costs. Their bonus was in effect until December 26, 2020, where the pay went back to $15 per hour. Happily we were done and long gone by then. JCPenney does offer some benefits to their seasonal employees. We received information on the benefits packages offered. Lisa checked into healthcare coverage but was told she could only get dental and vision coverage through JCPenney. I have coverage through Tricare (Military Retirement Coverage) so I didn’t look too much into what they had.
T-Class

Conclusion
If you’re looking for a seasonal Workamping job in and around the holidays JCPenney Distribution Center is a way to earn some good cash in a short amount of time. JCPenney isn’t the only employer hiring Workampers in the Reno area. There is also an Amazon Distribution Center in the area. Reno is a hub area for a number of Distribution Centers. Not all of them hire Workampers but if you’re looking for a warehouse job Reno might be a good place to look.
Thank you for taking the time to read about our experience with JCPenney Distribution Center. If you have any questions about our experience or Workamping in general please feel free to leave a comment below.
Hi, I’m thinking of working at JC Penney’s this October, Just wondering what campground you stayed at and if you liked it. Thanks for any info.
Hi there, Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, it’s been a busy summer. We stayed at Sparks Marina. It’s the nicest park we found in the area. We thought about going back this year but they have made some changes where they now charge for dogs. We have 2 so it was going to add a lot to the cost for us. We’ve now decided to go to Texas for the winter but we would have looked at Bordertown RV Park if we came back. Best wishes!, Rob