The E-mail urged Sears employees to be "predatory about people," the person close to Ward said.

And the complexity of the changes forced Sears employees to work more hours of overtime.

Sears employees told investigators that if they failed to meet these goals, their hours were often cut or they were transferred to other Sears departments.

Some Sears employees resorted to scare tactics to sell repairs, the agency reported.

A huge component of that early energy was directed at making Sears employees feel better about working for the company.

About 20,000 Sears employees had their pay frozen in December.

The statement said Sears employees as a group owned almost 25 percent of the company's stock through the various pension, profit-sharing and employee stock ownership plans.

Changes on 50,000 Items For 42 hours before the opening, Sears employees had rushed to change price tags.

In the old days, Sears employees could check their economic literacy at the door.

And some 30 Sears employees were assigned full time to get out the vote.