1) Hours- Schedules will be inconsistent, directly contradict your given availability, shifts will change within the same work week, you will be written up or reamed out for calling out sick
2) Culture- Uneven workload, unprofessional conversations violating privacy between management and team members, blatant disrespect and scapegoat tactics to whip other team members into submission due to fear of retaliation, will plan with other associates to fire employees without word, favoritism is at an all time high, scheduling favors manager and their current favorite team member, you will be stuck with the majority of the workload for both team members and manger work. If done right, thank your manager for thinking of the bright idea. It was all “their work”. If done wrong, you will be thrown under the bus to upper management and told you are incapable of working at a “understanding the job or working at necessary pace.”
3) Workload- Since it is a “108 store” (meaning only 100 hours per week) there is usually only one person on a time. Management and their favorite associate usually get mornings to unpack new clothes to try on in dressing rooms while avoiding customer engagement, or say, sit on the floor in front of the mirror to blow dry and curl their hair since “it’s the morning and it’s slow” then all of the daily workload is pushed onto the closer. But don’t you dare stay late, the store goes over hours and “makes the manger look bad” BUT if you don’t finish all the work for the day, you will either be treated with less respect or just directly written up next time you’re in.
4) Upper Management- favors store manager and their word over all else despite having no proof of proper task completion or delegation. I have seen the store manager scream at guests while on a ladder, publicly in front of the entire store. Have also seen the same manager run out of the store to threaten a women to “shut her crying baby up” but in upper management’s eyes, “I see a lot of myself in them and I don’t think they would do that. Are you sure you’re not making it up because you’re just upset?” Will bury reports made by associates and tell others the associate is “acting out of line” and “bringing the vibe and culture down” all while cutting hours and utilizing write ups excessively to regain submission. Will then later use your name as a threat to any other associate that advocates for themselves for fear of retaliation (“are we going to have another ‘maggie’ situation?”)
