Pros
- Often flexible about holidays, shift swaps etc. - 10% discount, some other benefits like cheap health insurance, share save etc. - Can get overtime across multiple departments - Most customers are pretty reasonable
Cons
- Low contracts (8-12 hours usually) combined with semi-regular overtime bans and cut-backs mean hours are not reliable. Only way to get a full time contract would be to become a section leader. This despite understaffing in most departments. Our department can't afford to replace workers who left on part time contracts but apparently can afford two section leaders on full time higher pay? Then they wonder why the profits are slimming.... - Rotas changed at shorrt notice, unsocial hours. I'm lucky in that I don't need a full time wage at the moment so I can turn down ridiculous shifts demanded the night before but some colleagues are not so lucky and managers take advantage of that. - Section leaders are useless no power to actually implement any changes or support workers but paid more for relaying management orders. - Management is incredibly indiscrete, very gosspiy atmosphere. Playing favourites and politics between managers and departments. -Constant reinforcement of 'family' ethos contrasts with huge pressure for departments and stores to compete against each other. -Middle-management only help out if there is a visit and even then only sporadically. Very uncommunicative (will only send messages through section leaders even if you have directly approached them about something) and unresponsive to shop-floor-level staff's complaints. Incredibly uncaring about chronic health issues or other problems staff may have and will discipline you rather than engage if you complain -Training only provided once you've done something wrong in which case you will be told off for not doing it right and 'retrained' (despite them insisting you do the job with no training initially).