There is no work/life balance at all. I've been here for 4 months now and I've been wanting to leave since I started. I wish I could but right now I must hold on for a month or so more. You do 45 hours a week on the graduate programme and that isn't including the unpaid breaks, making it a minimum of 47.5 hours a week. You'll also do overtime and you must get in the shop at ridiculous times, like 5am, staying on til 9pm. My life has suffered immensely.
I was lied to during the interview process. You are basically a glorified stacker with bits of extra responsibilities here and there. For 90% of the day you are a retail assistant and for the other 10% you do management stuff. I did not go to university and achieve good grades to return to being a store assistant.
The pay is actually not too bad but due to the long hours it needs improving. It is just slightly above minimum wage. If it was £28K you could make a point for all the hard work being worth it, but for £22K its a no-go.
Staff are always sick. You get the rota planned and without doubt someone calls in sick or doesn't show up, meaning you've got a ridiculous amount of work to do. Oh and it's also your fault if someone gets called in sick (work that out!).
My soul is slowly diminishing the longer I stay here. I simply cannot wait to write my resignation email, just gotta hold out a little while longer before I finally can.