Pros
The people. Truly, some of the kindest, smartest, and most supportive coworkers I’ve had the chance to work with. We bonded deeply—but mostly through shared trauma. The solidarity among associates is the only reason many of us stuck around as long as we did. Benefits are great too, better than average actually.
Kontras
Where to begin? This company is a textbook case of a toxic work environment dressed up as a “fun” place to work. The trauma bonding isn’t a joke, it’s survival. - Leadership is cliquey, insecure, and overwhelmingly made up of people who’ve never worked anywhere else. They operate like they own the place, reject any form of dissent, and are quick to punish those who dare to challenge the status quo with a PIP. - Original thinking isn’t rewarded, it’s shut down. Most associates learn quickly that the only way to avoid being put on a PIP (a one-way ticket out of the company) is to say yes to everything and stay quiet. - The performance management system is one of the worst I’ve seen. Twice a year, a fixed percentage of employees—usually around 15%—are put on coaching plans or PIPs, regardless of actual performance (forced distribution). These aren’t developmental plans, a PIP is a countdown to your termination. - Promotions and growth opportunities are promised but never delivered. Especially in Canada, there’s no real intention to grow the business, and no interest in developing talent. - The constant churn caused by the PIP system has created a revolving door of young, fresh-out-of-school employees who don’t yet know better. They’re easier to mold into saying yes to everything and are kept happy with superficial perks like tone deaf social events and pizza parties. It’s all performative.