Outdated business principles, unpleasant experience - Sales Bishops Printers Employee Review

The company insists on preserving an outdated work culture. When I was there in 2020 there was no sick pay, only the legal minimum holiday allowance was given, and there was a strict dress code even for non-client facing roles. Mistakes were punished with a £200 deduction to bonus, which led to a toxic culture of blame and blame avoidance rather than a supportive culture. I witnessed management (both upper and middle) talking down to employees (in front of everyone) in an extremely condescending (and arguably downright abusive) manner. Several of my colleagues were reduced to tears on a regular basis. Coffee was charged for. Eating at one’s desk was forbidden. Management refused any flexibility at all with lunch hours (medical appointments mean one must book holiday). Sales staff were sent a tally of the number of calls everyone in the department had made that day. If you hadn’t made enough your line manager would shout across the table at you to step it up. The genuinely quality employees tend to leave fairly quickly. If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of having to take a job at this company, I’d suggest you use it as a stepping stone and be aware that the company will be trying to squeeze everything it can out of you with no regard for your well-being or career prospects. Colleagues who worked on the “shop floor” reported to me that taking any lunch break was frowned upon.