Pros
As a receptionist, I could tell customers respect and trust the office and people working here. However that is the ONLY kind of respect I received in the 6 days I worked there.
Cons
I am a non-Canadian, I got 7.5 (out of 9) score in IELTS (an international recognized English proficiency test) and 9 in speaking, on the 2nd day of work the owner told me there was 'someone' who didn't understand my English (I have been in Canada for 3 years and yet nobody has told me they don't understand my English), since then the abuse started. I had never got any clear instruction on what I supposed to do, I was like a robot doing every little step told by him, he didn't allow me to ask anyone else in the office either. He has hundred rules (not all cleared stated, they're on his mind) including 'no disturbing boss 1 hour before and after his client meetings', and he didn't welcome me knocking on his door (which was always closed) and ask him questions. I was sitting there all day waiting for his instructions for a simple task such as printing an address label, then waiting for another hour for another little task, I was not allowed to start doing anything without his instruction. On the other hand he kept telling me he wanted me to complete all the files (for about 30 clients) in my section within 2 weeks, I once tried to guess and start on my own and when I was wrong, he used rude and sarcastic words to insult me. He gave me instruction in a way like 'print the label and stick it on the envelope, NOW, not next year'. No mobile phone was allowed. No discussion between staffs was welcome, he always interrupted and stopped us using different strange reasoning (such as before my client meeting YOU (the staff) were not supposed to be standing here (my seat at the reception). On the 3rd day, he called a meeting for 3 of we staffs, scolding at a staff who has been working for him for 10 years, for not performing proper training on me (regarding what to do with filing the receipts of Canada Post), he threw a paper file onto the staff's body, shouting 'this is the way you were disrespectful to the new staff, throwing receipts on her and expected what she would know what to do' (he actually didn't do anything on me disrespectful, he just forgot to tell me what to do with the receipts). I instantly became the culprit at no choice, feeling embarrassed. To me, he just wanted to show and demonstrate his authority over his staffs but in the most abusive way. I had to work overtime for 1-2 hours some of the days, waiting for his instruction for work, which I was not given during my normal working hours. One time he asked me to leave but if I did I would be unable to finish my assigned tasks for that day, that would definitely give him a chance to blame on me again. Besides discouraging, nervous, embarrassed feelings and anxiety, I did not have other kinds of feeling in that office. Everyday I stepped out of the office feeling like released from a prison.