Pros

I’ve met some amazing people working here Under 25s have a good rate of pay above their minimum wage (25+ not so much)

Cons

Especially since their acquisition from JAB, Pret as a company have really changed. I joined as a part-time team member nearly 8 years ago, when as I mentioned above, the pay was appealing to 19 year old me! The old style of working was very much about having fun whilst working hard, and people and their happiness were a top priority. Now, especially since transitioning to management 5 years ago, it’s clear that team happiness has taken a back seat. Contracted hours for a store manager are 42, however it’s more often than not impossible to maintain those hours whilst delivering KPIs. I’m a realist and know that ‘working smarter’ is not an option to reduce the hours I work. Stores, even smaller ones in ‘quiet’ cities, often have shift patterns spanning 15 hours plus. Maintaining the correct level of hourly paid labour over this length of time, 7 days a week, and covering unplanned absences can very regularly become a nightmare. Is it an issue if I normally work 70 hours a week to cover shortfall? No. Very regularly, I’ve worked multiple 15 hour shifts in a row during a (standard) 14 days in a row at work, starting between 5-6am each morning. Now, would I complain if I was doing meaningful work? Unlikely, but I highly doubt sacrificing my mental and physical health in order to make some sandwiches is something I’ll look back on with pride on my deathbed, or boast about to the grandkids. Furthermore, communication from various head office departments is often terrible. The company’s dealing of the COVID-19 issue has also left a lot to be desired. An initial offering of 75% of salary due to a heavy cut in profits. Will we receive 150% of pay when profits go back up? Will I really have to sacrifice the security of furlough to volunteer to work to serve the NHS for good PR? Will managers get an incentive to do this, or is it just the extra £70 a week being offered to hourly paid staff? Not begrudging that incentive for them, by the way. Oh, and finally. Pret pay their employees in 3 pay bands, based on cost of living. Is it a coincidence (or even reality???) that suddenly cities such as York, MK, Reading and Bristol are cheaper to live in all of a sudden, leading to a pay cut for some people, when all of this COVID-19 stuff is happening? Doubtful. Also laughable that customers in Reading have the privilege of paying top-tier prices for Pret products, when staff members don’t even get the privilege of the top-tier rate of pay.......