Last week we talked about the 5 BEST places to work in DC, so it was only natural for us to take a look at the other side of the coin this week. According to Glassdoor.com, which rates companies based on employee reviews, among other factors, these are the 5 WORST places to work, not just in DC, but anywhere. If you are looking for internship opportunities in DC, you might look elsewhere!
1. DISH Network
Here’s the dish on Dish. Employees have the Godzilla-like task of managing more than 14 million subscribers, which is tantamount to taking on two pissed off MUTOs at once. But the unfortunate thing for Dish is that it may not have to worry about that lofty number too much longer because it has been losing subscribers in an industry that includes other streaming providers such as Netflix.
But more to the point, many employees objected to the company’s long hours and no holidays. “You work all day all night. Your day starts from 6:45 a.m. till 6 p.m. or 10 p.m. You work every holiday that your day falls on,” according to one review that was posted. The “mandatory overtime” and “no flexibility” schedule are taxing on employees, and the company is a mainstay on MSN Money’s Customer Service Hall of Shame.
2. Dillard’s
This is something that would probably make Scrooge McDuck very proud. The biggest problem that employees have with the company is its CEO William Dillard II, who is part of the founding family. According to Glassdoor, his approval rating is an anemic 22%. This is because the Dillard family owns 99.4% of the corporation’s voting shares, and combined they made more than $51 million from 2009 to 2011.
As a result, Dillard’s employees regularly pointed to the company’s unattractive sales incentives. One reviewer indicated that high turnover was the result of employees being paid on the number of sales made per hour instead of based on a commission. “People either ended up quitting before their review or being fired randomly one day because of their sales.” Of course, don’t let this stop you from making up your own mind, especially if you’re in college now and you need a part time job, but definitely keep things like this in mind when applying.
3. RadioShack
Aside from being the punchline to many jokes on television shows, RadioShack’s real troubles have taken a financial toll. Last quarter, it lost $21 million and suspended its dividend to save money. On July 30, 2012, Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services lowered its corporate credit and senior unsecured debt ratings to B- from B+.
Employers are consistently unhappy about the retailer’s sales commission structure and the long hours. The company limits commissions to certain products, instead of paying based on sales. “Over the years compensation has turned into a big joke. You MUST perform in all metrics (service plans, batteries, cellphones, etc) to get any sort of bonus as an associate,” says a reviewer. That’s a tough row to hoe.
4. Hertz
Who would have thought a car rental company would be on this list. The people that work there, that’s who. Hertz workers regularly complained that the company’s upper management is out of touch, citing unrealistic business goals that require course changes and waste time. According to one review, “Upper management has little field experience and lots of MBA’s that tell you the impossible is possible.”
The company requires that all new managers have at least a bachelor’s degree, however they all have to start at the bottom in the “management trainee” program, which just sounds like a fancy way of saying the mail room. The low hourly pay and menial jobs rubbed some recent grads the wrong way. The bold part is for you.
5. OfficeMax
Employees at this retailer frequently indicated that they were treated poorly by management, with one worker suggesting that the company should “learn to treat employees with respect and pay them better than minimum wage and maybe they will stick around.” In addition to receiving inadequate pay, several reviewers also complained that they were micromanaged. Coupled with the companies bad financial outlook, this might be a place to avoid if you can help it.
The above list is just to give you an idea of what might be good and what might be bad out there. Ultimately, you’ll have to make up your own mind, and you may not be in a position to pick and choose right now. A job’s a job, but just remember, your time and you personally are valuable. Make sure they are treated as such.