Poor Management - Sales Assistant Lush Employee Review

The management are virtually non-existent. Before working at Lush, I thought management actually had to be present on site: it appears not. Lush Hull boasts the first retail store where management work remotely, usually at a cafe down the road or simply on the sofa at home. Recently management appear to have had a terrible run of luck, with a series of creative and seemingly implausible excuses not to turn up to work. However, this was the only creativity demonstrated on their behalf. The lack of management presence pushed supervisors to the point of exhaustion. Their fatigue was felt amongst the work force and morale was low. On various occasions staff members tried to voice their concerns, however these concerns were commonly mistaken as personal attacks. This promoted a fear culture in store and staff were frightened to share anything, whether it be personal or just friendly conversation. Management were strangers and whenever they did turn up it was always memorable. Their lack of care or interest in the store and its work force was honestly upsetting. A team with no leader to inspire and encourage, no enthusiasm or passion for what they do. Lush champion mental health and wellbeing, however my experience in the Lush Hull store suggested that it was a marketing ploy rather than a genuine company value. With no official complaints system accessible to staff, problem resolution is firmly in the hands of the store management. As mentioned in the previous review, the store management are sisters so if you do happen to have a complaint against either of them, expect it to be discussed over Sunday dinner. Lush will provide you with an independent support line if you fancy a cry down the phone. If you want to speak to someone in authority who actually works for the company then good luck. The training was in-depth and staff were knowledgeable about the products, ingredients, ethics and so on. This was a necessity as the smallest error would result in discipline in the form of a humiliating march down the corridor like a naughty school kid to discuss your latest inadequate consultation. Feedback is a large part of the role but it was given far too frequently, often to the staff who would have most benefitted from more positive reinforcement. The rapid decline in the store has seen various poor reviews yet no intervention has been made. The reviews were frequently blamed on sales assistants’ poor service. After working there for a number of years, I can wholeheartedly vouch for the team of sales assistants and supervisors who keep that store running and do their very best to uphold company standards. However, working somewhere with no leadership or rewards is draining for even the most hardworking and dedicated staff. All in all, I would agree with the previous review if you can keep your head down and drown out the management the rest of the staff are hoot. However, if you take your own mental heath and well being quite seriously I’d avoid at all costs.