I put this blog up because I noticed that Uniqlo's practices, many of which are designed to maximize profit (at the expense of employees' identity and, emotional health and well being) and directly and indirectly - control employees as a whole, are also often in-line towards violating U.S. laws.
Uniqlo is really dangerously close, to getting in deep shi* with their practices in the U.S. and if they don't - good for them for having some damn fine lawyers.
I actually surmise that they'll try to have me take this content out (ooh are you going to send me a cease and desist notice?! EXCITING!!) , but while the freedom is here let me tell you what I learned about Uniqlo.
Here are the benefits of working for Uniqlo
1. Have a lot of your bad habits, socially and work-ethic wise, hammered out. You'll learn discipline that you probably won't get in regular schooling.
2. Learn efficiency, earn confidence (you sweat for that) and be employed long enough (should you not be fired, I wasn't fired so that's kind of them) to learn customer service skills
3. Develop a toughness that you will carry for the rest of your life
4. You might find co-workers that you really like and get along with.
5. You can potentially earn more than other retail jobs.
Once I sent a letter to my manager about how I studied the manual and cold memorized its contents, along with the store standard guidelines - and studied our products, she gave me so many hours that I took home $635 after deductions in two weeks. Nice huh?
Until you realize every bit of dollar you earn in Uniqlo means losing a part of you that you will never get back.
Here are the CONs of working for Uniqlo
1. Management uses a lot of psychological methods akin to brainwashing and gas lighting.
I remember a supervisor of mine looked like he was near losing his mind during my time there. A lot of employees leave in anger, some think of suing Uniqlo (which you can't do because you signed a paper that you can't sue them). I'm part of the first wave of hires in my store, and the second wave of hires were 10 people, 4 of which left in their 2nd month working for Uniqlo. One in anger.
2. Refuses to pay Sick Leave even when it means having to violate U.S. Federal, State and County Law
3. 401k is awful, if you worked for them for less than 3 years you end up losing money. Why? They'll initially match your 401k, but if you leave before 3 years they'll take all the matched earnings away. Furthermore, you will be charged $40 simply to have your money back. So in short, unless you give them 3 years of your life say hello to being $40 in the hole (that's only shift, luckily) with their 401k.
4. A culture of management intimidation, anger and being toyed or bullied (employees get picked on) by higher ups.
5. Management uses humiliation, insults and social embarrassment to push you to perform. Insults are also used to make you "reflect" on what you did, and also a coercive method to get you to give up your conviction and believe the company's lines.
6. Good work is expected, but many times - not appreciated. Sure they have employee appreciation days, and while that's nice - even the sweetest, nicest employees of the month in my store become blunt jaded after several months.
7. You can lose the light in you, working for Uniqlo. I wasn't the only one who noticed, and it's more so the consequence of the company's scorched earth nature to push results out of you (and influence you) that you can end up feeling sort of divorced from yourself working here.
8. Uniqlo will squeeze out work from you that is inappropriate of your skill level within the company. You can be made to clean gum off the floor with the handle of a box cutter or clean the toilet without gloves.
There's a bit more to say.. but that's the first post for now.
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