There have been reports of strict management styles. For example, some managers might be overly critical of employees' work. An employee could spend weeks on a project, only to have it completely torn apart by a manager without much constructive feedback on how to improve, leaving the employee feeling demoralized.
Another aspect could be intense competition among employees. In the race to get promotions or be part of the most important projects, some employees might experience backstabbing or cut - throat behavior from their colleagues. This creates a very toxic work environment where trust is hard to come by.
One horror story is about an overbearing customer. An Apple Store employee was constantly harassed by a customer who demanded a full refund for a product that had obvious signs of misuse. The customer became verbally abusive when the employee tried to explain the company's policy. It was really a nightmare for the poor employee.
There are stories of unrealistic expectations. Apple aims for perfection in its products. However, this sometimes means that employees are expected to achieve the impossible. For instance, a software engineer might be given an extremely short time frame to fix a complex bug that has been lingering for months, with little support or resources, just because the product launch schedule cannot be delayed.
Another horror story was the lack of proper security measures in the store. There were instances of shoplifting that put employees in danger. They were not trained well enough on how to handle such situations, and sometimes they were blamed for the losses even though it was not really their fault. Some employees also had to deal with people coming into the store just to use the facilities and make a mess without buying anything, and they had no real way to stop them.
Perhaps there were issues with workplace bullying. A new employee at Lush might have been targeted by some of the more senior employees. They could have been made fun of for not being fast enough at serving customers or for making small mistakes. This created a really hostile work environment for the new employee, and they may have even considered leaving the job because of it.
Some employees have had to deal with unruly guests. There are cases where guests verbally abuse employees for minor issues like a ride being closed temporarily. An employee at a Disney store once shared that a customer got really angry because the item they wanted was out of stock and started shouting and using inappropriate language. The employee was left feeling very distressed but had to keep their composure as per company policy.
One horror story could be about the extremely long working hours. An employee might have been made to work 12 - 14 hours a day during peak seasons like Christmas without proper overtime pay. They were constantly exhausted but still had to meet high sales targets.
In a coffee shop, I was sitting at a corner table working on my laptop. A woman walked up to me and asked me to make her a special coffee. I was shocked and told her I was just a customer. She then said I looked like I worked there. I was so embarrassed. I think it might be because I was wearing a black shirt similar to the baristas' uniforms. But it was still a very uncomfortable situation that made me not want to go back to that coffee shop for a while.
One horror story could be dealing with extremely rude guests. Some guests might yell at employees for no good reason, like if a ride breaks down briefly. An employee once told me that a guest got angry because a character they wanted to see was on a break. The guest started shouting and making a scene, which was really scary for the employee.
One horror story could be a subway employee constantly facing rude and aggressive customers. They might get yelled at just for minor things like a slight delay in service. For example, a customer once threw their food at an employee because the sandwich had a little too much mayo. It was really unfair and scary for the employee.
One horror story could be about extremely long working hours during peak seasons like Christmas. UPS employees are often overworked, having to start very early in the morning and finish late at night. They might not even have proper breaks, just constantly on the go to sort and deliver packages.