One new employee horror story is about a person who started a job at a small company. On their first day, they were given a task to complete by the end of the day. But no one bothered to show them how to use the specific software required for the task. They had to fumble around and ended up looking incompetent in front of their new boss.
One typical element is unrealistic expectations. New employees are sometimes expected to perform at a high level right from the start without sufficient training. Another common factor is being thrown into a chaotic work environment. There could be disorganized teams, unclear hierarchies, and a general lack of structure. Also, cultural differences within the workplace can be a problem. If a new employee comes from a different work culture, they might struggle to adapt to the new company's norms and values. This can lead to misunderstandings and discomfort.
One horror story is about an employee who was constantly overworked. The boss kept piling on tasks without any regard for work - life balance. He had to work 12 - hour days regularly and was expected to be available on weekends too. Eventually, he burned out completely and had to take a long break to recover his health.
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 is about an employee who was constantly overworked at Target. They were scheduled for back - to - back long shifts without proper breaks. Management just kept piling on tasks, and the employee became extremely exhausted and stressed. Eventually, it led to burnout and they had to quit for the sake of their health.
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.