Employees are giving their reviews on major employment sites.
Bookseller (Current Employee) - Peabody, MA - September 20, 2021
I have never worked for a company that treats its employees so terribly.
It's bad enough that the pay is low with no decent promotions but when lazy store management spends all of their time abusing and gossiping about their employees, that's the worst and I won't put up with it any longer. I am in the process of starting a new job with a living wage, real benefits and with management who respects their employees.
I am not alone, more people are leaving as soon as they can.
I implore eveyone to AVOID THIS PLACE LIKE COVID!
Pros
Co-workers were great unless they were the manager's pets
Cons
Bad pay, barely any benefits, almost any other company is much better
Toxic work environment. Retail with books more so than actual bookstore.
Bookseller (Former Employee) - Minneapolis, MN - September 14, 2021
The pay is terrible, with little to no chance of a raise or promotion- ever. In fact, they expect low level employees to do Management level tasks for no additional pay.
They expect certain work related tasks to be done off the clock ( putting head sets on, etc)
Little to no accommodation for neurodivergency (especially those with auditory processing issues)
They do NOT take care of the employees well, practically zero protection from covid exposure.
Management is terrible - it is not a good sign when coworkers bond over Management making them cry on a weekly basis.
Overall not worth the discount on books. Would NOT recommend to anyone.
Cons
Bad management, horrible pay and hours, no avenues for advancement
Bookseller/Head Cashier (Former Employee) - Palm Desert, CA - July 29, 2021
Management is extremely unprofessional, often smearing other employees to everyone else, hours and pay were terrible, and the company as a whole is mismanaged, with a new CEO every 2 months. Employee discounts got progressively worse with time and the company is constantly cutting corners to maximize profits while ruining the customer and employee experience.
Pros
None worth mentioning, stay away.
Cons
Bad management at every level, constant staffing issues, low pay, bad hours.
Don’t Not Work for Barnes and Noble Unless You Are Desperate
Bookseller/Barista (Former Employee) - Atlanta, GA - June 17, 2021
Very low pay, minimal hours, and a unprofessional, very low morale work culture that starts at the top & leaks down to each store. Workers are not and will not be valued for their skills. You’ll be lucky to receive a $0.50 pay increase with each yearly review.
Pros
None
Cons
Only work here if you need a quick paycheck. Leave as soon as possible.
Management
A Maintenance Mechanic (Former Employee) - Reno, NV - June 15, 2021
Management says one thing and does the opposite.
No support from anyone.
Employees stab each other and gossip about each other. Employees are afraid to get help from management.
Pros
None
Cons
Everything
Managers don’t really care
Bookseller (Former Employee) - New Orleans, LA - November 18, 2020
You do WAY too much work for the pay. They start you at 9.00 and they don’t give you hours.
You get about 16 hours MAX a week. You only get four hour shifts, sometimes they’ll give you an eight hour shift, but you’ll be missing a day of work.
Managers absolutely do NOT care. Someone had a death in the family, and the store manager said “I understand that, but I have a business to run.” Managers don’t care how customers treat their employees. They will let the customer have their way with employees. Only work here if you need money until you find a new job.
Pros
40% off
Cons
Low pay. Managers with no compassion. More worried about money.
Hostile Environment
Customer Service Admin and Bookseller (Former Employee) - Willow Grove, PA - November 8, 2020
Very little pay for the hostile environment provided by both customers and management. Lean staffing and unsafe Covid working conditions create extreme amounts of stress. No room for upward mobility in terms of job improvement, and very little recognition of achievements.
Pros
Employee Discount
Cons
Stressful work environment, hostile management, low pay
overworked, underpaid
Café Server (Former Employee) - Boston, MA - September 5, 2020
I worked as a server in the cafe at Boston's Prudential Center location. Absolute nightmare. They justified paying us almost nothing with the promise of tips, but there was no tip jar, so "tips" were usually just pennies a customer shoved at you when they were in too much of a rush to put them in their wallet.
There were never enough people working. Someone called out almost every shift (understandably, because it's an awful place to work). There were many shifts where I was left alone to work the cash register and make drinks/food during the morning and lunch rushes.
Management treats everyone like they're disposable and does not see employees as human beings. They prey on people who are desperate for work and assure you that career development is possible. But it isn't, because the workplace is so chaotic and toxic that you'll quit within a few months like everyone else.
Pros
50% employee discount
Cons
low pay, poor management