Howdens Joinery reviews

AVOID, AVOID, AVOID! Nasty, toxic, bullying organisation who have no interest in owning or rectifying their mistakes, or changing for the future. Bottom line is top priority here, and those who are good at selling kitchens are protected regardless of their behaviour. I was bullied to the point where I had to find another role elsewhere, often shouted at, sworn at or listening to staff tell me how incompetent someone else is whilst using foul language to describe how their mistakes cost the Depot business or their targets. I was verbally abused and assaulted on a regular basis and even put at risk from Covid because we were told to turn off our track and trace apps and open our showroom open during restrictions despite legally only being allowed to open for the building trade. Staff in my region were spreading around sensitive leaked information from a personnel file of an employee at a nearby depot, which was a significant breach of GDPR but yet this was covered up. Oh and like many others on here have mentioned, forget about your lunch breaks. I wonder if managers are bonused on keeping staff locked in their depots all day? I was also used as a lackey often instructed to run personal errands and fetch coffees or food for depot staff, then moaned at for not doing enough outreach calls to customers in a period. I’m only one person I can’t take someone’s personal parcels to the post office and make calls to customers. I made a formal complaint after leaving regarding the treatment I had to put up with and the investigation was conducted by local management, not qualified HR professionals who simply asked the staff did this happen? To which they obviously said no. I mean who would put their own jobs on the line and back me up, in such a toxic organisation?? None of the requests I made for them to talk to other ex-depot staff or leave it the hands of a HR professional where listened to. This was a cover up plain and simple with Howdens simply telling me I made it all up. Yet other Glassdoor reviews and on Indeed suggest there’s a bullying culture at Howdens. So we must be all fantasists and liars right? There couldn’t possibly be a shred of truth in my allegations at all could there? I’m being sarcastic if you hadn’t noticed. I got to the point where I needed to move on because every response was you’re lying basically. My husband even asked for an in person meeting to discuss why the management thought they dealt with the matter appropriately and they just ignored him. It’s clear they prefer the safety net of hiding behind their keyboards, as the saying goes most bullies are cowards. Since leaving the company I still live in the local town where the depot I previously worked at is located, and now I’ve had two incidents of harassment from aggrieved staff still working there. One of which I did raise a complaint about, and again Howdens response was when I complained is it uncorroborated and if it did happen then it’s not on Howdens premises so not our problem, sandwiched in between a lot of waffle and lies. This is not the behaviour of a moral organisation that cares about it’s staff. This is an organisation that breeds a culture of aggression and contempt for anyone who sticks up for themselves or knows their legal employment rights. Like another review on Glassdoor I read, they are indeed the cause of mental health issues despite claiming to care about personnel’s mental health, so hypocritical. When I complained after leaving I was told by their Employee Relations dept. that they take allegations like mine “very seriously”. Yet deliberately kept its investigation local where the root of the problem was and at arms length away from their corporate HQ. That’s not taking it seriously that’s covering it up. Interesting observation as well is for every bad review there’s 3/4 good ones soon after with limited comments. Many of the Howdens appreciation society within the business worked there from a young age and it’s either the only company they worked for or they only worked maybe one or two places elsewhere first. Indoctrinated is the word I’d describe them as. Myself having experienced fairer working environments and conditions elsewhere was appalled that this 1980’s male dominant bullying culture still existed in the modern working world. I think they will struggle to retain Gen Z employees in the near future if this culture continues. Pay and bonuses are also disproportionate, you can be useless, incompetent and at a large depot and be rewarded with healthy bonuses because it’s in a busy area taking millions of pounds a year. Where as at smaller depots regardless of their work ethic get hardly anything because the depot makes such little cash. If you flag any issues with sales the answer coming back is, I don’t care just sell more kitchens. All this led to some depots trying to steal business from each other almost like a franchise model. Or even bring future kitchen sales forward to make up the targets, and in extreme cases hide stock in storage units and mark as sold on someone’s account to make the numbers work. Only fear would drive someone to do that and when they have they’ve been sacked very quickly. Shame the bullies get to keep their job, as bullying in the workplace is illegal just like fraud is. Essentially harm their profits you’re out, otherwise everything else goes. I’m also appalled at the dishonesty of many kitchen fitters who bought from us when I worked there, we used to provide an invoice and quote with the quote going to the fitter’s customer often they would request at least £500 to be added to the quote which they would pocket. Some fitter’s would ask for as much as 20% to be added to the end users quote. This is why fitters encourage their customers to buy Howdens, it’s pure greed enabled by them. Not quality or service just motivated by greed.

Where do I start? Expected to work through your lunch hour (un-paid) every day! An IT system that's stuck in the 1980's! Unwritten rule of every other Saturday off NEVER happened! Only allowed to have 3 and half days off in 6 months! Relentless chasing of new accounts, despite local area being at saturation point! Goal posts constantly being moved, on completely unrealistic targets! Fuel allowance doesn't cover your actually fuels costs, so you end up subsidising the Company out of your own pocket. A "Bullying" culture from top to bottom in the Company. No matter, what you did, it was never good enough and an absolute lack of praise in the Company! The fact that they've had 6 Sales Representatives in three years, tells you everything you need to know about the Company!