Pros
Very good pay (£7.22 for all hourly staff no matter what age). The uniform was nice and easy - just a navy schuh top and any form of blue denim on the bottom (jeans, skirt, dungarees, pinafore), and shoes that schuh sold. Very good at getting your allocated breaks - at the start of every shift we were to look at a sheet that had our names on it, which section we were responsible for that day, and what time we were to have our breaks if needed. As I was a temporary member of staff I had lower discount allowanced than permanent staff, however it was still great, including 40%, 25% and 15% discounts. All of the sales assistants were lovely and friendly and really helpful, especially when you're new.
Cons
The management staff had very clear favourites and if you were not a favourite you would get worse shifts/jobs/sections, also you will be likely not to get the dates requested off (even if its for an important reason). Managers stated at a staff meeting that there was certain staff members they would tell of and make them stay late if they hadn't tidied their section, and that there was others that they wouldn't. My personal story: I went into store to ask for 1 week off at Christmas as my family was planning our annual trip to America to visit our extended family. I was told by a manager that they never gave time off at Christmas and that I wasn't allowed it, which I understood (although 3 part time staff actually had the full Christmas break off). My family decided to not go to visit my extended family as I wanted to keep my job. Then 1 month later I was informed that my contract was going to be coming to an end over Christmas as 'my service reviews were not up to scratch', but it seems odd that they didn't know this information one month prior when I asked for time off. Managers also perform monthly service reviews to ensure standards are kept high - however, you will probably get a different manager judging you each time and all have different qualifications they want you to fulfill, therefore making it nearly impossible to hit the '101%' they expect from you, without conducting yourself like a robot. In one of my service reviews, 20 points were deducted from my score as the manager said I used the words 'fab' and 'fantastic' too many times, even though these are words that are just part of my daily vocabulary when trying to be positive. They judge you specifically on your mood and if you're not bubbly enough, which results in it being one of the most emotionally draining job I've ever had.
