Upfront to new readers, I worked at Pret for almost 10 years running shops. Yes, I know! Why so long. Simple, I was as brainwashed and fear managed as they are. But I know Pret’s mentality and games like nothing else.
On Bluesky a customer (Nikki C) received a freebie in Pret and I explained to her why Pret give freebies via my “Free Coffees…” post. Basically that it is NOT due to kindness but for marketing and that the staff giving the freebie can get the £100 mystery shopper reward. Of course customers don’t like to hear that Pret staff give freebies for extra cash as it takes their illusions away where they thought staff think the customer is so special. So they go out of their way trying to justify Pret’s bullshit to me, who knows Pret and their games like the back of my hand.
I further sent the customer my post about how Pret lie and also steal from staff in my post: “Cheating, Lies and Theft at Pret A Manger“.
Amongst several examples with EVIDENCE from court cases, the press, my own expeirences etc. I showed the newly added tip devices in Pret where customers can pay a tip electronically via their card payment. And knowing Pret I wrote in that article that I’m sure Pret will ALSO steal those while claiming that all the tips go to staff.
Here a tweet from 2023:
Pret claim that “ALL tips go directly to staff”. And my “prediction” that the tips will NOT go to staff.
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And Nikki C. in her zeal to defend Pret’s dodgy practices proved me right and I thank the Pret staff for accidently telling the truth:
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I know Pret and their games like the back of my hand. Pret used to have tip boxes in their USA shops. I visited New York City in 2008 including a Pret store where they still had tip boxes for cash as tipping in the USA is almost mandatory.
I visited NYC again in 2013 and the tip boxes in Pret were converted to charity boxes. Pret stopped the tipping altogether.
Here in the UK, Pret implemented donation boxes VERY close to regular payment devices where customers then accidently donate £5 thinking they paid. They are then prompted again to pay. And Pret knowing that customers feel embarrassed to claim money back from “charity”, they placed the donation devices strategically.
The refunds are also not given by Pret, but third party company GoodBox. And katchink, Pret had a 122% increase in donations.
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And how do donations, charity and trusts work for companies? I explain that in my post “The Pret Foundation Trust” and how companies use trusts to get more cash via “charity”. I share a link to a video in that post regarding the secrecy of trusts and how they are exempt from financial scrutiny. Most people don’t understand that companies use EVERYTHING they can to get more and more cash.
And then Pret implemented tip devices for staff, claim that all tips go directly to staff while in reality it goes to Pret’s pockets via “charity”. Katchink! And Nikki C. proved my point how Pret STEAL from staff and lie where the money goes to.
Nikki further writes quote: “I agree it should be clearer that these payments are donations not tips…”
Sorry Nikki, but white washing a big fat lie won’t cut it. Pret staff suffer too much for that! A lie is a lie. And theft is theft. No sweet-talking around it.
Also Nikki writes quote: “I’m sure they make the no tips policy clear during staff training.”
Dear Nikki, which staff training?? 😀
You should get your heard out of the clouds and apply for a job in Pret, but UNDERCOVER and make your OWN experiences in what training there is and how “generous” Pret are.
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Finally, Nikki continues to lecture me on staff wages and she feels so clever thinking to inform me how generous Pret supposedly are.
Let me respond to your points Nikki.
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- Pret staff paid above the “National Minimum Living Wage” 😀 What now, above “minimum wage” of above “living wage”. Can’t be both! Pret claim they pay the living wage, again, a lie. I write about Pret’s pay which is NOT £14.10 like Pret try to fool everyone in my post: “Pret’s Vague Payrise“.
Pret don’t pay the living wage. Pret pay about 50p above the minimum wage to lure workers in. And then they coerce and manipulate staff to work overtime for free, delay pay, “forget” to pay hours worked etc. etc. etc. I write about this exploitation on my post: “Pret CEO Reputation with Staff“, especially with shop managers as well as HQ staff. Shop managers are on a monthly contract of a 42.5 hour week, but are forced to cut labour hours and then work 60+ hours, overtime unpaid. This abuse is then passed down to hourly paid workers as well. An endless cycle of exploitation.
. - Pret staff get free meals and free drinks
Of course they do! EVERY food business gives free meals and drinks. If they won’t it would be unethical as well as employees would steal food for hunger working with food. This is not a great generous gift by Pret. Get a reality check about food businesses.
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Pret work their staff so hard, that they don’t even have time to sit down and eat. Staff are also bullied behind the counter to NOT drink water in the summer. I know what I’m talking about!!! As a team leader I disobeyed my managers and allowed my teams to drink water behind the counter! Pret stopped paying the breaks during the pandemic and took other benefits away to enrich the CEO and shareholders further.
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A customer once observing how staff are treated in REALITY:
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Further in Nikki’s lecture to me on Pret’s “generosity”:
- Pension fund: You really don’t know that pension funds are a type of investement into corporations? A pension should be the basics of every person, not just an investment into corporate funds. Most companies do pension funds now. Again, nothing out of the ordinary.
. - Training opportunities: Again, nothing out of the ordinary. Most companies provide training opportunities. But in Pret, the staff are “trained” on their own private times, on their breaks, at home when they are NOT paid. IF they are trained at all!!! The “training in Pret is appalling! Even in my time before private equity really started the squeeze on us staff, I and my colleagues had to train outselves! And no, don’t blame private equity, Pret were always cheeky, but were better able to hide it in the good, rich times.
. - Free shoes: Pret started to give free shoes around 2016-ish because they demand that staff wear black shoes, but many still turned up with other colours or cloth-shoes that cannot be wiped clean. These shoes are very cheap and extremely uncomfortable. Again, shoes, uniforms etc. should be a given that they are provided by the company. Again, nothing out of the ordinary.
Dear Nikki C, before you try to be smart and lecture me on anything related to Pret, put your sleeves up, apply for a job in Pret UNDERCOVER (!) and work there for a month and then come back to me. And no, not “I know a Pret staff who’s happy…” Nope, not that game, but YOU YOURSELF, go undercover for a FULL MONTH, and then tell me again how generous Pret are and how they don’t lie, cheat and steal from staff.
I suggested for journalist Amy Sharpe to go undercover into Pret, and she only lasted a week! But thank you Nikki for proving my point that Pret ARE thieves, cheats and liars. Please thank the Pret staff who provided you with the info for accidentally telling the truth.
“Undercover Under Pressure in Pret“.
Read the small print at the bottom of this Mirror report: “… and staff who are hugely over-stretched.”
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Finally Nikki, here a YouTube version of how Pret A Manger lie, cheat and steal from customers, and most appallingly, from low-wage staff. Pret have no shame.
Enjoy your Pret experience and keep up the “good” work furthering Pret’s bullsh!t. I’m sure you will get a voucher in the mail for your services to Pret (in exchange for your data/address etc 😉 ).
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I LIED, the REALLY really final thing is again my all-time favourite social media post by a woman who learnt that Pret made “temporary” pay-cuts permanent. I could not have said it any better!
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I worked at Pret A Manger and survived systemic workplace bullying during bereavement that involved HR, the top leadership, HQ and even the now “retired” former CEO Clive Schlee. Schlee has been appointed CEO of itsu in 2024 by Julian Metcalfe who gave him the CEO spot at Pret many years ago.
I declined 4 settlement offers if I am silent about my ordeal. But I rather speak out to help others. For an overview of important blog entries of my experience with Pret, please visit “My Ordeal with Pret A Manger”. The little arrow to the right next to each heading will lead directly to the post.
An incomplete list on what other Pret staff say about Pret’s bullying environment: Caught in the Act Bullying at Pret and What shop MANAGERS & HQ staff say about Pret incl. CEO Pano Christou.
I tell my story for the first time verbally in below audio player interview on a podcast by The Adam Paradox, and wrote two articles in the Scottish Left Review as well as mentioned by the BBC.
Please also see the MEDIA page for more on my work with the press.
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Thank you for reading/listening.
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Interview:
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Bullied during bereavement in Pret A Manger 
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