Lawsuit vs Pret A Manger on Racism

July 3, 2020July 3, 2020 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

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Or click here: https://expret.org/2020/07/03/lawsuit-vs-pret-a-manger-racism

Link

At the bottom of this page I highlight a few things that I also experienced in a bullying environment. I link to the full 19 page court document of this lawsuit.

In light of the police violence and the death of George Floyd, sparking worldwide anti-racism protests, some former Pret staff speak out on social media on Pret’s Black Lives Matter posts.

Link

Link > Birmingham, UK

Link

An Italian review on racism:

Link

A USA review on racism:

Link

etc. etc. etc.

There are countless more reviews and complaints on various platforms along the lines of racism, slavery, favouritism, discrimination etc., not just on Glassdoor and Indeed. But I just stumbled across a 2012 article by The Voice of two black employees who are very specific in describing their experience. And their experience sounds very familiar of the systemic bullying environment in Pret A Manger. The claim that Pret treated them as “slaves” is a very common complaint on Review sites and YouTube etc.

Link to The Voice article in 2012.

There’s a reason why Pret and its leadership have such poor scores on Glassdoor & Co, and why Cliver Schlee, former CEO, left with this legacy:

Glassdoor scores.

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The above slideshow is just a selection, the list goes on in → Pret Staff Complaints, including at Head Office and Management complaints, please scroll down to the screenshots in this article:

>> Caught in the Act Bullying at Pret A Manger.

>>> LINK to the Court document of the lawsuit
BATTLE v Pret A Manger.

I’m aware that these are alleged accounts of Ms Battle. But I’m want to highlight a few things from my own experience with Pret and what I witnessed with colleagues. Please take the time to read the above 19 page court document. It really shows the systemic culture and hostile work environment which includes subtle bullying. Ms Battle’s experience though shows how hostile shops in the U.S. are, and many U.S. reviews keep saying the same thing over the years of favouritism, racism, bullying.

I want to highlight as well, that in the shops where I worked I never heard the N-Word, but I witnessed subtle racism and backbiting. As a Team Leader I always immediately spoke out against any form of discrimination against race, gender, sexual orientation etc. My colleagues knew that I won’t tolerate any form of discrimination. But there was always the subtle type of racism where a colleague for example complained about another Team Member and always felt the need to mention that they were Black. My response was “Why do you need to mention that they’re Black?” With that I never heard any more subtle comments from those who made mentioned like this. My Teams knew that I would not tolerate ANY form of discrimination.

I also was contacted a few months ago by a then current Pret employee from the U.S. who complained to me about their shop mainly employing Hispanic workers. I immediately spoke up that I won’t accept racism. In hindsight as well, this may have been a mention of the 60 Broad St New York shop that Ms Battle from the lawsuit here worked at. But I don’t know this. And as the person kept ranting about Hispanic staff, I blocked them. Unfortunately I didn’t do a screenshot of the complaint, even though that complaint may still be there as it was made publicly on MY Facebook feed. But for the life of me, I can’t find it due to having blocked and can’t remember the Facebook account of the person! Oh well …

Page 6 of PDF document, point # 20:
“[Manager] Ramos also accepted and normalized the use of the N-word by Team Members.”
My comment: That’s why this became so aggressively rampant in several shops.

Page7 , point 23:
“Despite her complaint to Ramos, Plaintiff’s coworkers and supervisors continued to use racial slurs in her presence on a regular basis.”
Very typical Pret A Manger that complaints fall on deaf ears.

Page 8, point 25:
“After Plaintiff explained to her coworkers that she was offended by their use of racial slurs, they began to use it even more frequently in her presence.”
Yep, also typical in Pret. You raise an issue, and they do it even more.

Page 9, point 30:
“Ramos [Manager] did not discipline the Team Member for her use of racial slurs.”
Again, very typical Pret.

Page 9, point 31:
“Ramos initially cut Plaintiff’s hours below 30 per week in or around January 2018. When Plaintiff complained to Ramos that he had cut her hours below full time, he told her it was just for that week. Then it happened again the next week and the week after that.”
This is a CLASSICAL bullying tactic. Cutting hours down, no matter if the contracted hours are higher, and initially just saying that this would be temporary. I had that many, many times in Pret. One Manager even cut a whole week to ZERO, and that DURING the Christmas period in 2017 shortly after my dad came out of his coma! It is a classical attempt to make employees resign in desperation to leave this toxic environment.

Page 9, point 32:
“Plaintiff was also harassed and discriminated against in many smaller ways that cumulatively degraded the conditions of her employment. Another African American coworker named Destiny suffered many of these same indignities. By way of example, Plaintiff and Destiny were ordered by supervisors, usually Ramos, to take out the garbage a disproportionate number of times. This was especially remarkable because female workers at 60 Broad were not usually tasked with dragging the heavy trash bags to the garbage dump. Seeing Plaintiff dragging these bags to the garbage dump, the garbage man asked her, “What are you doing back here? I never heard of them sending a female to do garbage pickup.””
Bullying takes on many different forms including subtle harassment and unfavourable treatment being sent to do menial or degrading tasks repeatedly. I was ordered by a Manager once when I was the Team Leader IN FRONT of a 16 year old apprentice to stock up bananas! This Manager would do that with anyone he disliked or was upset with for whatever reason. He would order us to do menial tasks and ordered this in front of staff. These were very subtle and passive aggressive bullying tactics, just to humiliate especially staff who were in position of leadership.

Page 9, points 33 & 34:
“On orders from Rosario and Ramos, Plaintiff and Destiny also made a disproportionate amount of deliveries during the winter when the weather was cold and it was snowing. … With reference to the menial tasks given to Plaintiff, a Team Member named Jasmine asked Plaintiff, “Why are they asking one person to do everything?””
Self-explanatory!

Page 10, point 37:
“The N -word was used pervasively by employees at those other Pret locations, as well.”
Systemic.

Pages 10 & 11 , points 38 & 39:
“… Burke [HR] said she was just there to deal with the hours issue, and that if Plaintiff had a different issue Plaintiff should call a hotline dedicated to dealing with complaints. 39.In or around early April, Plaintiff called the hotline to which the human resources representative had referred her. The call went to voicemail. Plaintiff left a voicemail during which she complained about her hours being cut and that her shop was “a hostile work environment.””
HR ignored Ms Battle’s complaint about racist slurs and did the typical thing Pret HR does, sending people away to call some hotline which goes to an automated voice mail only.

Page 11, point 41:
“Gregorio [HR] sent Plaintiff an email write-up that mischaracterized and/or omitted many of the issues Plaintiff raised. Notably absent from the write-up was any mention of racial slurs, including the incident Plaintiff told Gregorio about.”
Yep, typical Pret HR behaviour, leaving vital issues out and/or distracting from the main issues raised.

Page 14, point 55 & 56:
“On July 12, 2018 Plaintiff sent Gregorio an email in which she cited, among other concerns, her coworkers’ use of racial slurs and the lack of action taken in response to her prior complaints. She also mentioned that she had sent Ramos a text about her concerns and that he had not responded and refused to discuss her concerns. Faced with these explicit, written complaints, Pret lurched into action, albeit a kind both belated and insufficient.”
Once Ms Battle put her complaint in writing in an email, Pret suddenly responded, but insufficient of course.

In a lawsuit in 2010 in the UK a Judge ruled in favour of a former Pret worker who sued Pret for unfair dismissal. The Judge mentioned Pret’s HR hearings being quote, “fundamentally flawed”. The Judge further mentioned that the appeal’s hearings also were “fundamentally flawed”. This is a systemic problem in Pret since years as I have experienced and won’t change unless Pret is hit more seriously with high penalties. The peanuts Pret is always ordered to pay is a joke and doesn’t make them change the toxic foundation of this company.

Link to Tribunal Judge’s ruling on Pret’s flawed HR hearings, page 10 top check mark.

Page 15, point 57:
“In or around August 4, 2018 Gregorio sent Plaintiff a follow up email in which she shared the results of her investigation. Under the heading “Inappropriate Language” she confirmed that she was able to substantiate Plaintiff’s allegations that racial slurs are used in the shop. Under the heading “Hostile Work Environment” she confirmed that she was able to substantiate Plaintiff’s concerns…”
But only AFTER Plaintiff put her complaints in WRITING via email!

Page 15, point 58:
“Despite these findings, Pret did not terminate Ramos’s employment.”
Why should Pret fire him, they would have to fire the majority of the company!

Well done for Ms Battle with the cool name reflecting her fighting spirit to go all the way to court! In the U.S. it’s much easier to go to court than in the UK and Europe. Pret had to pay 4000 workers back TWICE after being sued in NY for not paying correct wages.

I explain in my interview in below audio player why I withdrew my court case against Pret. But I will never be silent about Pret A Manger’s toxic and corrupt work ethics behind their smiley PR facade!

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. 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.
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.
Thank you for reading/listening.

Interview:

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Pret A Manger’s Micromanaging Mystery Shopper Scheme

July 1, 2020July 1, 2020 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

Interview:

A Sack of Potatoes in a Cotton Field

June 11, 2020June 18, 2020 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

It weighs heavy on the rich

because poverty is a burden

while white cotton is more precious

than dirty green, yellow, brown-ish things

that is peeled before trying

hailing bullets

in the sun

Questions to Lila Tighilt Warren #PretAManger

June 9, 2020June 26, 2020 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

Or click here: https://expret.org/2020/06/09/questions-to-lila-tighilt-warren

Dear Lila,

I hope you are well during this pandemic.

I am still alive and physically well, although mentally ruined and broken after what I went through with my brother’s death and what Pret put me through, including you gaslighting me.

As you may know, I wrote several articles about what you have done. But in case you missed it, here are two of several posts:

Counsellor Lila Warren — and — Counselling with Lila Warren.

There is a reason why I gave both posts similar titles.

Both more or less saying the same thing about your “brother Zain”, and what you have done and allowed Pret to do via you.

For 2 years now I’ve been writing, blogging, tweeting about my trauma. For 2 years, on and off, I’ve searched if there is a “brother” named “Zain”.

And then, I came across Kader a few months ago.

He passed away.

Who was he? Your brother? A cousin? Or was he the uncle you mentioned? As you seem to have a large family, it’s all a little bit confusing.

A LaProvence.com Newspaper article about Kader Tighilt’s memorial.

I can’t speak French and did a Google translate, maybe you could correct any wrong translation:

»He left with praise, with thunderous applause, with looks bathed in tears too. The tears of all those who had gathered in town hall from the 15th-16th, yesterday, to say goodbye to Kader Tighilt, chief of the sports department, who died, at 53, of a terrible disease. The elected officials were there, from left and right, Samia Ghali, Patrick Mennucci, Daniel Sperling, Nora Préziosi, Jean-Marc Coppola, Henri Jibrayel, Clément Yana, Jean-Marc Corteggiani, the representative of the prefect also, of the Algerian consul . Kader belonged to the 15th-16th family but he was not from any chapel, subservient to any party, except that of the Republic.

His open, tolerant and always humorous speech had allowed him to gather. Among elected officials and at the bistro. Kader was an all-terrain personality. That is why there were 300 of them crowding in the garden of Villa Laplane where the elected officials rubbed shoulders with athletes, everyday friends and family, of course. A minute of silence launched the tribute ceremony, which was followed by the hymn, symbol of this Republic which he defended as a treasure.

His young son Faris recalled him in a speech full of courage, dignity and emotion: “He was a great man who was going to leave an immense void. We can be proud of the fight he fought. ” Samia Ghali, with whom Kader Tighilt worked, portrayed a man who, beyond ideas, will have marked the town hall with his personality:

“Your voice which surprised us at the Bar des Bons Vivants or at the Régali will be greatly missed.” Nearly an hour of sincere tribute to a man who has spent a too short life cultivating friendship. And to make the young disadvantaged in the northern districts smile. Kader Tighilt was buried in the Vaudrans cemetery, abandoning loved ones torn apart by grief, who nevertheless know that his image and his spirit will remain present in Saint-Louis, La Viste, at the Bar des Bons Vivants and in the town hall of the sector.

Where, without Kader, life will not be quite as before.«

End of translation.

Kader was a prominent figure in Marseille where you’re from.

And an English article about Kader Tighilt: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/marseilles-ethnic-bouillabaisse-180191988

And a Tweet about a tribute after his death:

Link

Lila, remember the picture you had on your Pret work-phone? You had NO picture whatsoever on your private phone number, which is now your counselling number, the painted picture of which you said is a self-portrait by your brother Zain, whom you said died in his apartment and wasn’t found for days, just like my brother. I found the painted picture on Facebook profile of Samir Tighilt, who has this black and white photo of Kader Tighilt on it. Is Samir another brother? I can’t find Zain, though!

Facebook profile

And not to be mistaken for another Tighilt family, you, your brother Morad and your Husband/family Warren show up on Samir Tighilt’s friend-list. There is no “Zain” to be found, though!

I searched for Zain Tighilt and after many Facebook profiles and articles found Kader Tighilt.

You had a painted self-portrait of your “brother Zain” on your work phone, but no picture whatsoever on your private phone. I think it’s clear now, why. I believed you that you had a brother who died similarly to how my brother died, you were very convincing! As I wrote already in the other posts that you are either a very good liar because of the way you described everything regarding death and your “brother’s” body, which I know from my brother’s death. If you lied, that makes you a bad person. But if this is true that you indeed had a brother named Zain who died alone in his apartment and wasn’t found for days, like my brother, then this makes you even worse than a bad person.

Maybe Kader’s middle name is Zain? But also looking at the date when Kader died and the date you gave me about “Zain’s” death, the dates don’t match. It’s all very confusing isn’t it? But it all makes sense in hindsight with your education, and being a Hypnotherapist, NLP practitioner and now Psychotherapist. You apply psychology the wrong way. You used psychology to manipulate, gaslight and plainly abuse because you couldn’t stand up to Pret.

Link

I mean, it is quiet something that Pret had to go through such length, and you to such abyss to get me out of the company. But you know, I keep raising awareness on Pret’s systemic bullying culture. But now from the outside. Did you read those reviews on Head Office? Have you left a review on Pret yet? I remember some of your words about top leadership …

Lila, do you know that I have a hard time now trusting people who are friendly and nice? Every-time someone is kind and interested in my story or life, I get paranoid thinking that Pret sent a “spy” to gaslight me again. You should not be a counsellor of any type! You are not fit to call yourself any type of counsellor. And sooner or later your abusive way will come to light with others as well.

You might be protected and shielded by family, Pret A Manger and the counselling bodies you’re under. But no amount of money or “education” will shield you from exposure. My blog will always be a thorn in your and Pret’s side.

With all respect and condolences, but it doesn’t matter to me anymore if you had a brother named Zain. But I care that the public knows how toxic, abusive, corrupt, exploitative and plain cowardly Pret A Manger is. And I will keep cracking Pret’s shiny and smiley facade. Pret can paint over the cracks like colouring a rotten egg with all the charity and freebie marketing. I will keep cracking it with a pen and paper, and a computer keyboard to expose the foul stench from its core!

I care that the public and staff, many of whom are brainwashed and desperate for a job like I was, know how Pret under Clive Schlee, Pano Christou and HR David Carter etc. victimize hardworking employees who call out wrong-doing. And how you, with your privilege and education have neither backbone nor values to do the right thing. You need to live with decisions of disgrace and horrific disrespect. You allowed Pret to step, and decided yourself to step on dignity. That’s on you Lila.

Glassdoor.com

(Above header picture by: https://x-diotima-x.skyrock.com/3246454324-Kader-Tighilt-un-Homme-bien.html)

Interview:

Pret A Manger Pay-cut (NOT!)

March 30, 2020March 30, 2020 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

On 19.03.2020 in the morning I was contacted by a Pret employee that Pret wanted to cut all staff hours 25%, down to 16 hours. I was sent the email that Pano Christou sent to all shops and HQ (75B) that morning.

Some numbers:

A front-line shop staff member gets a little over minimum wage of £8.65 per hour

+£1 bonus IF the Mystery Shopper is happy (I posted a FULL Mystery Shopper report with the 32 micromanaging questions that Pret tasks Mystery Shoppers to test each shop on every week. If ONE staff member makes a mistake or doesn’t smile enough, the WHOLE shop team is penalized and don’t get the bonus!).

Even if a a staff member receives £8.65 they have to work double and triple for it. Pret has NO choice to pay a little more than minimum wage and give a few perks, as no-one would work at Pret for the backbreaking, micromanaging and stressful work they’re expected to do, often in a bullying environment.

Pret’s turnover on 2019: £710 million

Former CEO Clive Schlee’s BONUS from the JAB Holdings / Reimann purchase in 2018: £30 million

Second richest family in Germany, Reimann via tax-haven Luxembourg JAB Holdings worth €33 BILLION (£28 / $35 billion).

Do the math of £8.65 minus 25% minus hours.

I immediately wrote blog posts and went on Twitter.

The Guardian and other press started publishing and slowly customers and readers started to speak out against Pret’s decision.

What was so vile about this is that Pret started giving free coffees and 50% rebates on food to all NHS staff the day before on 18.03.2020. Pret made a big announcement, did press releases and sent emails to shops boasting about their “charity”.

This typical Pret PR and smokescreen had many speechless and angry.

A day later, after bad press and public outcry Pret reversed the pay-cut until May when they review this again.

This NHS employee is MY NHS hero / heroine!

Link

etc. etc. etc.

What Pret staff say for years:

On 27.03.2020, CEO Pano Christou was interviewed by the Evening Standard and even lied to the Standard, quote: “Last week Christou said immediately that he will pay his staff 100% of their salaries at least until the end of April.”

Immediately? You mean “immediately” after the public outcry and bad press about the 25% cut, huh?!

First email from Pano Christou on 19.03.2020 announcing the pay-cut. I was asked by the Pret staff who sent this email to me as screenshots to not publish the screenshot but write a transcript. The second letter of the pay-cut reversal is as a screenshot, sent by another staff member.

Recap of numbers again:

Front-line Pret staff:
£8.65 p/h (+£1 bonus not guaranteed – no bonus when on holiday/furlough and sick).
This is UNDER £15.000 a year! Subtract 25% AND subtract hours, announced DURING the Coronavirus pandemic AND NHS freebies!

Pret’s turnover 2019:
£710 million

Former CEO Clive Schlee’s BONUS (not to mention Pano Christou & share holders …)
£30 million

Reimann / JAB Holdings
€33 BILLION (£28 / $35 billion)

Pano Christou pay-cut email 19.03.2020:

Dear 75B and UK Shops

In moments of crisis we are challenged on our values and it is important we continue to support each other. People are at the heart of Pret. That’s why our biggest priority as we navigate the impact of Coronavirus is to protect our people. Pret is a wonderful company because it is full of amazingly talented, passionate, kind and generous people. I call it my second home after spending 20 years of my life with such wonderful people who have helped to shape me as a leader, father and a human being.

There are many people losing their jobs from other companies, especially in our sector. Our aim is not lose anyone, because we believe that we are all in this together.

Unfortunately we cannot ignore the fact that our sales in the UK have dropped by 75% and we believe this will be our new reality for several weeks. Therefore we have to reduce our costs somehow.

We are prioritising cuts in all areas that don’t impact our people directly, however it’s vital we also address pay. This means we need to ask every single Pret employee to take a 25% reduction in their contracted hours (and therefore pay). I know this is a huge ask and it breaks my heart to have to get to this point. I know it will hit people hard, but if we can achieve this, we can avoid job losses at this time. The Global Leadership Team and Board will be taking bigger cuts

We anticipate that our current reduction in sales will continue for at least 3 months and therefore the reduction in hours and associated pay will need to cover this period. If sales improve before then or we receive any further assistance from the government, nothing would make me happier than to be able to reverse this decision more quickly. I will keep you informed.

It goes without saying that if anyone would like to reduce their hours even further (perhaps for personal reasons) or take any period of unpaid absence or sabbatical (even if they haven’t been as Pret for long) then please let the HR team know.

It is important that every single Manager speaks to every single member of their team by Friday 12 noon (20^th March) to explain this. There will be lots of questions and following this note the HR team will be sending a list of actions that need to be taken, a letter that needs to be given to every person, and answers to the questions you and your teams may have.

To help our Pret people at this difficult time, we are setting up a Coronavirus Hardship Fund. More details to follow early next week. If any employee needs assistance due to the reduction in their hours then they must ask us for help and we will do all we can to support.

I am fully aware of the impact this change has on us all and I thank you for your understanding.

Take care of yourself and each other.

Pano

After public pressure and bad press:

Second letter of the decision to reverse pay-cut until May:

To all Pret employees:

JOIN A UNION!

And know that even ONE voice / blog / Tweet / email … COUNTS!

Even if things improve or you leave Pret, join a Union! When you stay, Pret will find ways AGAIN to try and cut hours!

These two Unions are very active and the best informed on Pret issues:

iwgb.org.uk
Twitter: @IWGBunion

www.bfawu.org (must include www.)
Twitter: @bfawu1

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The above slideshow is just a selection, the list goes on in → Pret Staff Complaints.
And extensive accounts of Pret’s systemic bullying behind the facade, also witnessed by customers: Caught in the Act at Pret.

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. I declined 4 settlement offers if I am silent about my ordeal. But I rather starve and 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.
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.
Thank you for reading/listening.

Interview:

To NHS Employees

March 26, 2020June 15, 2020 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

Or click here: https://expret.org/2020/03/26/to-nhs-employees

Below post I wrote on 26. March 2020 after being informed by a Pret staff about Pret wanting to cut staff hours/pay DURING NHS freebie give-aways! On 31. March 2020 I was informed again by a Pret staff that Pret wants some staff to work in kitchens again DURING furlough under pretense again of giving freebies to NHS and homeless people. In reality, apart from the typical PR stunt, Pret wants staff to be in place once the Government lifts the ban of closed businesses.

UPDATE: 17. April 2020 on Instagram and Twitter critical voices about Pret opening 10 shops:

Link

Link to critical post

Link to carleighsylvertiger’s post

Link to natalie_shilling’s post

Link

Link to Jeck.Disney’s post

Link to Tweets

Link

etc. etc. etc.

UPDATE 16. April 2020

NEW Manager review on the pay and Covid-19 handling:

Link

26. March 2020 post:

Dear NHS Employees,

above screenshot from @hannahwebs is the ONLY NHS employee outcry I have seen on Social Media! Other people raise their voices regarding the freebies PR for the NHS while Pret tried to cut staff pay and hours! But Hannah is the only NHS worker who spoke out! It is devastating that most only care about their freebies, but not for low-paid Pret staff! My plea to NHS employees at the bottom of this page.

Below is the email by Pano Christou, CEO of Pret A Manger who announced the 25% pay-cut for all employees and 16 hour contracts for front-line staff.

I was sent his email early morning on 19.03.2020 when he sent the email to all shops and HQ. I immediately wrote a blog entry and went on Twitter. Next day after a public outcry and bad press, Pret reversed the decision and announced to go back to 100% pay … BUT said that “we need to continually review our position”:

As a little reminder or introduction for new readers, Pret that was a multi-million pound company until 2018 was sold to the second richest family of Germany Reimann under tax-haven Luxembourg based firm JAB Holdings.

Pret now is a multi-BILLION pound company. The Reimann family are worth €33 BILLION, but Pret decided to steal from low-wage workers to keep stuffing Billionaires.

Some concerned people responded on social media, including a NHS staff’s disgust at Pret’s PR stunt of giving NHS staff freebies and at the same time cutting own staff pay and hours.

This NHS employee is MY NHS hero / heroine!

Link

etc. etc. etc.

What Pret staff say for years:

I was sent a message on 19.03.2020 early morning from a Pret employee about Pret cutting 25% of pay to all staff. Another Pret worker sent me the email that CEO Pano Christou sent to all UK shops and HQ.

I was asked to not post the screenshot of the email but to write a transcript.

In the midst of giving freebies and 50% rebates to NHS workers and cranking up the PR machine again, Pret cuts 25% pay and hours of their low paid staff. Most now work 16 hours per week and get 25% cut on top of it, and are pressured to take holidays and unpaid leave. Do the math of £8.65 per hour how much they get at the end of the week!

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the PR[et] Machine!

I also wrote a blog entry today: “Pret A Clowns” addressing Pano Christou and Clive Schlee as they read my blog. No more sweet-talk!

Pano Christou’s email from 19.03.2020 regarding pay and hour cuts DURING the NHS freebie give-away smokescreen!

Dear 75B and UK Shops

There are many people losing their jobs from other companies, especially in our sector. Our aim is not lose anyone, because we believe that we are all in this together.

Unfortunately we cannot ignore the fact that our sales in the UK have dropped by 75% and we believe this will be our new reality for several weeks. Therefore we have to reduce our costs somehow.

I am fully aware of the impact this change has on us all and I thank you for your understanding.

Take care of yourself and each other.

Pano

I don’t want to comment too much as I have been writing and tweeting all day on this. But a few things.

Pano writes, quote: “if we can achieve this, we can avoid job losses at this time”.

First of all, how about stopping to give freebies to NHS workers and stop the PR, and take care of your own workers! I am all for supporting medical staff, service persons etc. but at THIS time where the virus is spreading and staff don’t know how to survive, Pret cranks up the PR machine again and low-wage workers are paying for it!

And about the job losses, this is the typical Pret manipulation to scare workers into pay-cuts. Pret needs staff more than they want to admit. If Pret was to fire workers and business comes back up again, they would have to employ masses of people and train them fast. Cutting pay and cutting hours, keeping workers will have Pret back on its feet in no time.

Pano: “The Global Leadership Team and Board will be taking bigger cuts.”

The Global Leadership Team and Board earn 5 and 6-digit figures #FFS!!! I expect them to make HUGE cuts and keep the workforce at their pay level at the LEAST!

Link to Daily Mail

CEO Dan Price has cut his salary for his workers and his company Gravity Pay is thriving ever since! In 2015 Dan cut his $1.1 million annual pay down to $70K to raise the minimum wage for ALL his staff to $70K. And now his company is pulling together without him having to beg! He will leave a solid legacy behind, built on foundations of truth, integrity and life-changing actions. Dan said he has never regretted it and is happier than ever before. He has a healthy and thriving work environment and many CEOs are following his example! He will not be remembered for the sweet-talk that brings no change for the better and for which Pret is so known for within its own workforce.

Nothing more to say except, shame on Pret for squeezing their low-paid employees even more now, while pretending to sacrifice so much on top levels. Whatever cuts the top management makes on their own pay, they still have millions in the bank! And giving freebies to NHS workers at the same time is a smokescreen, while staff don’t know how to pay the rent! Absolute shame! Pret did the same recently with making plant-based milks free, and then raising the coffee prices at the same time. People always pay, one way or another!

Again, NHS workers DESERVE every bit of a break and support and love we can give them, absolutely! But Pret disregards their own yet again for the sake of PR and to polish up their cracked public image! Shame!

After public pressure and bad press Pret reversed the pay cut back to 100% pay and full 35 hour contracted hours, except for those who already signed a new 16 hour contract! But the reversion will be reviewed on an “ongoing basis” after April!

Quote from Pret:

“We will always put our people first and maintain as many hours and as much pay we can afford”. – Pret A Manger under Pano Christou (and Clive Schlee) under JAB Holdings / Reimann worth €33 Billion. “As much as we can afford”.

“We always put our people first”.

Really?

PR stunt giving NHS staff freebies
While cutting Pret staff PAY of 25% & hours down to 16 hours
Putting measures in place for customers 2B safe
NO care for staff in close proximity to each other

My plea to NHS employees

Apart from your joy of getting free coffees, 50% off food and food donations, praising Pret as an ethical company: why don’t you stand up for low-wage Pret employees who pay the price for Pret’s marketing, while top executives earn millions and JAB Holdings sit on billions!

Don’t let Hannah be the only NHS staff to have spoken out after NHS workers received freebies. 50% rebates and food donations!

Pret will try to cut pay and hours again, even when business is back to normal. I know Pret, they use any-and everything to avoid paying staff. Two class-action suits have been settled in New York when Pret had to repay 4000 workers!

Link

To all Pret employees:

JOIN A UNION!

These two Unions are very active and the best informed on Pret issues:

iwgb.org.uk
Twitter: @IWGBunion

www.bfawu.org
Twitter: @bfawu1

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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. I declined 4 settlement offers if I am silent about my ordeal. But I rather starve and 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.
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.
Thank you for reading/listening.

Interview:

Pret A Manger bows to Public Pressure & the Press

March 24, 2020March 26, 2020 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

Quote:

“We always put our people first”.

Really?

-PR stunt giving NHS staff freebies

-While cutting Pret staff PAY & Hours

-Putting measures in place for customers 2B safe

-NO care for staff in close proximity to each other

Below is the email by Pano Christou, CEO of Pret A Manger who announced the 25% pay-cut for all employees and 16 hour contracts for front-line staff.

I was sent his email early morning and immediately wrote a blog entry and went on Twitter. Next day after a public outcry and bad press, Pret reversed and announced to go back to 100% pay … BUT … “we need to continually review our position”:

As a little reminder or introduction for new readers, Pret that was a multi-million pound company until 2018 was sold to the second richest company of Germany, Reimann under tax haven Luxembourg based firm JAB Holdings.

Pret now is a multiBILLION pound company. The Reimann family are worth €33 BILLION, but Pret decided to steal from low-wage workers to keep stuffing Billionaires.

Some concerned people including a NHS staff disgust at Pret’s PR stunt of giving NHS staff freebies and at the same time cutting own staff pay and hours.

Below email from Pano Christou.

I was sent a message on 18.03.2020 from a Pret employee about Pret cutting 25% of pay to all staff. Another Pret worker sent me the email that CEO Pano Christou sent to all UK shops and HQ this morning (19.03.2020).

I was asked to not post the screenshot of the email but to write a transcript.

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the PR[et] Machine!

I also wrote a blog entry today: “Pret A Clowns” addressing Pano Christou and Clive Schlee as they read my blog. No more sweet-talk!

Pano Christou’s email from 18.03.2020 early morning:

Dear 75B and UK Shops

There are many people losing their jobs from other companies, especially in our sector. Our aim is not lose anyone, because we believe that we are all in this together.

Unfortunately we cannot ignore the fact that our sales in the UK have dropped by 75% and we believe this will be our new reality for several weeks. Therefore we have to reduce our costs somehow.

I am fully aware of the impact this change has on us all and I thank you for your understanding.

Take care of yourself and each other.

Pano

I don’t want to comment too much as I have been writing and tweeting all day on this. But a few things.

Pano writes, quote: “if we can achieve this, we can avoid job losses at this time”.

Pano: “The Global Leadership Team and Board will be taking bigger cuts.”

The Global Leadership Team and Board earn 5 and 6-digit figures #FFS!!! I expect them to make HUGE cuts and keep the workforce at their pay level at the LEAST!

Link to Daily Mail

CEO Dan Price has cut his salary for his workers and his company Gravity Pay is thriving ever since! In 2015 Dan cut his $1.1 million annual pay down to $70K to raise the minimum wage for ALL his staff to $70K. And now his company is pulling together without him having to beg! He will leave a solid legacy behind, built on foundations of truth, integrity and life-changing actions. Dan said he has never regretted it and is happier than ever before. He has a healthy and thriving work environment and many CEOs are following his example! He will not be remembered for the sweet-talk that brings no change for the better and for which Pret is so known for within its own workforce.

To all Pret employees:

JOIN A UNION!

These two Unions are very active and the best informed on Pret issues:

iwgb.org.uk
Twitter: @IWGBunion

www.bfawu.org
Twitter: @bfawu1

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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. I declined 4 settlement offers if I am silent about my ordeal. But I rather starve and 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.
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.
Thank you for reading/listening.

Interview:

Cases of Social Media Misconduct – #PretAManger

March 24, 2020June 23, 2020 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

To all Pret staff,

cases of social media misconduct can be avoided by sending me any information that I can publish on my website and / or send to the press.

I you have any information for the public and the press, you can send it to me anonymously and I will publish. Pret will not know who sent it. 😉

Pret’s Furlough information to employees (incomplete)

To all Pret staff,

cases of social media misconduct can be avoided by sending me any information that I can publish on my website.

I you have any information for the public and the press, you can send it to me and I will publish.

Stay safe, stand up and join a Union:

IWGB – Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (helping foreign workers a lot)

BFAWU – Bakers, Food and Allied Workers’ Union

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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. I declined 4 settlement offers if I am silent about my ordeal. But I rather starve and 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.
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.
Thank you for reading/listening.

Interview:

Pret’s Covid-19 FUCK – sorry FAQs!

March 20, 2020March 20, 2020 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

The following is Pret A Manger’s “How to Card” on the Coronavirus and how they UN-pay their staff during quarantine.

The worker who sent this to me highlighted the pay issues, I added the underline.

I want to say thank you to the Pret employees who sent this and other information on.

I want to tell you that you are courageous, strong and wonderful people. I wish worked with you in my wasted time at Pret.

I’ve never met some of you, but I miss the likes of you!

Pret A Manger’s FUCK

Covid-19 FAQs

Who should respond to customer queries about Coronavirus?

Please refer all questions to the MOD. MODs can use this Q&A to answer any customer questions and if unsure of the correct answer, please refer the customer to our Customer Service team.

If you are contacted by a member of the press, then please refer them to press@pret.com

Will Pret be going ahead with any planned events?

We have taken advice and can confirm that May QB will not go ahead. Friday Night Drinks will be postponed until further notice. The Summer Party will also be postponed. We will continue to monitor the situation and update you all on events planned for later this year.

One of my team have just returned from Spain / Italy / China, should they self-isolate?

As per government advice, people should only self-isolate if they have been in close contact with someone confirmed to have Coronavirus (14 days), if they live in a household with someone who has symptoms or has symptoms themselves (14 days) or if they have any symptoms of Coronavirus themselves and live alone (7 days). If symptoms develop or worsen during that timeframe then they should call 111 to seek professional advice.

One of my team has travelled to another country and are now not able to get a flight back to the UK – what should I process this as?

This should be processed on Workday as unpaid authorized absence. However, if the Team Member would like to get paid for this time, they can borrow up to 5 days holiday from next years’ entitlement.

One of my team say they feel unsafe coming to work and they would like to self-isolate.

Self-isolation only needs to take place if the TM has been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for Coronavirus, or if they have any symptoms of Coronavirus themselves. Pret would not ask someone to work in an environment that we deemed unsafe and we are following all guidance to help prevent the spread of the virus. If a Team Member does not feel comfortable coming to work, then this should be processed as unpaid authorised absence.

One of my team is living with someone who is self-isolating – do they also need to self-isolate?

anyone who lives with others and they themselves or one of the household has symptoms of coronavirus, then all household members must stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days. The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the house became ill

anyone in the household who starts displaying symptoms, they need to stay at home for 7 days from when the symptoms appeared, regardless of what day they are on in the original 14 day isolation period.

One of my TMs has asthma, so always has a cough / difficulty breathing, do they need to self-isolate?

No, TMs will only need to self-isolate if they have developed a recent cough, temperature or difficultly breathing. If this is an on-going health problem they do not need to self-isolate.

When should a TM self-isolate and for how long?

If a TM lives alone, they must self-isolate for 7 days from the start of having symptoms.

If a TM lives with others, they must self-isolate for 14 days from the start of anyone in the household showing symptoms including themselves.

Why 14 days if you live with others? It is likely that people living within a household will infect each other or may already be infected. Staying at home for 14 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community.

Anyone who starts displaying symptoms while already being in the 14 days self-isolation period must stay at home for at least 7 days from the start of their own symptoms. E.g. if you were in the 12th day of self-isolation when your symptoms appeared, you will yourself need to self-isolate for 7 days from that date. Making your self-isolation a total of 19 days.

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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. I declined 4 settlement offers if I am silent about my ordeal. But I rather starve and 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.
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.
Thank you for reading/listening.

Interview:

Pret A Manger Pay-cut – FULL CEO Email

March 19, 2020June 23, 2020 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

Note: If you see this page on white background, but prefer to read on a green background, please delete amp/ in above url and reload. Linked from Twitter, for some reason it has white background and the additional amp/ to the url and comments won’t be visible. On green background comments at the very bottom will be visible compared to the white background page.

Or click here: https://expret.org/2020/03/19/pret-paycut

Las Vegas

It Analyst HQ Head Office Review

Go back Pret

I was sent a message this morning from a Pret employee about Pret cutting 25% of hours / pay to all staff. Another Pret worker then confirmed and sent me the email that CEO Pano Christou sent to all UK shops and HQ this morning (19.03.2020).

His email was sent to me as a screenshot. But I was asked to not post the screenshot of the email but to write a transcript.

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the PR[et] Machine!

I also wrote a blog entry today: “Pret A Clowns” addressing Pano Christou and Clive Schlee as they read my blog. No more sweet-talk!

Pano Christou’s email this morning:

Dear 75B and UK Shops

There are many people losing their jobs from other companies, especially in our sector. Our aim is not lose anyone, because we believe that we are all in this together.

Unfortunately we cannot ignore the fact that our sales in the UK have dropped by 75% and we believe this will be our new reality for several weeks. Therefore we have to reduce our costs somehow.

I am fully aware of the impact this change has on us all and I thank you for your understanding.

Take care of yourself and each other.

Pano

UPDATE 16. April 2020

NEW Manager review on the pay and Covid-19 handling:

2020-04-16 GM Covid-19 review marked - RVW32762114

Link

I don’t want to comment too much as I have been writing and tweeting all day on this. But a few things.

Pano writes, quote: “if we can achieve this, we can avoid job losses at this time”.

Pano: “The Global Leadership Team and Board will be taking bigger cuts.”

The Global Leadership Team and Board earn 5 and 6-digit figures #FFS!!! I expect them to make HUGE cuts and keep the workforce at their pay level at the LEAST!

Clive £30 million

Link to Daily Mail

To all Pret employees:

JOIN A UNION!

These two Unions are very active and the best informed on Pret issues:

www.bfawu.org

Twitter: @bfawu1

iwgb.org.uk

Twitter: @IWGBunion

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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. I declined 4 settlement offers if I am silent about my ordeal. But I rather starve and 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.
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.
Thank you for reading/listening.

Interview:

Pret A Clowns

March 19, 2020March 21, 2020 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

To Pano Christou & Clive Schlee,

Clive Schlee, I know you are not the CEO anymore, even though you still present yourself on Twitter as such. You are a non-executive director and I’m sure pretty active in the background. Thank you for your visit yesterday to my blog, I hope you found something useful to inspire REAL change, not just sweet-talk.

Pano Christou, as you have deleted your Twitter account on 01. July 2019 after I tweeted Clive’s retirement news to the press as you didn’t see the need to inform them yourself (you’re welcome!) I write yet again another blog post.

You have done your typical PR stunt yet again with much success of course. It is very commendable to give free coffees and 50% rebate on food to NHS workers. Everyone agrees, it’s very nice. And NHS staff, Fire Brigade, indeed all carers deserve every break they can get! But …

I tweeted yesterday already to NHS staff that Pret workers are paying for this “generosity” by being sent home unpaid due to low business, as I know how you work. And of course I got shadow banned (censored, Tweets hidden from public view and search).

And then you dropped a bombshell this morning in an email to the shops.

I now have messages coming in on various channels that you even go further in your generosity. This morning you emailed shops wanting all your staff to agree to take 25% pay cuts for up to 3 months or more, or to take unpaid leave.

You already want to force staff to take holidays above their current holiday allowance, and they will then lose their holidays for next year.

You promised your employees you will send DAILY communications to shops on developments in Pret during this terrible virus crisis. Yet, in your typical Pret-style of breaking promises, so far you’ve only sent 2 pieces of information to shops:

That cutlery now has to be moved behind the counter and regular sanitizing, hand-washing etc. (Of course you bowed to pressure from the public on this, whereas before you didn’t give a toss!)
Your typical self-idolizing PR stunt, sending press releases on freebies and 50% rebate for NHS workers. And Pret workers are speechless how they themselves are disregarded! One Pret staff called this your typical “PR machine”. Other staff are cursing you out, I can’t repeat here!

I wrote in my other blog post 2 days ago about your Vague Statement and non-specific sweet-talk on precautions during the Coronavirus pandemic. I wrote that Clive should cut his £30 million bonus and give to the workers, so they can pay their rent and not end up on the street and have tax payers pick up the bill!

A courageous act CEO Dan Price has done for his workers, and his company is thriving ever since! Dan Price cut his $1.1 million annual pay down to $70K to raise the minimum wage for ALL his staff to $70K. He will leave a solid legacy behind, built on foundations of truth, integrity and life-changing actions. Dan said he has never regretted it and is happier than ever before. He has healthy and thriving employees! He will not be remembered for the bullshit sweet-talk that brings no change for the better and for which Pret is so known for within its own workforce.

And you have the Pret Foundation Trust that helps homeless people, don’t you? But we former and current Pret staff know it’s mostly for PR! Where is your help, Pano?! Wanting staff to agree to a pay cut of 25% and go on forced holiday which they will then lose the following year? Really?

And if they refuse to take holidays they are bullied by managers and sent into the kitchen or do extra cleaning work. Yes, that does sound very Pret-like! And you sit on millions of pounds and your JAB bosses sit on billions.

You, Pano Chrsitou and all the shareholders could also cut your Million pound salaries and bonuses, to actually do the right thing “naturally”, as Pret always claimed. But you just send little emails about cutlery and your NHS PR stunt. And your low-wage workers are speechless and scared shit-less for their lives, jobs and homes!

“It’s what makes Pret, Pret”

Your staff who are sending these infos to me are disheartened and disgusted at your lack of care and your greed. And I am disgusted that you Pano even use your own child, to manipulate your employees to cut their own needs, so you can continue in your millionaire lifestyle and keep feeding your billionaire bosses Reimann / JAB Holdings!

You know what this reminds me of? Pret having used Lila Warren who supposedly had a brother who died alone in his apartment and wasn’t found for days, just like my brother! Lila then gaslighting and manipulating me until I got fired. If Lila’s story is true or not is not my concern anymore.

But for you Pano, to use your own child to gaslight and manipulate workers to take cuts is utterly perverse and disgusting! You write to shops that your child has asthma and is crying all day not wanting to go to school! Two years ago you emailed back a customer, who complained about the lack of labelling and their fear about allergens after the two customers died. You wrote to the customer that your child has food allergies, and that you know how it is!

I really hope your children have no illnesses and allergies, I even hope you are lying like you all did with Lila Warren. But to produce crocodile tears to make low-wage employees feel sorry for you, using your children’s health condition is utterly disgusting and disturbing! You should be more than ashamed of yourself, Pano! You should have the decency and backbone to not only refrain from using your children in any way to manipulate workers to feel bad, but you should pay them a living wage, protect their jobs, give up some of your own millions and get to work!

You “advise” staff to sign a 25% pay cut, and yet your Managers are pressuring, manipulating and gaslighting workers to sign. Pano, you said that all of you in management are also taking a pay cut, sorry, but you still have MILLIONS left even after a pay cut! You manipulate your staff by saying that other companies are firing people. You say that you don’t fire them but you gaslight them with this “generosity” of a 25% cut!

I have one sentence for Pret A Manger low-wage workers:
PRET NEEDS YOU MORE THAN YOU NEED THEM! WAKE UP!

And for Pret leadership, you should be ashamed as millionaires to “ask” low-wage staff via pressuring and manipulating Managers, to sign a 25% pay-cut and use next years holiday allowance for this year, while giving free coffees and 50% rebates to NHS staff whose job are secure and have FULL wages! You should be deeply and utterly ashamed Pano Christou, Clive Schlee, and the rest of you greedy share holders! And using freebies to NHS workers for your PR, and then letting low-wage staff foot the bill is beyond disgusting! You should be ashamed!

The only good thing about all this is, as your hard working people are even in deeper financial and existential despair now, more and more are joining unions, and they are coming for you! 🙂 ← That’s a real smile not even the Mystery Shopper could have gotten out of me!

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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. I declined 4 settlement offers if I am silent about my ordeal. But I rather starve and 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.
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.
Thank you for reading/listening.

Interview:

Pret A Manger’s Vague Statement re: Coronavirus Precautions

March 18, 2020March 18, 2020 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

My response and question to Pret’s vague statement on social media:

Tweet from 17.03.2020

Fabebook blocks links to my blog and even to my Twitter account.

My questions to Pret on Facebook and Twitter, which won’t be answered, but Pret’s vague statement isn’t good enough.

Regarding Pret’s statement for safety in shops..

To Pret A Manger,

1. Mind #FreeSpeech when you think about reporting me to get censored, as I will post again & again. I will not be silenced if my post gets hidden!

2. What EXACTLY is #PretAManger doing, what SPECIFIC things will Pano put in place not only to protect customers, but staff who work without protection. What is Pano doing regarding financial loss to staff who are sent home due to low business?

Maybe Clive Schlee can give from his £30 Million bonus & Pano can cut his own Million £ bonus & actually do what Pret always boasts about by “doing the right thing naturally”!

Learn from @DanPriceSeattle who puts his money where his mouth is & is VERY specific.

Pret & Pano Christou, please stop giving vague sweet-talk & be specific as @RishiSunak has been very specific today with numbers & solid aid to businesses and people. Stop brainwashing staff to believe you are helping when in reality they suffer even more now!

Be SPECIFIC!!!

And respect #FreeSpeech

On Twitter

First customer complaints start coming in on Facebook.

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. I declined 4 settlement offers if I am silent about my ordeal. But I rather starve and 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.
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.
Thank you for reading/listening.

Interview:

Versus Pret A Manger

March 14, 2020March 15, 2020 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

This is a man’s world.

Ready to eat?

#SpotStop

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. I declined 4 settlement offers if I am silent about my ordeal. But I rather starve and 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.
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.
Thank you for reading/listening.

Interview:

Timothy Noah is my Hero

February 25, 2020February 29, 2020 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

And I speak from a former Pret A Manger perspective. Having been frozen in fear under little dwarfs of people whose only legacy is money, nothing else but money. I have survived Pret A Manger. And only those who care are close.

An established journalist questioned some people sometime in 2013, when I was in the middle of smiling for my wage and to avoid getting fear managed. Timothy Noah wrote, because he was at a distance from these greedy little assholes called Clive Schlee, Pano Christou, David Carter & Co.

I was too close to the elephant to smell the rat.

But now I am far away to kick their ass.

I never kiss butt, I kick it when necessary.

And that’s why I love the below article, because Noah writes from a distance what I experienced up close.

Mr. Timothy Noah, thank you for being a true journalist.

>>> https://newrepublic.com/article/112204/pret-manger-when-corporations-enforce-happiness <<<

Labor of Love

The enforced happiness of Pret A Manger

By Timothy Noah

February 1, 2013

For a good long while, I let myself think that the slender platinum blonde behind the counter at Pret A Manger was in love with me. How else to explain her visible glow whenever I strolled into the shop for a sandwich or a latte? Then I realized she lit up for the next person in line, and the next. Radiance was her job.

Pret A Manger—a London-based chain that has spread over the past decade to the East Coast and Chicago—is at the cutting edge of what the Berkeley sociologist Arlie Hochschild calls “emotional labor.” Emotional because the worker doesn’t create or even necessarily sell a product or service so much as make the customer experience a positive feeling. Labor because, as Hochschild wrote in The Managed Heart (1983), the worker must “induce or suppress [his or her own] feeling” to achieve the desired effect in others. Creepy as it sounds, emotional labor is a growing presence in this economy, coming soon to a fast-food outlet near you.

The British journalist Paul Myerscough flagged Pret’s reliance on emotional labor in a fascinating recent essay for the London Review of Books. (He called it “affective labor,” a phrase borrowed from Marxist scholarship.)¹ Pret workers, Myerscough noted, are required to master what the company calls the “Pret Behaviours,” which in addition to the usual requirements—courtesy, efficiency, etc.—include “has presence,” “creates a sense of fun,” and “is happy to be themself” [sic]. (A list of the Pret Behaviours, posted on the company website before the London Review article appeared, has since been removed.)

Pret doesn’t merely want its employees to lend their minds and bodies; it wants their souls, too. It will not employ anyone who is “here just for the money.” Noting that one Pret worker in London got fired soon after he tried to start a union—the company maintained it was for making homophobic comments—Myerscough suggested the worker’s true offense was being unhappy enough to want to start a union, since “Pret workers aren’t supposed to be unhappy.” The sin commenceth with the thought, not the deed.

Emotional labor is not itself new. Prostitutes have faked orgasms for millennia. With greater sincerity (one hopes), undertakers calm the grieving, nurses comfort the sick, and migrant nannies lavish on other people’s children the love they aren’t present to furnish back home. Flight attendants, in the pre-feminist era, calmed jittery flyers by being pretty, friendly, even a little bit flirtatious; this ended with deregulation in the early ’80s as airlines stopped competing on service and started competing on price.

In all these instances, emotional labor served (legitimately or not) identifiable emotional needs. That’s not true at Pret. Fast-food service is not one of the caring professions. The only imperatives typically addressed in a Pret shop are hunger and thirst. Why must the person who sells me a cheddar and tomato sandwich have “presence” and “create a sense of fun”? Why can’t he or she be doing it “just for the money”? I don’t expect the swiping of my credit card to be anybody’s vocation. This is, after all, the economy’s bottommost rung.

Pret keeps its sales clerks in a state of enforced rapture through policies vaguely reminiscent of the old East German Stasi. A “mystery shopper” visits every Pret outlet once a week. If the employee who rings up the sale is appropriately ebullient, then everyone in the shop gets a bonus. If not, nobody does. This system turns peers into enthusiasm cops, further constricting any space for a reserved and private self. And these cops require literal stroking. In other workplaces, touching a co-worker may get you fired, but at Pret you have to worry about not touching co-workers enough. “The first thing I look at,” Chief Executive Clive Schlee told The Telegraph last March, “is whether staff are touching each other . . . I can almost predict sales on body language alone.”²

In the three decades since Hochschild published The Managed Heart, the emotional economy has spread like a noxious weed to dry cleaners, nail salons, even computer-repair shops. (Think of Apple’s Genius Bars—parodied by The Onion as “Friend Bars”—where employees are taught to be empathetic and use words like “feel” as much as possible.) Back when she wrote her book, Hochschild estimated that about one-third of all jobs entailed “substantial demands for emotional labor.” Today, she figures it’s more like half. This is, among other things, terrible news for men, who (unlike women) are not taught from birth how to make other people happy. Perhaps that explains why men are losing ground in the service economy.

What’s driving this growth? Hochschild thinks it partly reflects a class-based change in consumption patterns. As income inequality reorients the consumer marketplace toward luxury services for the rich, like “destination clubs” and “concierge medicine,” consumer expectations change and trickle down. The new services “set the standards for lower-cost versions” that cater to the merely affluent. Pret shops are typically located in neighborhoods that bustle with busy professionals whom Pret fusses over like the maître d’ at Alain Ducasse. The more the rich get used to fawning service, the more the rest of us—or rather, the rest of us who can afford to buy a sandwich rather than brown-bag it from home—find we rather like it, too. Eventually everybody will have to act like a goddamned concierge. I don’t want to believe this, but I fear it may be true.

Why do Pret workers accept the customer’s emotional state as their personal responsibility? For some, we may presume an extremely sunny personality that has merely found a serendipitous outlet. (They are selected for this quality, after all.) But what about the rest? In England, the vast majority of Pret workers are foreign immigrants, but that seems less true here. “My only thought,” says Harry Holzer, a professor of public policy at Georgetown, “is that it is such a buyer’s market in the labor market—because of so many unemployed workers per job—that employers can get away with a lot of demands on their workers that ordinarily wouldn’t be possible.” In other words—shhhh!—Pret clerks love-bomb customers for the money (which isn’t bad by fast-food standards).

Now that I know Pret’s slender blonde doesn’t love me, I prefer the human contact at a D.C. lunch counter called C.F. Folks. The food is infinitely better. But I also like that the service is slower, the staff is older and grumpier, and the prevailing emotion is “Get over yourself.” Try touching someone at C.F. Folks, and you just might get slugged.

Specifically, the idea of “affective labor” came from the Italian Autonomists. One of the central texts, apparently, is Empire by Antonio Negri and Michael Hardt, published in 2000. Don’t ask me what this book says because I don’t speak Marxist.
The last thing Schlee looks at, to judge from my own experience, is whether the company returns calls from the press. I phoned Pret HQ twice, twice pushing “0” for “operator,” and twice got a recording. I twice left messages saying I was on deadline with a story about Pret, and in the second message I specified that the story was critical. My call was not returned, and I’m not convinced anybody ever even heard my messages. So much for the personal touch.

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. I declined 4 settlement offers if I am silent about my ordeal. But I rather starve and 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.
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: 1. “Late Night Girl’s” Story with Pret and 2. Pushing Back Against Pret.
Thank you for reading/listening.

Interview:

What makes Pret A Manger Extra Responsible?

February 18, 2020February 19, 2020 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

Having a face.

And seeing a face in front of them.

Look at these beautiful, clean, rich, white, smiley faces.

Look at them.

Aren’t they beautiful?

Ready to eat?

Just a feast to look at, hey.

They are right now in their homes, or on the golf course, or on holiday in the mountains, or shopping for a new mortgage.

They cradle their kids and chase their dogs. They eat and shit and drink wine, like you and I.

Their wine and their toilet paper is just a little more expensive than yours and mine. Why?

Oh … don’t ask…

don’t ask.

Link

What makes Pret A Manger responsible (and inexcusable in their actions)?

Once they got to know me,
once they saw and heard me,
once I had a face to look at,
a voice to listen to,
a feature,
having been a person in front of them,
not just some faceless number far away on the shop floor;
once I was a tangible human being before their eyes
they still, they STILL decided that I was in the way of profit …
and with that, all my fellow human beings that digg’d the dirt for these arrogant people… are in their way

You are beautiful, white, rich, educated assholes who spit on those who pay your rent.

Let me repeat.

You are ugly, white trash, lacking emotional intelligence and care, you shit on those who pay your rent.

You are greedy insecure cowards, and you skipped out once the wolves of private equity came in.

You made a decision Clive Schlee.

The decision you made was many years ago, when you and your friends, Sinclair Beecham and Julian Metcalfe got your heads together and had this bright idea that you would be the king of the high-street.

And Clive Schlee, Pano Chrsitou, Nick Davis, David Carter, Lila Warren … I know you sleep well.

You know why I know you sleep well?

Because you are angels of light.

Good night.

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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. I declined 4 settlement offers if I am silent about my ordeal. But I rather starve and 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.
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: 1. “Late Night Girl’s” Story with Pret and 2. Pushing Back Against Pret.
Thank you for reading/listening.

Interview:

Do not judge me

February 17, 2020February 17, 2020 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

I have no excuse to lash out at times like I did, drunk or not, it’s no excuse.

Be perplexed, shocked, annoyed with me, be angry with me, but do not judge me.

Turn your back, walk away, close your eyes, block me, report me, cuss me out, but don’t judge me.

I’ve come out of an emotional and mental hell that is stuff for a shooting spree.

I just write intensely, survived by speaking out loud and detailed.

Don’t judge me.

I’ve been bullied, abandoned, blamed during the worst time of my life. I still blame myself for things that happened during that time. Stop judging me!

I’ve been on yearlong waiting-lists for therapy. Don’t judge me.

I turned away from the Christian belief. No, don’t judge me.

I’m a mess. Just don’t judge me.

My healing way is complicated. Do not judge me.

I dig deep for my dignity, I left it on the way somewhere and judged myself.

Don’t judge me.

Be annoyed, angry, be tired of me, but do not judge me.

— poetrasblok.com

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The above slideshow is just a selection, the list goes on in → Pret Staff Complaints (needs updating).
And extensive accounts of Pret’s systemic bullying behind the facade, also witnessed by customers: Caught in the Act at Pret.

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. I declined 4 settlement offers if I am silent about my ordeal. But I rather starve and 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.
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: 1. “Late Night Girl’s” Story with Pret and 2. Pushing Back Against Pret.
Thank you for reading/listening.

Interview:

My 2 Articles in the Scottish Left Review

February 12, 2020 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

1. On the frontline: crushed by corporate capitalist culture
(May/June 2019)

2. Pushing back against Pret – making headway against malevolent management
(Nov/Dec 2019)

Glassdoor

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The above slideshow is just a selection, the list goes on in → Pret Staff Complaints.
And extensive accounts of Pret’s systemic bullying behind the facade, also witnessed by customers: Caught in the Act at Pret.

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. I declined 4 settlement offers if I am silent about my ordeal. But I rather starve and 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.
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: 1. “Late Night Girl’s” Story with Pret and 2. Pushing Back Against Pret.
Thank you for reading/listening.

Interview:

Pret A Merde

February 10, 2020February 10, 2020 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

Nothing more to add … EXCEPT pointing out the spelling mistake! That reviewer wasn’t Pret perfect here!

“Oh no! Sorry about that. Could you DM us and let us know which shop this was from?”
— Pret A Merde

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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. I declined 4 settlement offers if I am silent about my ordeal. But I rather starve and 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.
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: 1. “Late Night Girl’s” Story with Pret and 2. Pushing Back Against Pret.
Thank you for reading/listening.

Interview:

Pret A Migraine

February 9, 2020 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

… I love the creative writing / titles on some of the reviews!

Nothing more to add to this review. I’m learning to keep my posts short, also for lack of time (lucky reader!).

Link

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The above slideshow is just a selection, the list goes on in → Pret Staff Complaints.
And extensive accounts of Pret’s systemic bullying behind the facade, also witnessed by customers: → Caught in the Act at Pret.

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. I declined 4 settlement offers if I am silent about my ordeal. But I rather starve and 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.
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: 1. “Late Night Girl’s” Story with Pret and 2. Pushing Back Against Pret.
Thank you for reading/listening.

Interview:

An Unacceptable Level of Fear Culture

February 9, 2020February 9, 2020 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

There’s nothing more to add to this Manager’s review, except that the fear culture is not just in Edinburgh, but is systemic in Pret.

Link

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Covid-19 FAQs

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Labor of Love

The enforced happiness of Pret A Manger

By Timothy Noah

February 1, 2013

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