Clive Schlee Retirement – Bullied during bereavement in Pret A Manger

Pret A Manger has a New Fool

September 21, 2019December 17, 2020 I Survived Pret A Manger11 Comments

»Any damn fool can run Pret!«

Those are not my words!

Those are the words of the wife of Pret A Manger’s now former CEO Clive Schlee, who “retired” in September 2019! (while remaining as a non-executive director in the background pulling the strings and babysitting the new CEO).

On the question of Pret’s success and how much of it was luck or hard work, the CEO responds:

»We had some very good following winds. My wife always would say ‘any damn fool can run Pret‘.«

I comment on this interview in “Clive Schlee: A Case Study (of the Fun Factory)”

Why would the wife of a CEO keep saying this, what’s the conversation before such a statement?

Let the sweet-talk stop and let the women speak for a change! For real change!

From a 2016 Guardian interview

On a side note, Clive Schlee here continues to say that Pret had “natural” food, even though Pret has been successfully sued for having Glyphosate in the food and having to take the word “natural” off signage and labelling. I write about this in “Pret A Manger – Ready to (ch)eat“.

But this interview is full of @&%!… I can’t believe he keeps getting away with it, and I ask myself what does it take to face the truth away from the delusion?!

The problem with companies that have fools running it is, they may endanger their clients and employees lives. God forbid customers number 1. die, number 2. the company doesn’t do anything until these fatalities become public, and 3. get away with it!

And God forbid that this company gets away with not one, but two customer deaths, a third nearly fatal and numerous hospitalized …

And God forbid even further that staff struggle and suffer, some dying, even by suicide.

And of course who would think that a CEO would sneak out quietly into early retirement, remaining a non-executive Director in the background, working on fixing his reputation with some more charity work and finally reaching out to low-paid workers?

What company would have a fool running its business and ruining a lot of people’s lives?

Good thing the facade of Pret is still in tact! Let the free coffees flow to put the public back to sleep!

That’s all that counts these days.

So, »any damn fool can run Pret!«, and certainly any damn fool can ruin it!

Legacy of a Fool:

Glassdoor July 2019

One of my many articles about and to Clive Schlee, one of which I dedicate to his farewell gift:

Foot-In-Mouth Disease at Pret A Manger

So, welcome Pano Christou about whom I write about in: Under New Management Pano Christou, Now CEO of Pret.

UPDATE: October 2019:

And here’s my welcome gift to Pano Christou:
(Smile Pano! Smile, fool!)

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The above slideshow is just a selection, the list goes on in → Pret Staff Complaints

LINK: TWO Pret Staff have died
1 is said to be a suicide.
It’s not the first suicide in Pret!

I continue to ask for INDEPENDENT investigations into staff suicides!

I worked at Pret A Manger for almost 10 years 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 an article in the Scottish Left Review.
Thank you for reading/listening.

Interview:

Unless otherwise stated or linked to, this website and all writings within this site are the property of expret.org, poetrasblok.com, LateNightGirl.org and are protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. Reproduction and distribution of my writings without written permission is prohibited.

Counselling with Lila Warren (WARNING)

September 14, 2019December 6, 2021 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

Lila Warren, David Carter, Clive Schlee

Lila Warren (the lady with a typical Pret A Manger smile) the Development Manager at Pret A Manger for more than 15 years, and branched out into her dream role as a Therapist. She’s a Hypnotherapist, NLP Practitioner and Psychotherapist.

But in Pret, she was happy to be used as bereaved person to gaslight me. And she played her role well.

She either is a really good liar, or she really had a brother named Zain, who was dead in his flat for 10 days, like my brother was dead in his flat for 6 days. (Full story in below audio player).

I don’t know what this woman went through in her life to have gone down to such abyss!

I wish her well, but I will always tell people to avoid her “therapy”.

I raised a complaint with the National Hypnotherapy Society she is subscribed to and that equally have such big smiles on their front page, but they remained silent in the hopes I let go. And I did let go, because I had no strength left.

But I can only say, stay away from the National Hypnotherapy Society (Twitter) and from Lila Tighilt Warren.

Stay away from David Carter, who in my time was the Head of HR and is now promoted to UK People Director which is just another facade word for Human Resources. He is not for people, he is for money, protecting a bully company.

Stay away from Nick Davis, People Business Partner who came from Wetherspoon and who was THE main enabler in HR of the Area Manager who bullied and targeted me, using several managers and colleagues against me.

Stay away from these smiley, nice looking folk who are toxic behind their facade.

Stay away from Clive Schlee, who uses vulnerable people for PR.

London HQ review Glassdoor

New York review on senior leadership Glassdoor

Stay away from Pret A Manger that kill people and get away with it, as well as target and bully bereaved employees. Staff suicides still need to be investigated.

Lila Warren, I forgive you of course, but don’t ever cross my path, I will call you out on the rooftops “sweetheart”!

What happened to me can be summed up in the following I found on Twitter. And it took the senior leadership of Pret, HR and HQ to “work” me out of the company in such a perverse way:

Link

I do move on while I expose this toxic company!

Now “retired” CEO Clive Schlee, who couldn’t label food to save lives, labelled me his “late night girl”. He quickly passed the buck on Glassdoor to his predecessor Pano Christou, who came from McDonald’s management when he started at Pret. Schlee let Christou take over on Glassdoor mid July 2019, even though Schlee retires in September 2019 and remains in the background as a non-executive Director like he is in itsu.

Never take responsibility Mr. Schlee, hey? Always pass the buck!

Glassdoor results

UPDATE

BACP profile

National Hypnotherapy Society profile

Staff speak out mainly in anonymity:

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The above slideshow is just a selection, the list goes on in → Pret Staff Complaints

Interview:

Clive Schlee’s “Retirement” vs. Resignation

July 1, 2019July 8, 2019 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

»Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles.« Proverbs 24:17

But, it’s not good enough, Pret / JAB! It’s not good enough!

I found a Tweet last night on Mr. Schlee’s Twitter where he silently responded to a farewell Tweet, which to me looks like what I call a “bait” Tweet, as the CEO has not blocked me…

I wrote a blog entry after reading and tweeting, and this morning tweeted to the press which in turn very quickly announced that Pret HQ announced Clive Schlee’s “retirement”. They must have contacted HQ to verify my Tweet leading to the CEO’s Tweet. Only after my Tweet and then the press’ “breaking” news did Clive Schlee and Pret make the announcement. Maybe it’s their feeble attempt to pretend to be slow in announcements like they were with customer deaths… I don’t know, but with Pret I don’t expect any professionalism.

Last night:

Link

This morning around 10am my Tweet to the press:

Link

And promptly I get partially shadow banned for the next 48 hours after having tweeted to the Press. My Tweets are still visible within a feed if one clicks “Show more replies” as they left the “Thread ban ” open, but cannot be found in search.

Shadowban.eu/ExPretAManger
The ban will be lifted and all in the green on 03. July approx. 10:30am UK time.

Retiring while remaining as a non-executive Director (like he is in itsu as well) is not retiring. I do understand that my website may be a sore in JAB / Reimann’s sight and finding a compromise, a typical Pret sweet-talk again to sort of, kind of, a little bit, somehow… have Clive Schlee “step down” but remain in a leading role behind the scenes!

And I write again what I wrote this morning, that Clive Schlee needs to be taken to court and face the music for once! Customer deaths, staff deaths incl. suicides, I survived… how many more are under the carpet? When will Pret A Manger take responsibility, away from the blaming game and sweet-talk?

Not good enough, Pret / JAB! Under Clive Schlee staff is expected to “strive for perfection” and are squeezed the life-blood out of them for low wage!

Not good enough!

One person on Twitter this morning, whom I didn’t read before posted this in response to Clive Schlee’s Tweet (which came after the press reports after my Tweet), a very rare observation of someone from the public looking deeper:

Link

»It’s amazing to me how many business leaders separate their employees from their customers/patrons.
Your employees are your core target audience to put word-of-mouth out about your organization.« – by @minmilyjung

Clive Schlee’s legacy:

Glassdoor July 2019

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The above slideshow is just a selection, the list goes on in → Pret Staff Complaints

Link: >>> Two Pret Staff have DIED recently
One is said to be a suicide. It’s not the first suicide in Pret.
I survived. If I would have gone over the edge, to my current knowledge, mine would be #3 and it would be in connection to Pret!

A brief list of writings regarding Clive Schlee: Clive Schlee’s “Late Night Girl” Articles.

I worked at Pret A Manger for almost 10 years and survived systemic workplace bullying during bereavement that involved HR, the top leadership, HQ and even the 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 also tell my story for the first time verbally in this >>> podcast interview based in California, and wrote an article in the Scottish Left Review.
Thank you for reading/listening.

Interview:

Clive Schlee’s “Late Night Girl” Articles

July 1, 2019January 23, 2021 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

Clive Schlee’s “Late Night Girl” Writings.

For any new reader, my full story in an interview at the bottom of this page on the audio player.

For a comprehensive list of writings about Pret A Manger, please visit:
>>> The Most Comprehensive Website on Pret A Manger

I said 6 months ago to a Union person that Clive Schlee will probably sneak out of Pret. And days ago I wrote to another person that he is very quiet lately and either on a Sabbatical or leaving.

I tweeted to the press this morning, and of course now they have “breaking” news 😉 He since has now tweeted his announcement himself AFTER I contacted the press and they “broke” (uhm!) the news.

~10am Tweet before the press started waking up:

Link

To Clive Schlee,

unfortunately your early retirement you chose not to announce and I had to tweet again for the press to pick this up. Sure, Pano Christou will take over, having come from McDonald’s management (nobody’s perfect!) he will continue where you left off. Pano became UK Managing Director after Andrew Walker “left”. Andrew Walker then became EAT’s CEO which is now swallowed by JAB via Pret. What a cold cold business! It may be good for the press to properly investigate on the Andrew Walker issue!

Pano will do some changes of course, but from his emails years ago, he wasn’t straight forward with me either, and I’m afraid Pret will continue business as usual with a lot of the chaos behind the scenes.

I’m sure you’ve done a lot of good things and many will sing your praises. But for me and many others this PR[et] facade and the reality behind the scenes has been a terrible “ride” and the worst, traumatic experience I have ever had in any workplace! Only my brother’s untimely death supersedes this trauma in an even greater nightmare!

I always shuddered when as a shop Team Leader, working in the office doing the ordering or whatever I had to do, when an email from HQ came in. And that email was sent out naming, blaming and shaming shops that had poor scoring in Health & Safety or other issues. This fear management, also to your low-paid workers via Mystery Shoppers, was always a terrible experience to read and witness.

And you think you can just sneak out of Pret, not taking any responsibility?

I worked in the catering industry all my life, in 3 countries. I never shied-away from hard work and was self-sufficient since my teenage years. I lived and worked with integrity, principle and care. And what I received in return was humiliation, trauma, and discrimination. You need to understand that Pret A Manger under your leadership has almost destroyed my life, literally almost killed me!

I survived Pret, which I experienced as toxic, corrupt and exploitative.

You can count yourself very lucky, Mr. Schlee, that my mental health is too low to see through to court without a lawyer and my father having died in the middle of preparation for the Tribunal claim I had to withdraw!

And this is YOUR legacy, sir. And I can never write any other story-line, as much as I miss my old life of writing with encouragement and positivity, having given the benefit of the doubt to you one too many times. Those days are gone when it comes to Pret A Manger!

I’m sure by now with all my writings that you have read (you still haven’t blocked me on Twitter as you collect for a potential court case or to ruin my future further! Pano Christou blocked me and today he closed his @christoupano account!), but I’m sure by now you have learned of amazing CEOs like Guy Singh-Watson from Riverford, or Hamdi Ulukaya, founder and CEO of Chobani who revolutionize the business world. I hope you learn from them, not just for the typical Pret facade and fake smile you are so known for. But a full turn around to make a true difference in the LIVES of HUMAN BEINGS that labour and give their sweat, blood and tears so that you can count your millions!

I am proud to have declined four settlement offers in turn for silence! I have many regrets, but not this one!

Wishing you good luck?

I wish that you would for once take responsibility, sir!

I wish that you would be taken to court for what people have suffered under you!

Regards,

Your “Late Night Girl”

Clive Schlee’s Legacy:

Glassdoor July 2019

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The above slideshow is just a selection, the list goes on in → Pret Staff Complaints

LINK: TWO Pret Staff have died
1 is said to be a suicide.
It’s not the first suicide in Pret.

NEW

21. Sep. 2019
Pret A Manger has a New Fool

23. Sep. 2019
Smile, Fool!

01. Sep. 2019
Foot-in-Mouth Disease at Pret

08. July 2019
Any Damn Fool can run Pret

While the Press was fast asleep:

01. July 2019 approx. 3am post
Clive Schlee’s Legacy

30. June 2019
The Captain of the Ship

20. June 2019
Where is Clive Schlee?

18. June 2019
Clive Schlee’s Soldiers – My suspicion that he would be leaving!

03. April 2019
The Timing of Clive Schlee’s £1000 Announcement

16. Nov. 2018
Clive Schlee’s Crocodile Tears – His negligence on customer warnings regarding allergen labelling

08. Dec. 2018
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: to Clive Schlee

17. Feb, 2019
Pret’s Unprofessional Twitter Staff incl. Clive Schlee

02. Apr. 2019
Clive Schlee, Pano Christou

08. Aug. 2018
An IMAGINARY but Honest Interview with Pret A Manger

UPDATE:
01. July 2019
Clive Schlee’s “Retirement” vs. Resignation

and so on…

Interview:

Clive Schlee’s Legacy

July 1, 2019September 9, 2020 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

I knew something like this would happen. Going into “retirement”, huh! And he doesn’t even make a proper announcement, but through the backdoor it’s communicated.

Leaving a “legacy” behind after having opened the door to the wolves of private equity!

Customer deaths. Staff deaths including suicides. I survived.

And he’s sneaking out!

Or was it a dismissal?!

Mr. Schlee should still face court after the customer deaths and the repeated warnings on allergen labelling he ignored. Not to mention how staff are treated for profit under his leadership! He still owns half of itsu and who knows what other business he is part of. He’s got his millions and his employees suffered for it. So, he does what he does best, disappear from taking responsibility.

Of course not surprising.

And maybe he took some advise from those closest to him.

Well, there you go.

From a 2016 Guardian interview

First Nicki Fisher skips out after all the PR stunt of the homeless house, now he does. Who’s next? Pano Christou? (UPDATE: Twitter profile deleted, screenshot*). Unless he’s the candidate for CEO. Andrea Wareham? …

* Pano Christou Twitter screenshot

Link

And another of those serious complaints he does not care about, nor even responds to. I have worked in 40 degrees (Celsius) shops for prolonged times before Pret fixed the issue. We also literally begged customers to speak to Pret on our behalf as Pret did not listen to staff feedback!

What an example of the worst leadership in a company that I have ever experienced!

First and Second Tweet
“It’s shocking they are not supported by decision makers.”
Don’t be shocked, that’s typical Clive Schlee and Pret A Manger!

My biggest regret ever having worked in that company!

»It’s amazing to me how many business leaders separate their employees from their customers/patrons.
Your employees are your core target audience to put word-of-mouth out about your organization.« – by @minmilyjung

Clive Schlee’s legacy:

Glassdoor July 2019

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The above slideshow is just a selection, the list goes on in → Pret Staff Complaints

UPDATE:

I wrote this blog entry early this morning before 3am UK time, being Clive Schlee’s “late night girl” that I am! I tweeted this to the press an hour ago approx. 10am and now other Journos or people in general who must have contacted Pret HQ state that news from HQ announces Clive Schlee’s retirement.

So, while the Press was sleeping again and me doing the usual Pret Tweet observations, his retirement was announced days ago very quietly.

Peace before the storm, hey.

Link

And promptly I get partially shadow banned for the next 48 hours after having tweeted to the Press. My Tweets are still visible within a feed if one clicks “Show more replies” but cannot be found in search.

Shadowban.eu/ExPretAManger
The ban will be lifted and all in the green on 03. July approx. 10:30am UK time.

~10am Tweet before the press started waking up:

Link

A brief list of writings regarding Clive Schlee: Clive Schlee’s “Late Night Girl” Articles.

Today Pano Christou deleted his Twitter account, but a screenshot on how it looked like until this afternoon:

Now leads to a deleted page.

Interview:

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