LL bean is a highly respectable company, known throughout the world. They pride themselves in quality products and excellent work environment. Sadly the persona they display for the world has little in common with the actual work conditions.
I was recently hired for a full time 40 hour a week seasonal position at LL Beans, working as a packer for the holiday season.
I will admit that the initial opinions were impressive. They have an extensive employee program and training. They offer many perks to all employees, and substantial discounts on merchandise.
The training was thorough, although not necessarily coordinated well. Many nights the classes were left with nothing to do for hours on end, because scheduling was conflicted.
Once training was over a real opinion can be formed on the OFC unit of LLBean.
I will do my best to give actual vs. Opinions on the work environment.
Positives: The security is fantastic. Top of the line security cameras, and crews patrol the gigantic parking lots to protect employees. Security guards check those coming in and out of at all times.
I mentioned the benefits - all of which are decent for staff.
Negatives: The equipment they supply for employees is outdated, broken, and insufficient. With the billions they are making in revenue they should truly invest in updated items such as printers, scanners, fans, fork lifts etc for their employees. They expect employees to be exceptional with sub par equipment.
Often equipment shows faulty signs and LL Bean refuses to send repair staff to inspect, until the item has broken to the point of no function. They have machines that were in their prime during the 60's that are in dyer need of replacement - and Beans refuses to do anything about it.
The printers obviously have had quadruple the amount of work they were designed for and they served their intent. They are outdated, cause major malfunctions and delays in the employees job tasks. The tape machines often malfunction and do not get replaced.
This may seem minor but when you are operating a 700 pound forklift and it decides to stop turning that's a major problem. LL Bean repeatedly ignores these malfunctions until an item is incapacitated. The performance of the employee however is graded on speed, I believe that the speed of the ll bean staff would greatly increase if they would spend some money on some major repairs and replacements of the existing equipment.
And here is perhaps the biggest negative and the main reason I am writing this report. I hope it serves as a warning to people contemplating going to work for LL Bean.
They have little ability to hire/or schedule correctly.
I was hired for a 40 hour a week position. I realize now that the employment office danced around the facts - and why wouldn't they - no one would apply if they truly knew what was in store.
After the training process even a full time hire will not receive sufficient hours to even compensate for gas consumption to go back and forth from work. This is promised to change in December. Sadly the hundreds of employees they hire from August on are left with no more then 8 hours a week. During the training process regular and seasonal employees are sent home so that trainees may train.
I initially felt awful when it was my classes turn to train and hordes of full time year round employees were sent home.
LL Bean has had years to perfect the art of seasonal hires. They have done little to solve this problem. After my initial training I was told - as was the 1,000 other employees working one night that we would all be put on 8 hour weeks until the holidays rolled around. My options were to stick it out and find another temp job - just to leave it when LL Bean became busy - or to leave all together and search for other employment.
I was hired for 40 hours a week with the understanding that I may have to work 20-30 Hours a week until December. I took this job to help my family during this economic sleepfest. I put my family out by taking an overnight shift because it pays 1$ more. I travel an hour to work every day and an hour home every morning. And they do not have enough work to keep us busy let alone the 500 others they are still hiring. I am expected to work 8 hours a week - or suffer LL Beans black list to employees that do not fulfill their seasonal work schedule.
When I spoke with my managers they all listened on empathetically and explained that this is the way its always been. And little can be done to change the working conditions. They too have reported the faulty machines, they too were misled when hired.
I know there is a lot of positives to employment with LL Bean but I am saddened by their lack of honesty with seasonal workers. I and many others were offered full time, even part time positions, and had that agreement tossed aside as soon as we were on the work floor. During this time of slow economy, and work desperation, people are suffering. People are scared. Many of my coworkers had this as their only job and they are left with 8 hours a week.
I am only writing this to show others who may be considering a seasonal position as a picker or packer with LL Bean, that they are not upfront with the hours you are hired for. They can not offer you sufficient hours until the month of December.
Thanks for reading. I hope this helps someone.
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