Pros
Last resort to make money.
Cons
Worked at Super Smart Services 363 for a couple of weeks (June 2026) as an agency warehouse operative at Castle Donington.
Arrived at the warehouse and was introduced by an HRA agency recruiter who was in charge of the group induction at 8 am. She mentioned to us that we will be working 8 hours, Monday to Friday. There was no warehouse walk-around or any mention of health and safety. We were introduced by the warehouse manager. She mentioned we will be working at least 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. As you can imagine, we all looked at each other in shock. She asked if anyone was willing to start today, and I agreed. I worked on picking duties for two hours, to which the supervisor mentioned the "trial period was complete", and I passed. I was not told about a trial period beforehand. This is to assess your competence; the work is unpaid. I was told my work will officially commence and will be paid from this point onwards. It was 11:30 am. So on the first day, I was there from 8 am - 5 pm and was paid for 6 hours of work (minimum wage).
I was never given a start time, but I knew people came in at 7 am, so I did the same the next day. The day will consist of picking, packing and general housekeeping. I was never assigned to a role. Supervisors will come over and tell you to move to another task. The days will drag because the tasks are so monotonous. You were only given an 8-minute break at 10:45 am and 3:45 pm, and a 30-minute lunch, all UNPAID. They will be strict about timings, and anyone late will lose their hourly pay. If you clock in late to work, even if it's a few minutes, and you have a good explanation, you will lose that hour's pay.
Systemic racism is blatant in the workplace, where Chinese workers were given the easier jobs and were more likely to be given contracts. Black/White workers were treated poorly and were given more physically demanding jobs. I made some workmates and was quickly shut down by supervisors for talking. One morning, a supervisor told me that if I talked to colleagues, I would be sacked. Yet Chinese workers were allowed to chat, and it was obvious that much of it wasn't work-related. They were allowed to bring mobile phones in and had longer breaks.
Speaking of sackings, workers, mainly new starters, were let go for things like not packing fast enough and simply "not fitting in". I witnessed direct discrimination when a young man, who had autism, was tormented and verbally abused by supervisors. He was shortly let go for not packing fast enough, although he was working hard.
My experience with the supervisors has been terrible. I feel I am a hardworking, positive guy. Someone who always has a smile and a joke. They spoke to me like I was a dog and never said anything positive. It was "do this, do that". Never received a compliment for my hard work. They don't care about those under them, as you're seen as just another going through the doors. I stayed an extra hour every day (13-hour shifts) to help out, but they didn't seem to care or appreciate it, since most people left earlier.
They are crafty when it comes to recruiting workers. All staff below the supervisors are agency. Every day, there will be an induction, like mine, where a group of 10-15 new people will come through and are told the same lies as I was told. They go through the free trial and go from there. Many don't stay for long (a few days max). SSS are essentially receiving free labour every day.
There were questionable work practises such as zero training on equipment. I was never told who the designated first aider was or where the fire exits were. People were running around the warehouse, and some didn't wear the correct PPE. It was as though once you walked into the building, all laws regarding workers' rights and safety were non-existent.
Overall, it is the worst place I have ever worked in, and I'm glad I'm not here anymore. The only thing I miss is my workmates. It felt like the struggles bonded us together.
TL;DR
- Told was working 8 hours, 5 days a week by the recruiter. Turns out it was 12 hours, 6 days a week.
- Long days, very short breaks (2x 8 mins, 1x 30 mins unpaid).
- Racism, such as preferences for Chinese workers.
- Discrimination, such as bullying those with special needs.
- Supervisors lack managerial skills and struggle to speak English.
- Questionable work practices. No training and a lack of PPE.
- The way they operate is exploitive.
- Workers do not stay long. A few days max on average