Toxic Leadership - Director WHSmith Employee Review

1.0
Jul 9, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

An income that's barely reflective of the market. The company is taking advantage of the current labor market to pay its workforce poorly and below market rates.

Cons

Concerns exist regarding the effectiveness of leadership within the organization. Many in leadership roles appear to lack essential management and interpersonal skills, which can lead to a workplace culture that does not prioritize employee compassion or empathy. Observations suggest a lack of encouragement, inspiration, and positivity among leaders towards their respective team members, leading to a decline in camaraderie and collaboration, and negatively impacting team members' mental health. There are noted deficiencies in emotional intelligence among those in leadership positions, which may affect team dynamics and employee morale. The work environment, particularly in the warehouse, has raised considerable concern, especially regarding comfort and air circulation. Compensation practices have also raised eyebrows, with reports of minimal merit increases and bonuses that contrast sharply with the perceived wealth of executive leaders, at 1% and 0.5%, respectively. Employee recognition events have not been found to promote diversity or an inclusive atmosphere, and a platform for employee feedback appears to be lacking. Instances of perceived gaslighting when concerns are raised about workplace issues have also been reported. Overall, many employees feel that the environment is not conducive to well-being or productivity. There are concerns about the lack of work-life balance, as communication from executive leaders often extends into late hours and weekends, contributing to feelings of being overworked. This is not a workplace where you can maintain any level of normal sanitation or mental health. The leaders lack any semblance of humanity.

Explore other reviews about WHSmith

5.0
Oct 30, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Management and communication skills and training

Cons

Hours no set schedule last minute changes

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WHSmith Response
1y
Thank you for your review. We are glad to hear that you enjoy working for your manager and that they are effective in communicating and issuing training. As for your comments around hours, we always try to make sure that these are scheduled in plenty of time for our employees. If you have any feedback around your rota we'd love for you to feedback to us and reach out.
1.0
Mar 7, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Chance to develop prioritization, problem-solving, and “get it done” execution skills. Some team members are hardworking and collaborative, and have experience working with multiple departments and external partners. Note for Candidates Interviewing. Ask detailed questions about role scope, workload expectations, resourcing, and how priorities are set and changed. Pay attention to how communication and feedback are handled, red flags tend to surface early.

Cons

The company is going through changes, but day-to-day support and resourcing have not kept pace. Expectations are very high, while goals and priorities are often unclear or shift frequently. The role may require covering multiple functions, such as project management, people management, and vendor coordination, without the structure or support needed to succeed. Work-life balance is a significant challenge, the workload regularly extends beyond a normal workday, making it difficult to recover and sustain performance over time. There are frequent fire drills that could be reduced with clearer planning and realistic capacity management. When issues arise, feedback can sometimes be delivered publicly, discouraging open communication and making it harder for teams to raise risks early. Professional standards can be inconsistent, and unprofessional team behaviors may be normalized, which is not acceptable in a respectful workplace.

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WHSmith Response
1mo
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback following your experience with WHSmith. We’re sorry to hear that your experience did not consistently meet your expectations, particularly around workload, clarity of priorities, and support. As an organisation undergoing ongoing change, we recognise how important it is that teams feel well - resourced, clear on expectations, and supported in their day-to-day work. Feedback like yours helps highlight where we need to improve. We take your comments on planning, role clarity, and workload management seriously. Ensuring priorities are clearly communicated and aligned with realistic capacity is a key focus area, and we continue to work on strengthening how we plan, resource, and support delivery across teams. We also appreciate your observations regarding communication and feedback culture. Creating an environment where concerns can be raised openly, constructively, and without hesitation is essential, and we are committed to reinforcing respectful and consistent management practices across the business. On the positives you highlighted, such as the opportunity to develop problem - solving skills and the dedication of colleagues, we’re pleased that aspects of teamwork and exposure to varied responsibilities were valuable during your time here. We genuinely appreciate your perspective and wish you all the best in your future endeavours.
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