Sweatshop in a real "Old World" sense - Anonymous employee Bloomingdale's Employee Review

Where to begin... 1) They make you dress like the Men In Black everyday and refuse to pay for your uniform. What does anyone need more than one black suit for? Also, if you're selling clothing, how are your customers supposed to trust that you know what you're doing when your employer doesn't even trust you to dress yourself? 2) Management style is best characterized as "old school"... and I mean OLD school... as in "Nobody knows the trouble I've seen..." Meaning that they focus on "breaking" the individual spirit. They have no interest in what you have to say or think, especially if it makes any kind of sense. A kind of mass delusion grips every level of management that blinds them to reality. Should anyone have the gall to suggest a better way of doing something (and there are literally millions of opportunities for this store to do things better), that person is immediately classified as having a bad attitude. Also, the "managers" are roughly 13 years old, are paid just slightly more than minimum wage, and have about as much understanding of managing people and merchandising as Mitt Romney does about the poor. 3) A significant portion of your fellow employees are either mental patients, thieves and liars, or both. Stealing is OK at Bloomie's, so long as it's the salespeople stealing from each other. That includes both sales and personal property. 4) The return policy makes it nearly impossible to earn any real money (and I am a top performer even as a part-time employee). You are liable for returns for up to six months after purchase, and they'll take anything back under any circumstances. Lots of people love to "rent" evening gowns, tuxedos, suits, ties, cuff links, etc... then return them for the full purchase price, and you take the hit even if it's obvious that the merchandise has been worn by the deadbeat returning it. As such, even though you did your job, you are not paid for your time and energy.