Uptight, strict, conservative, not recommended - Import Agent Expeditors Employee Review

1.0
Oct 17, 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Lots of downtime. Three weeks of vacation per year. A couple of my coworkers were cool. And the trainer was very sweet.

Cons

Everything. I was hired in with 2 other guys. One of them didn't come back the second day. Me and the remaining guy toughed it out through training somehow, but not without experiencing petty office drama. The way training works is, the trainer sits next to you and you write an entry summary for a shipment. The trainer can only train one at a time, so what do you do when it's not your turn? Apparently you're supposed to sit there and watch - keep in mind this could take an hour or more - and not look at your phone out of boredom. The other new hire and I received an email from the manager telling us someone saw us on our phones and we shouldn't be doing that. Yes, an email - he couldn't say it to our face. So the office has some tattlers. Despite that, in the same email the manager said we were both on track with our training. So what's the problem? The problem is the workplace has a very conservative, stuffy, uptight atmosphere. Anyone seen without a miserable look on their face will soon be corrected. Both the other new hire and I were astounded how quiet the office was. There was no laughter. There was no talking. Everyone looked like they wanted to jump off a bridge. Even one guy who was a "guest trainer" told us he hates it and the job contributed to an alcohol program for him. Not to mention if you're a male, you must were a tie and full dress clothing everyday. This dress code is laughably antiquated and only serves to contribute to the stuffy culture. I was sick for a couple days and had to call off. Despite being well within my sick time, and being told my performance was great, and my typing was very fast, they fired me over the phone when I called in. The lady who fired me was very rude and seemed personally offended that I needed a second day off in a row for being sick. I'm sure they could tell I hated the place and wasn't buying the BS "work is a second family" propaganda, so I assume that's the real reason why they let me go. If "work is a second family," why do they keep having the trainer make a 1.5 hour commute from Port Huron to Romulus 4/5 days a week, despite her 20 years with the company and repeated requests to transfer to the Port Huron office where she lives? If "work is a second family," why did my fellow new hire hear a few of the employees talking trash about us, saying he was too stupid to do the job and that I was too arrogant? If "work is like a second family," why is the turnover rate so high? I'm glad to be out of there but I felt the need to share my experience. If you enjoy a comfortable, colorful work atmosphere that has more cheer than a graveyard, this place is not for you.

Explore other reviews about Expeditors

5.0
Jun 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

good environment employee engagement good industry experince

Cons

higher pay would be good but good benefits and time off

2.0
Jul 1, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Stability and job security, formerly. Compressed work weeks and work-life balance, formerly. A 47-year no-layoff policy tested in two recessions and a pandemic. Formerly. Now? Well, all of those are gone, so it's hard to really cite anything other than that there's health care and the paychecks don't bounce.

Cons

The same stuff that's always been there, for one. Strict dress code. Dated systems they're trying to run away from as fast as humanly possible. Strict in-office culture with limited WFH. Little to no upward mobility; most senior management has been there for 20+ years and when someone does get promoted, the remaining jobs often seem to magically go to their buddies without getting bid. A complete inability to manage and coordinate anything effectively amongst multiple teams, which apparently is going to be somehow solved by laying off almost all the project/program managers. Oh, and on top of all that? Now, the new regime will lay you off, but first they'll gaslight you and claim the no-layoff policy never existed. Then they'll claim the team managers (who they conveniently also laid off) did the rankings that determined who got cut. Then they'll put a bunch of the survivors into a "bootcamp" and then make them interview to keep their jobs.

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