A culture of dishonesty: In my experience, management repeatedly misrepresented the reasons for employment decisions, resulting in numerous employees being removed from the business under circumstances I considered misleading and unfair.
Manipulation and psychological pressure: I experienced management tactics that I perceived as manipulative, including intimidation, aggressive behaviour, and repeated attempts to undermine employees' confidence in their own understanding of events. This created an environment of fear rather than support.
Serious concerns about employment practices: Based on what I witnessed, I believe there were repeated failures to follow fair workplace procedures and principles reflected in the ACAS Code of Practice, particularly around disciplinary processes, investigations, and dismissals.
Failed Trainee Store Manager programme: An entire Trainee Store Manager cohort was dismissed despite, in my experience, being made up of some of the hardest-working, most skilled, and approachable employees in the business. They were well respected by their colleagues and showed strong potential as future leaders. From my perspective, the reasons given for these dismissals did not reflect the reality of the situation, raising serious concerns about how the programme was managed from beginning to end.
No trust in leadership: Confidence in management was extremely low. Employees frequently felt unsupported, disposable, and unable to raise concerns without fear of negative consequences.
Poor wellbeing and morale: The working environment became increasingly stressful, with many staff feeling demoralised and anxious because of the management culture.
Overall, based on my personal experience, I believe Insomnia Cookies UK's management fostered a toxic workplace where transparency, fairness, and respect for employees were lacking. I would strongly encourage prospective employees to research the company carefully and understand their employment rights before accepting a role.
