Uline has so many problems that it's going to be hard to point them all out. If you've already started at Uline, I'm sorry, but use the opportunity to springboard to a different company in the next couple of years.
Career Growth:
It's definitely only a job and not a career like advertised. There is no room to grow within the company and you will not be given adequate raises. I regret staying there for the 6.5 years that I did. Every other company adopted new strategies while Uline stuck to what it has always done. It made finding a new job extremely difficult because my skills no longer translated to what other companies were looking for. An example of this is that Uline uses Waterfall as their development methodology. Every other company designing applications, websites, etc. is using Agile. Stay at Uline 2 years max and move on...
Culture:
This is something you've probably already read about. Uline is deeply conservative and management has no problem throwing you under the bus if it takes the blame off them. Managers have yelled at employees for coughing at their desks as it "interrupts the workplace." Weird that employees are coming into work sick because there is no sick leave... On that same note, Uline handled the Covid-19 situation so poorly that its own workers are getting sick by just being there. Even after leaving, I had to get tested because Uline is allowing sick workers to come into work. My fiance's coworker being one of them... Uline really is like herpes, in that it never goes away even after you leave. This is a problem because no one wears masks there as they fear being judged by a culture that doesn't believe in the pandemic.
HR:
Take the good Glassdoor reviews with a grain of salt. Uline's HR department will send out emails to employees to leave a good review so the overall rating doesn't dip down too much. I wouldn't be surprised if most of them are the HR employees themselves. They will also have people walk around to check for dress code violations, people eating at their desks, or to see if people are talking too much. It's like you're in grade school all over again.
Employees:
There are 4 types of workers at Uline:
1. Those who serve the Kool-Aid.
2. Those who drink the Kool-Aid.
3. Observers: These are like the parents from the It miniseries. They know something bad is going on, but they won't do anything about it
4. Agitators: These are like the kids from the It miniseries. They try and do the right thing, but inevitably fail to defeat Pennywise this time around.
Management:
Of all of Uline's problems, I think this one is the worst. Uline totes that it only hires the best of the best, but this can't be farther from the truth. Very few of the managers have worked at other companies, so they have learned the management style of Uline. They only live to make their direct manager happy. This most often comes at the detriment of their direct reports. Advice and concerns fall on deaf ears. And if you transfer to a new position with a new manager, that's a slight on your former manager. Consider that bridge burnt...
Internet Department:
I'm going to end with my department. It's a dumpster fire to say the least. Employees are at each other's throats to get in the good graces of management. Managers will then vie for more employees because # of employees proves your worth for some reason. Upper management in this department is only out to cover themselves from the Operations group. The website is made to look like a catalog to appease the president. Obvious improvements to the website have been killed because "it's not the Uline way." I didn't think making it easier for customers to spend money was a bad thing. This department is hemorrhaging employees at an alarming rate, and it deserves every bit of it.
