Bullied during bereavement in Pret A Manger (original) (raw)
**Welcome!
to the most comprehensive website on Pret A Manger from behind the facade. The Elephant in the room that the press like to ignore. I declined 4 NDA offers from Pret for my silence.
The only thing Pret do is report me to social media as well as here to WordPress. And since around 2019 WordPress has moved my website into the “adult” section where they store porn sites, meaning, anyone who is logged in to WordPress can NOT find my blog when searching for Pret A Manger articles within the WordPress Reader section.
Since then also the following of my blog has decreased as people on WordPress can’t find my blog.
Even though I PAY WordPress for my site, they still censor me on Pret’s behalf. But my work is scattered all over the Internet! And I won’t be silenced!
The info you find here on this blog, you won’t find on Wikipedia which is out-dated.
УКРАЇНЦІ, НЕ працюйте на мережу кафе Pret A Manger!
УКРАИНЦЫ, НЕ работайте на сеть ресторанов Pret A Manger!
Pret lure workers in with “charity” and promises, but only use workers for PR and as cheap labour. Whatever job you find, ALWAYS join a union!
Even if the company seems nice and you never have a problem, always join a union first thing when you start in a company.
NEW: Links to Pret issues: Linktr.ee/expret.org
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Please understand that my website isn’t the most professional looking. I fund this website solely by myself, am not a professional web developer, and have no help. I just survived a lot of things and pour it out here without filters. I suffer with PTSD, have on and off alcohol issues and still struggle with suicidal thoughts after all the losses, starting with my brother. His death we didn’t know for 5 weeks and I had to learn via an EMAIL that he died AND was already cremated!!!
Since then investigating his death and seeing my parents deteriorate, Pret fired me days after my dad came out of a 3-week coma. I took Pret to the Tribunal but withdrew the case when my dad died in the middle of preparing for the case. I couldn’t bury my mum during the pandemic, and all the trauma that Pret put me through. I have written evidence of everything, that’s why Pret neither sue me, nor since I write publicly since 2018 did they respond.
I just wrote the largest exposé on Pret to expose this company and also to distract myself from having lost my family one by one within 7 years. I know I’m blunt, but life is short to beat around the bush when you’ve lost everything.
Please click on this “mindmap” for a brief overview of some of the Pret issues I survived. Also, English is not my first language, I learnt it as an adult. My aim is just to get info out.
Some important issues: BBC report on Pret’s Subscription service came out written by Mike Powell. I tweeted at Mike’s Twitter account when he tweeted at Pret as a customer why he could never get a smoothie on the coffee subscrption. I didn’t know he’s a BBC reporter as his Twitter account is very low key. He DM’d me for collaboration. Then the following article came about: “Pret A Manger customers complain over drinks subscription deal“
I also helped Mike on his 2. Pret article Feb. 2023 after he asked me for help again. My ordeal with Pret involved the top leadership incl. former CEO Clive Schlee. I am honoured for Pret staff to contact me with leaks that I pass on to the press.
I decided to turn investigative “journalist” myself, exposing Pret on various issues, but mainly staffing issues. I write from 10 years experience in over 30 Pret shops, having survived systemic bullying DURING bereavement.
For other press reports by the BBC as well as The Guardian, Mirror etc. that I influenced or got started, please see expret.org/media
One important theme on my blog is Pret’s psychologically abusive emotional labour practices via weekly micromanaging Mystery Shopper visits. For extensive writings, including several Pret Mystery Shopper reports, please see:
The Dangers of Emotional Labour
Also, Pret RE-founder & itsu founder Julian Metcalfe is in Jeffrey Epstein’s “little black book”. I “chased” Metcalfe off Twitter which I link to in above article.
Since around 2019 Pret have words on shop fronts or cups simply saying “London 1986” as Pret refuse to acknowledge the original Pret founder, the late Jeffrey Hyman who started Pret in 1983. A friend of Hyman told me on Twitter that someone on behalf of Pret kept changing Pret’s Wikipedia page. So, since the Wiki entry can’t be changed to exclude Hyman, Pret just brainwash the public on shop entries.
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Just a few of the many, many Pret employee reviews and comments from various platforms, review sites, social media, as well as customer observations and complaints. To keep it short, I just post a selected “few” from different years and locations, but there is much, much more which I posted throughout my blog and on my YouTube playlist:
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Trustpilot review:
Right-click Link to open in new window.
etc. etc. etc.
Some other reviews from staff which I haven’t updated with recent ones, but just leave it here to show the systemic issues in Pret happening since years. Pret has always been hard to work for, but the pandemic has made the CEO and executives even more harsh with staff all while pretending to be friendly and kind. Pano Christou received £4m in bonus and a 27% pay-rise in 2021 after cutting wages during the pandemic. I really feel bad for staff. Work conditions must be even more like close towards slavery now. Christou caters to shareholders and it’s a question of time when more staff will break or leave.
Again, the following are just few of MANY MANY reviews along those lines since Pret reviews started in 2011:
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“AMF” here means assistant manager floor (or front of house). AMK is assistant manager kitchen.
And many more.
I knew of team members who were clueless about the job, but getting promotions and it was an open secret how they got promoted. And a former longtime shop manager contacted me recently and told me that half of Pret’s HQ is sleeping with the other half of HQ, incl. names of who with who etc. Just the “usual” corporate stuff.
Senior Leadership Review:
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Former CEO Clive Schlee’s legacy after TWO customers died and low-wage staff are bullied to “perform” with a smiley front:
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Current CEO Pano Christou since September 2019:
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A group on facebook that is quite blunt started in 2011 but cannot easily be found as Facebook hides them from public search. I only stumbled on them in early 2019 by accident: “I Hate Pret A Manger” under Facebook.com/preth8ers
And former employee Andrej Stopa who was fired in 2012 for helping to start a Union. He started the Pret A Manger Staff Union (PAMSU).
Unfortunately both groups aren’t very active currently, but just to link to them as well for current Pret employees’ reference.
“Shadow banned” (censored) on social media At times I am shadow banned (secretly censored) where my posts are hidden from the public, my likes are not visible etc. I’m also suspended on platforms, but that doesn’t concern me. Twitter and Facebook are affected as Pret must have reported me.
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Pret Year in Review 2023 slide.
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Also via FACEBOOK.
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In memory of my big brother
Socials:
(Some I use more, others rarely, most via private)
Fediverse:
You can follow my blog directly from within any Mastodon Server you are registered with, just search for @expret.org@expet.org within Mastodon
Video / Slide PLAYLIST
Soundcloud
Podcast Instagram
TikTok
tumblr
Pinterest
… and other platforms I keep un-mentioned here
as I have important contacts there and am constantly
targetted to get shut down.
DONATIONS
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©2017 – Present: expret.org unless otherwise stated. All Rights reserved. Disclaimer.
Panel 1
Before you contact me:
- Please LEAVE Pret! There are better jobs out there where you will be treated better! Many companies are desperate for staff now. You have the POWER to demand better treatment and pay. Life is too short!
. - If you can’t leave Pret, JOIN A UNION (but be aware Unions are “businesses” too and will NOT take the initiative until workers do). Don’t stagnate and accept the bullcrap that “this is in all low paid companies”, that doesn’t matter, STOP accepting bad treatment and bad pay while the CEO is getting richer.
. - If the offense is serious enough for court, especially when it comes to discrimination, file a Tribunal claim if you have funds for legal aid after you raised a grievance AND an appeal. Pret HR do NOT care or will just minimize your experience to get you off their backs and protect the company.
. - If you don’t want to join a union and/or can’t afford legal aid, contact the press that often have huge impact. I recommend two journalists: AmySharpeJournalist@gmail.com who did the “dirty work” and went undercover into Pret after I urged her to, and/or Mike.Powell@bbc.co.uk who, after I contacted the BBC when he was about to report, mentioned my blog.
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I have PTSD (diagnosed) and still just only survive from everything that happened, losing my whole family now and what Pret did to me incl. the horrific gaslighting via Lila Warren, who should get stripped off all her psychology licenses. I have horrible trauma episodes that lead to horrible emailing and want to stay away from emailing as much as possible.
Please refer to this podcast episode I did on PTSD for just a glimpse of the complications I go through and try to overcome. I cannot deal with any more Pret horror stories triggering me until Pret staff are ready or willing to stand up! I am still just surviving. I’m sorry for all bad emails.
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