Oh Polly Reviews

My time at Oh Polly was regrettably characterised by a toxic and dysfunctional workplace environment, driven by poor leadership and a lack of clear direction or strategy. Leadership operates as a dictatorship, dismissing expertise and experience in favour of rigid control and micromanagement. Decisions are inconsistent, contradictory and reactionary; often appeared to be swayed by fleeting trends or whims rather than solid data or a cohesive vision and long-term planning. Such decisions are then poorly communicated down to relevant stakeholders and teams, yet they are expected to follow the vague directives to the letter. Failure to interpret these precisely, or any deviation (no matter how well intentioned or logical) often leads to public criticism and scorn which creates a culture of fear, blame and second-guessing. Gaslighting is also prevalent, where employees frequently have to defend themselves with “receipts” instead of focusing their time and resource on meaningful work. Full accountability for outcomes is readily imposed without granting the necessary control, support or tools to influence change, leaving success for a majority of roles in the business virtually impossible. For the same reason, HR offer no protection or refuge whatsoever, as they are equally powerless to address the systemic issues within the company or implement any positive improvement to the company culture. Ultimately this lack of support further fosters an isolating and hostile environment, leaving employees to fend for themselves in a culture devoid of trust, integrity or respect. Fundamentally the workplace was lonely, damaging, and unsustainable. A company that dismisses collaboration, refuses to trust its people, and lacks conviction in its own strategy is unlikely to succeed in its current iteration — not just in business terms but most importantly in retaining the incredibly talented, hardworking professionals it employs and relies on for growth.

The refunds office environment is debilitating to your mental health. And here is why. 1. You cannot speak for more than 30 seconds without being hushed or told to stop speaking. 2. You have to beg to be trained, but because that involves speaking it never happens. And if you are caught speaking you will get told to be quiet. 3. Sometimes you would be terrified to even speak, so you would use the messaging service within the company to message other team members for help. But again that is read and stalked and tracked and you get told off for messaging. 4. The office is SILENT. Music was once played in the office until it was banned. Now you are able to listen to your headphones. But if you are caught changing a song or even picking a song you will get told off. So again it is a waste of time even putting your headphones in. 5. You are put in a seating plan and have set breaks. If you miss your break time because you are so busy, you cannot have it. 6. Your workload is entered into a spreadsheet at the end of the day. And all tasks are watched on a live task board. You are constantly watched. 7. They sit by the CCTV cameras and watch you on your breaks and question your toilet breaks (you cannot even wee in peace). 8. They go through your private and non-work related social media accounts to check what you are doing. 9. They check your search history on your computer when you finish your shift, while other staff members are still working. As if during your shift you’ve been on watching a make up tutorial or searching ‘how to eat sushi’. 10. They do not trust staff. Regardless of your age you are treated and spoken to in a patronising manner. 11. Anything told confidently regarding your personal life in a private setting, some how ends up becoming office gossip. It is actually beyond shocking what gets out. Words cannot fathom how badly this place is run. Professionalism does not exist at Oh Polly. You finish an 8 hour shift exhausted and mentally drained. You just stare at a screen in silence all day. After one month this is enough to make a person leave. I have seen more people come and go in Oh Polly than I have in an airport. People in charge of refunds seriously need to be questioned for there lack of team and behaviour towards people that work there. Refunds are the most complained about subject by customers on social media and on reviewing websites. The refunding process is poor and poorly looked after. Yet the excuse always is ‘ I need more staff’. No, you need to keep your staff, treat them with kindness and respect to get the best out of them. And clearly that is something a hostile person cannot do.