Lauren Singer

Stay Far Away Neither of the 2 current locations have a fridge, toaster oven, water filter or microwave, which is classist to assume workers can afford to eat at nearby shops day in and day out, or to assume workers can afford low waste dining wares that preserve home made meal freshness for the several hours you work. The Williamsburg location's "break room" is a bathroom. The toilet is about 5 feet away from the coat rack, the lockers for employees possessions, and a shelf with dining and drinking ware. Nothing separates any of these things, which is a sanitary issue. The bathroom door's lock is also faulty, so odds are whether you're using the restroom or trying to take a break, someone will walk in on you despite their knocking to check if it's clear. The Chelsea Market location's "break room" is a slanted (stairs the floor above so triangular space) ~8 x 10 overheated closet. There is no room to do virtually anything in it, as it is composed of 75% inventory and 10% ethernet wiring, so you just end up taking a break wherever there's open seating in the mall - which is nowhere, as it's such a busy location. Enjoy your $15 sushi on some steps as tourists shuffle by you. The founder is a self important mid 20's "go-getter." She exudes extreme type A energy and everyone regards her warily. The energy whenever she enters a room is very 'tolerating our young royal highness' demands,' which was incredibly bizarre and mildly unsettling. She popped into the store for an impromptu whimsical photo shoot and every single employee, retail and office worker alike, looked on in complete could-hear-a-pin-drop silence so as not to disturb her creative process or bother her. Several employees have the same title, at different pay rates (inventory in particular). Tasks do not get met at deadline, despite incessant Slack group messaging. There is no cohesion on projects and several check overs have to be redone. I was fired, at will style, with a phone call and no face to face meeting, for offering a customer 2 plastic bags for their large order. While Package Free is a bagless store to uphold a zero waste initiative, this particular customer purchased several large steel items that did not fit into their shoulder bag (think huge soup pots size). After employees suggest she purchase a tote or over-sized mesh produce bag and she declined, she asked us to check nearby shops for paper bags. No shops near us had any. When I returned with plastic bags, the energy in the room shifted ~dramtically,~ and it turns out offering this customer plastic (which, while not compostable or recyclable, can be reused) was apparently, punishable by death. I asked if I could discuss this decision pertaining to this situation in person and was flatly told the decision was final, with lukewarm best of luck wishes.