Uline reviews

Literally everything else. I know you have probably read some reviews and are thinking “It can’t be THAT bad really….” But I’m telling you, it is. Steer clear my friend, You will thank me later. I came into Uline in a management position. (This was not my first foray with multiple direct reports, nor working in a conservative corporate setting). The “Uline way” (you will get real sick of this phrase let me tell ya) is to treat everyone as though they are useless idiots. Just expect that you will be micromanaged, not just to death, but beyond. This culture is something out of a sick fairytale/horror story. Every action comes directly down from the top. There is no room for anything else, and as a manager you are also expected to place these decrees on your reports. This is the reason I left. I couldn’t treat my people the way I was expected to. IMHO no one grows and develops that way, nor is it good for mental health. I CAN tell you if you decide to work there, you can expect the following: 1. You will not be inspired to work smarter. In fact, it will be frowned upon because, that’s “not how we do it”. 2. You will not feel valued, respected, or recognized. Sure, they may drop off a cupcake on your desk to “celebrate” some company or department milestone, but don’t talk to your cube neighbor for too long or loud when enjoying it. 3. You will not be mentored. Things will be explained to you once, and then you are on your own to follow an absurd amount of workflows. (Which consequently… you will also edit these at least once a year) 4. You will not be challenged or excited about your work. (See above comments referencing the “everyone is a useless idiot” mentality). There are so many people working there, that the hat you have is the hat you will wear (at least for a while). It is frowned upon to even discuss moving to a different department unless you have been there an absurd amount of time. In their mind, it is better to let an employee go if they are not a good fit for the position instead of finding a better place for them. 5. Some superiors are good, but many don’t have a clue how to relate to people on a human level. Smart people who get “results”, but are useless interacting and communicating. 6. NO work/life balance. The “occasional” travel will actually be 1-2 weeks a month when it’s busy. The “sporadic” Saturdays will likely be 2-3 a month. And punch out at 5? Well… you can, but it WILL be noticed, and you WILL be informed that you don’t stay long enough. Have too much on your plate? Don’t dare think about delegating some away, you will just need to stay long enough to get it all done. And yes, you read that right… everyone punches in and out everyday. Management watches your times, so don’t dare punch in at 8:01 even in the middle of a snowstorm or catastrophic event. 7. You may be asked for input, but if it is not what upper management wants to hear, it will fall on deaf ears and go nowhere. You, peasant, cannot possibly have good input if it does not align with the agenda. 8. Expect no trust. A favorite saying is “Trust, but verify”. So basically, trust no one to do their job correctly, and don’t let anyone make a mistake. This doesn’t just go towards the physical work either. You are not trusted at all. People will read your emails, track websites you navigate to, watch for you to pickup your cell phone, and walk around to see if you are eating at your desk. They analyze your outfit to ensure it follows the insane dress code from the 1950s, track the number of times you visit the bathroom or walk to get water. They note how long you spend at another person’s cubicle, and if you go to the (very political) “lunch and learns” and while there where and with whom you sit. Your work will be proofed (hell, we even needed to have emails printed and proofed before sending them). This proofing will dilute your personality to a point that everyone sounds like a robot. You will fill out checklists, and create memos and reports that the specific purpose if not to address the situation of your department, but the health of other departments and the “issues” you surveyed. Some departments seemed to be a bit better than mine, but maybe they just drank more of the kool-aid. Do yourself a favor, and just don’t do it. The money is nice, but not that nice. Oh, and as an added bonus, if you work there and decide to quit, be warned. “Uline” follows you around like a bad smell. While interviewing for new positions it came up ( at more than one company) that they were concerned if I would be a good fit culturally. They saw Uline on my resume and had either A. worked with the company previously or B. hired someone from there before, and assumed that everyone would interact in a similar manner as described in my rant above. It’s like the gift that keeps on giving.

There is a lack of trust with employees at all levels of the organization. This is clearly seen through the existence of their "Executive Operations" team. This team of executives are on perpetual "witch-hunt" to nitpick people’s decision and any minor flaw in a person’s actions or abilities. They make themselves relevant to the owners by taking credit for the ideas and work of others. Rather than allowing people to learn from their mistakes, individuals are put on a “list” if they make a small mistake. This mindset creates a toxic and hostile work environment bred by fear and force, thus hindering creativity and the ability to grow. There is way too much emphasis on writing styles, instead of focusing on a person’s true skillset and experience. They also rate you based on how many average hours are worked per week, rather than your ability to be efficient and get things done. Executive Leadership thinks this is how organizations operate because they have not worked anywhere else and now are too short-sighted to realize it. This organization is averse to change, and they will tell you the exact opposite during the hiring process. I was brought on to help implement a new system, but their resistance to change made it impossible. The Executive Ops team opposes everything because they are scared the owner will blame them for something. They keep their old customized and decrepit systems around instead of upgrading to modernized systems that would make them more efficient (10 years behind). Then keep hiring more people to support the old systems, pretty soon those people won’t exist. So they’ve become inefficient and wasteful as an organization. Another example of this is their catalogs...they would rather waste millions on paper catalogs than to invest heavily into their on-line presence (guess Amazon has it all wrong). Other Cons: Lack of flexibility (work from home is not an option) Everyone punches a clock, even exempt employees. (Strange) The dress code is a thing of the past. We are now in 2020! Wasteful - they do not recycle anything, and print way too much. High turn-over rates, despite what they tell you. Watch out for the Exec Ops team, they are not your friends. Growth opportunities for some roles do not exist. There are not common goals or shared objectives. Leadership works against each other and will throw others under the bus to elevate their standing to the owners.