Pros
There isn't really pros to work here.
Cons
I would like to leave this review anonymously because I genuinely fear repercussions for speaking out. Working for Central England Co-operative Society has been one of the most exhausting experiences of my career. Despite repeated promises of improvement, very little has changed. There is no work-life balance. I regularly work around 70 hours a week and my line manager is fully aware of this. However, instead of offering support, I'm simply told that they no longer cover shifts. Other stores are already stretched to breaking point, often operating with minimal staffing, so they are unable to help either. The company's expansion and acquisitions appear to have come at the expense of the people actually running the stores. Senior leadership talks about supporting colleagues, but that has not been my experience. Employee wellbeing feels more like a slogan than a genuine priority. It is incredibly difficult to get support. HR only accepts emails, making it almost impossible to speak to someone directly when you need help. The IT systems are constantly described as "new" or "improved," yet they frequently fail, creating even more stress and additional work for store managers. The pressure placed on managers is relentless. You are expected to keep going until you burn out or eventually leave. There is little to nothing recognition for the effort people put in. During my time with the company, I have never received a meaningful bonus, and salary increases of around 2% provide little motivation, especially considering the workload and level of responsibility. There is also a culture of fear. Many people feel unable to speak up because they worry about the consequences. In my experience, operational managers are more focused on criticism and pressure than on supporting or recognising success. Good performance often goes unnoticed, while mistakes are highlighted. I also feel the company has not always been transparent about serious incidents affecting colleagues. That has only reinforced my belief that protecting the company's image is sometimes prioritised over supporting its employees. I hope senior leadership takes reviews like this seriously. The stores continue to function because of hardworking colleagues who consistently give far more than should ever be expected. Unless the company starts valuing and supporting its people, it will continue to lose experienced employees and struggle to retain good managers.
