Uniqlo Operations Management Trainee, Singapore

Being a fresh graduate and having a huge passion for fashion, I was all fired up and set to go on my first job, grasping on the big dreams and hopes. Being a japanese company, often known for its high quality products and splendid customer service, I was all excited to be part of their huge team as its goals and believes were very much in line with mine.

Despite, the contract and labor law stating the maximum working hours being 44 per week, we were not told it was a 50 work hour week, alternate single-double weekend shifts, hence clocking a 11.5 hour shift daily inclusive of 1.5 hour break. When I questioned the human resource department, she then asked me in return if I was told during the interview (typical). Thus, we were only informed on the first day of work. Morning shifts ran from 0800-1930, while closing shifts ran from 1200-2330, with the usual expected delays. The goal of the programme is to train us to be store managers, in which the positions includes 13 hour work days, complete management of the store but however, minimal shop floor duties.

On the job training included the usual folding, cleaning, stock replanishment, fitting room duties, customer service etc. The first day of work was half spent on classroom training and the other half on the floor learning the initial ropes. On the second day, we were given closing shifts through to the fifth day with no rest day in between as we started work on a Wednesday.

A usual day at work:
Shopfloor duties – folding of clothing, checking of stock, maintaining tidiness by walking about area-in-charge, screaming “welcome to uniqlo” every 5 seconds, going on your knees to get sizes, maintaining smile. (I think I folded at least a thousand article in a night, no kidding)
Fitting room duties – guiding customers to the room, flipping shoes, going on your knees to pin alterations, dealing with sickening angmohs that NEVER cooperate, staying alert for shoplifters, refolding tried items. (I think I clocked 10miles just by pacing up the tiny fitting room bringing customers to their rooms)
Tidying upon closing duties – re-folding clothing and stacking them to standard (same width and size sticker to be in line) on your legs may I remind you.
& some other shit I didn’t stick around long enough to figure out.

By the time I get off work, my own two legs can barely get me home. When I actually got to my car, I could barely move, and broke down into tears from the exhuastion. By then I was losing sleep from the discomfort of my leg muscles, bruised knee caps, and loss of appetite from the depressing work day. I had not seen the world, and life had officially become a work-cry-sleep-work cycle.

By day 3, I tendered my resignation alongside 2 other trainees, with full intention to serve 2 weeks of notice. I was limping and was completely drained physically, so it was only a matter of how I mentally held up. Usual day of work, and another typical cry-myself-home-night.

You must be thinking now how spoilt or pampered I must be.

Day 4, Saturday, massive weekend crowd. I actually got down to speaking with the ‘retail associates’ or rather, salesperson, during my break. As in most companies in Singapore, majority of the full-time employees being foreigners. The store were mainly made up of foreign full-time staff earning five times what they can get back home, or part time local students working for extra pocket money. Even their senior staff were part time employees. And speaking to a senior full-time staff from the philipines, according to him, their turnover rate was exceptionally high, however, because most of them actually paid $6000 to come to Singapore, and thus, cannot afford to give up. By 9PM, I had done 3 hours of fitting room duty, probably burnt more calories than a 10-mile sprint (my heart of literally racing as if I had just finished a 2.4km jog), and usual shop floor duties. And eventually mentally cracked, broke down, and requested to quit with immediate effect and had no qualms about paying back the salary for notice period.

Note: In Japan, a worker is only allowed a maximum 8 hours of work a day. So how come that part of the japanese culture isn’t brought to Singapore but the greet-every-5-seconds is?

With such long hours at a physically exhuasting job, the company still expects top efficiency and customer service. Go figure.

Despite facing the troubles at work, I return home to the disappointed faces of my parents. With my dad telling me I’m exactly the kind of employee employers hate, having sign the contract and leaving, or how the next job is going to be equally tough and I’m child-like for crying everyday over a job, or with the attitude my next 10 jobs will probably me the same. If I had known I was putting my brains and mental health through hell for this shit, I would have never wasted my time.

Unlike part-timers, I joined the company with full intentions to stay long term and commit. Don’t get me wrong here, I strongly believe in starting from the ground despite qualifications. What I don’t agree with is how the company enforces such long working hours and yet still expect excellent performance. How does one achieve efficiency when one is not well rested? How does one offer a bright smile when they can barely hold themselves up? Despite the gruelling hours, we were only paid $2,700 gross with the exceptionally long working hours not disclosed until first day at work. And with the goal being to eventually become a store manager, working 13-14 hours a day, there was no way I was going to put myself through the insane course of training. If I’m in it, I’m in it to win it, or I’m out. No one will understand the challenge’s extreme difficulty until faced with it, and having unsupportive parents that think I’m just being a baby caused majority of my distress. From just the 4 days of standing, I am probably trained enough to work from Singapore to Malaysia.

If the company’s idea of profit making is to get cheap labor and work their brains out, what kind of loyalty is the company retaining from its staff? I question their values. The store was clearly under staffed from the messy racks and employees were pretty much worked to their tresholds. Don’t ask me why they could not simply hire more workers, lessen working hours, improve efficiency, in turn improving customer service followed up with greater sales. Cost efficient, really? Loyalty? Bite me.

So unless you’re up for the challenge, stay the fuck away.
This article is just my personal review of the experience.