Top 20 list of worst companies to work for as voted by you
Employee satisfaction is one of the most essential factors in improving a company's productivity. High employee turnover indicates that a firm has poor working conditions and that most of the staff are unhappy working there. Below are the top 20 worst companies to work for in 2023.
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Companies often compete to employ the best candidates from the crowded job market. If a firm has a bad reputation, it will most likely drive away skilled job seekers. Existing staff will also be hesitant to recommend others to join the firm.
What company has the lowest employee satisfaction?
Working for the worst employer is every worker's worst nightmare. Job seekers must research a firm's reputation before making a job application. The following are the top 20 worst places to work in 2023, according to employee reviews on Glassdoor.
20. Walgreens - 3.1/5
Source: Getty Images
- CEO approval rating: 44%
- Recommend to a friend rating: 45%
- Industry: Drug & Health Stores
- Number of employees: 10,000+
Walgreens is one of the largest pharmacy store chains in the United States. It is headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, and trades on NASDAQ. The downside of working for Walgreens includes low pay with no raise, lack of training, poor management, and good managers leaving most of the time.
19. CVS Health - 3.1/5
Source: Getty Images
- CEO approval rating: 50%
- Recommend to a friend rating: 44%
- Industry: Healthcare Services & Hospitals
- Number of employees: 300,000+
CVS Health is the world's largest healthcare company headquartered in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. The firm owns CVS Pharmacy, CVS Caremark, and Aetna and operates in over 9,600 locations. From Glassdoor reviews, the cons of working for CVS Health are low pay with meagre yearly increases, unfair treatment of employees, and poor management.
18. DISH - 3.1/5
Source: UGC
- CEO approval rating: 53%
- Recommend to a friend rating: 46%
- Industry: Cable, Internet & Telephone Providers
- Number of employees: 16,000+
DISH Network is an American satellite television and telecommunication provider headquartered in Meridian, Colorado, United States. It was established in 1980 and trades on the NASDAQ stock market. From Glassdoor employee reviews, DISH has poor management that likes to belittle staff, terrible insurance benefits, and long work hours.
17. Dillard's - 3.1/5
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- CEO approval rating: 50%
- Recommend to a friend rating: 50%
- Industry: Department, Clothing & Shoe Stores
- Number of employees: 35,000+
Dillard's is a department store chain headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. The company has over 280 stores in 29 US states and trades on the New York Stock Exchange. The cons of working at Dillard's include no work-life balance, rude managers, and the possibility of getting fired if you fail to meet sales goals.
16. RadioShack - 3.1/5
Source: Getty Images
- CEO approval rating: 44%
- Recommend to a friend rating: 34%
- Industry: Consumer Electronics & Appliances Stores
- Number of employees: 5,000+
RadioShack is an American electronics retailer headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. In the late 1990s, the company operated over 8,000 stores worldwide. RadioShack filed for bankruptcy in 2015 and 2017 before being acquired by Retail eCommerce Ventures (REV) in November 2020. The cons of working at RadioShack include work overload with low pay and poor management.
15. Speedway LLC - 3.0/5
Source: Getty Images
- CEO approval rating: 51%
- Recommend to a friend rating: 42%
- Industry: Convenience Stores
- Number of employees: 10,000+
Speedway LLC owns and operates convenience stores in the Midwestern United States—the firm deals in consumer goods like food, beverages, credit and prepaid cards, and periodicals. From Glassdoor company reviews, the firm has a reputation for long work hours with low pay, no day off, employees not being treated like human beings, and horrible managers who seem to hate their job.
14. LA Fitness - 3.0/5
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- CEO approval rating: 42%
- Recommend to a friend rating: 42%
- Industry: Beauty & Wellness
- Number of employees: 10,000+
LA Fitness is a California-based gym chain with over 550 clubs in the United States and Canada. The facility was established in 1984. The cons of working for LA Fitness include low pay and poor management since most managers have little to no managerial training.
13. Gannett - 3.0/5
Source: Getty Images
- CEO approval rating: 39%
- Recommend to a friend rating: 33%
- Industry: Publishing
- Number of employees: 11,000+
Gannet is a Virginia-based mass media holding company. It is one of the largest newspaper publishers in the United States. The firm owns USA Today and numerous other local newspapers. Gannett was established in 1906 and trades on the New York Stock Exchange. The cons of working for the publisher include low pay compared to similar employers, constant restructuring and layoffs, and poor management.
12. Dyson - 3.0/5
Source: Getty Images
- CEO approval rating: 34%
- Recommend to a friend rating: 45%
- Industry: Electronics Manufacturing
- Number of employees: 14,000+
Dyson is a multinational company established in 1991 in Malmesbury, England, headquartered in Harbourfront, Singapore. It deals in vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, hair straighteners, hair stylers, air purifiers, humidifiers, hand dryers, and lighting.
Dyson is considered one of the worst tech companies to work for, according to employee reviews on Glassdoor. The firm allegedly has a toxic work environment characterized by a lack of trust, poor management, unhappy employees, and high turnover.
11. Genesis HealthCare - 3.0/5
Source: Getty Images
- CEO approval rating: 33%
- Recommend to a friend rating: 43%
- Industry: Healthcare Services & Hospitals
- Number of employees: 10,000+
Genesis HealthCare is a United States-based healthcare provider. Through its subsidiaries, it offers services to nursing facilities and assisted/senior living communities. The cons of working for the company are poor communication, lack of salary raises for corporate staff, and abusive upper management.
10. US Security Associates - 2.9/5
Source: Getty Images
- CEO approval rating: 57%
- Recommend to a friend rating: 39%
- Industry: Security & Protective
- Number of employees: 10,000+
US Security Associates is a safety and security solutions provider based in Roswell, Georgia, United States. Services offered are risk mitigation, events security, enterprise threat management, investigations, and consulting. According to Glassdoor reviews, some disadvantages of working at the firm are lack of training, low and inconsistent pay with zero benefits, and poor management and employee relations.
9. Steak n Shake - 2.9/5
Source: Getty Images
- CEO approval rating: 28%
- Recommend to a friend rating: 32%
- Industry: Restaurant & Cafes
- Number of employees: 10,000+
Steak n Shake is an Indianapolis-based casual restaurant chain operating over 600 restaurants in the United States, the Middle East, and Europe. The company was established in 1934 in Normal, Illinois, and is famous for its burgers and milkshakes. The cons of working here are low pay with zero benefits, rude and demeaning managers, and the employment of children.
8. Family Dollar Stores - 2.9/5
Source: Getty Images
- CEO approval rating: 31%
- Recommend to a friend rating: 39%
- Industry: General Merchandise & Superstores
- Number of employees: 50,000+
Family Dollar Stores is a variety store chain headquartered in Chesapeake, Virginia, United States. It has more than 8,000 locations across the country. Some disadvantages of working at Family Dollar Stores are low pay, long working hours six days a week, and unfair treatment of store managers by upper management.
7. GameStop - 2.9/5
Source: Getty Images
- CEO approval rating: 21%
- Recommend to a friend rating: 30%
- Industry: Toy & Hobby Stores
- Number of employees: 20,000+
GameStop retails gaming merchandise, consumer electronics, and video games, including Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo. The firm was founded in 1984 and trades on the New York Stock Exchange. GameStop is headquartered in Grapevine, Texas and operates over 4,400 stores worldwide. The disadvantages of working for the firm include low pay and terrible upper management.
6. CSX Transportation - 2.8/5
Source: Getty Images
- CEO approval rating: 61%
- Recommend to a friend rating: 37%
- Industry: Rail Transportation
- Number of employees: 10,000+
CSX is a Class 1 freight railroad company operating on The East Coast. The company was established in 1986 and is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. The cons of working for the firm are long hours away from home and poor management since what is acceptable to one manager may not be what another manager wants.
5. Regus - 2.8/5
Source: Getty Images
- CEO approval rating: 45%
- Recommend to a friend rating: 38%
- Industry: Commercial Equipment Services
- Number of employees: 10,000+
Regus is a subsidiary of IWG PLC, a British holding company. It was established in Brussels, Belgium, in 1989 to provide serviced office space. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Glassdoor reviews show Regus has poor management, a lack of training infrastructure for new workers, and low pay.
4. Dollar General - 2.8/5
Source: Getty Images
- CEO approval rating: 37%
- Recommend to a friend rating: 35%
- Industry: Other Retail Stores
- Number of employees: 10,000+
According to staff reviews, Dollar General is one of the worst retail companies to work for. The chain of variety stores was established in 1939 by JL Turner and Cal Turner Sr as a father-son wholesale dry-goods business. It is headquartered in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, and trades on the NYSE. The major cons of working for Dollar General are work overload, long work hours, low pay, poor management, and non-existing work-life balance.
3. Conifer Health Solutions - 2.8/5
Source: UGC
- CEO approval rating: 32%
- Recommend to a friend rating: 31%
- Industry: Healthcare Services & Hospitals
- Number of employees: 10,000+
Conifer Health Solutions is based in Frisco, Texas, United States, with clients in more than 135 local regions. In 2017, the healthcare services company appeared at number 227 on the Forbes list of America's Best Employers but dropped off in 2018. Glassdoor reviews reveal that the firm has little to no training, terrible upper management, poor communication, and unequal pay.
2. Norfolk Southern - 2.6/5
Source: Getty Images
- CEO approval rating: 51%
- Recommend to a friend rating: 30%
- Industry: Rail transportation
- Number of employees: 10,000+
Norfolk Southern Railways was established in 1982 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The Class 1 freight railroad operates in the eastern US. The main cons against working at Norfolk Southern are long working hours, demeaning upper management, and terrible IT.
1. Union Pacific - 2.2/5
Source: Getty Images
- CEO approval rating: 16%
- Recommend to a friend rating: 20%
- Industry: Rail transportation
- Number of employees: 10,000+
Union Pacific is one of America's worst companies to work for. Glassdoor reviews show that employees work long hours and overtime with low benefits. Staff lacks work-life balance, and layoffs are common. The Nebraska-based rail company was established in 1862. It connects 23 states in the western US.
What companies have bad management?
Bad management is usually the downfall of many big and small companies. Firms forced to close down or merge before being driven out of business include Enron, Woolworths Group PLC, Alpa, British Satellite Broadcasting, Drexel Burnham Lambert, Eastern Air Lines, Brabham, and Pan American World Airways.
What company has the best working conditions?
Market research by Forbes in partnership with Statista shows that South Korean-based Samsung is the world's best employer in 2023. It is followed by Microsoft in 2nd place, IBM in 3rd place, Alphabet in 4th place, and Apple in 5th place.
What is the biggest company to work for?
According to Forbes, Warren Buffett's owned Berkshire Hathaway is the world's biggest company to work for. The multinational conglomerate holding company had a market value of $741 billion, sales of $276 billion, and a profit of $90 billion in 2022. Berkshire Hathaway has over 380,000 employees worldwide.
Most of the worst companies to work for have one of the highest employee turnovers and record the lowest retention. Workers are as crucial as any other stakeholder in ensuring the firm's best overall performance.
READ ALSO: Top jobs in the UK for South African citizens (2023)
Briefly.co.za highlighted the top jobs available in the United Kingdom for South African citizens. The UK government regularly announces scarce skills by publishing the Shortage Occupations List.
Skilled foreigners with valid UK work visas can apply for scarce skills vacancies in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Highly sought-after skills include engineering, medical care, and education.
Source: Briefly News
