Companies that are able to make their employees feel valued and satisfied with their work tend to have a more productive workforce. While companies by and large would probably like to have satisfied employees, not all go about it the right way.

24/7 Wall St. discussed employee satisfaction with Scott Dobroski, a Glassdoor community expert. “The three top drivers of long-term employee satisfaction are company culture, career opportunities, and trust in senior leadership,” Dobroski said. Companies that cannot provide such positive working environments often suffer from low employee morale and become undesirable places to work. Such companies — especially those in competitive fields — may struggle to attract top notch talent.

Glassdoor is a platform for former and current employees to review their companies. It has thousands of reviews on thousands of different companies on its site. On average, companies have a rating of 3.4 out of 5.0 stars. Yet some major companies are rated significantly lower, and the 18 worst have a rating of 2.7 or lower.

To identify the worst companies to work for, 24/7 Wall St. independently examined employee reviews on Glassdoor — this is not a Glassdoor commissioned report.

Click here to see the worst companies to work for.
Click here to see our detailed findings and methodology.

18. Kraft Heinz Company
> Glassdoor rating: 2.7/5
> Employees who would recommend working at company: 39%
> Employees: 39,000
> Industry: Food and beverage manufacturing
> Headquarters: Chicago, IL

Employees reviewing Kraft Heinz Company on Glassdoor rate it as one of the worst companies to work for, rating it a 2.7 out of 5.0 on average. The most frequent rating given by employees of Kraft on Glassdoor is a 1, the lowest possible score. Yet employee perception of the company is improving. The company’s rating on Glassdoor last year was an even lower 2.4, then the second lowest ranking among all large companies. Similarly, the percentage of reviewers who approve of CEO Bernardo Hees has increased from 27% as of June 2017 to 43% this year. One of the most common complaints by staff is that the company has a poor work-life balance, with one employee having posted, “11 hour days have become the norm.”

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17. Belk
> Glassdoor rating: 2.7/5
> Employees who would recommend working at company: 36%
> Employees: 24,350
> Industry: Department, clothing, and shoe stores
> Headquarters: Charlotte, NC

Clothing retailer Belk is a new addition to the list of the worst companies to work for, as its Glassdoor rating has fallen to 2.7, compared to the 2.9 rating it had this time last year. The company, though, does not have as many very dissatisfied employees as many other companies on this list have. Rather, a disproportionate share of workers submitting reviews on Glassdoor think of their company as mediocre. In fact, more employees give the company a 3.0 out of 5.0 rating than any other rating. Many Glassdoor reviewers say they enjoy the employee discount they receive, but that they tend to feel underpaid. Others take issue with a perceived disconnect between retail employees and senior management.

16. CDK Global
> Glassdoor rating: 2.7/5
> Employees who would recommend working at company: 39%
> Employees: 8,900
> Industry: Computer hardware and software
> Headquarters: Hoffman Estates, IL

Illinois-based CDK Global provides car retailers with IT and digital marketing services. The company of roughly 8,900 employees has drawn 1,400 Glassdoor reviews over time, many of them negative. The largest share of ratings filed by employees gave the company 1 out of 5.0 stars. Just 38% of reviewers approve of the job CEO Brian MacDonald is doing and only 39% would recommend that a friend take a job with CDK Global.

15. Rent-A-Center
> Glassdoor rating: 2.7/5
> Employees who would recommend working at company: 39%
> Employees: 18,300
> Industry: Consumer product rental
> Headquarters: Plano, TX

Few major companies are held in as low esteem by their employees as Plano, Texas-based rental and leasing service company Rent-A-Center. Company employees regularly complain about work-life balance and senior management. Just 39% of Rent-A-Center current and former workers reviewing the company say they would recommend a job there to a friend, and fewer than two out of three reviewers approve of the newly appointed CEO, Mitch Fadel.

Low employee morale has been linked to weakening financial performance, and Rent-A-Center has reported falling sales in recent years. The company reported declining revenue over the last two years, from $3.3 billion in 2015 to $2.7 billion in 2017.

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14. RGIS
> Glassdoor rating: 2.7/5
> Employees who would recommend working at company: 46%
> Employees: 34,000
> Industry: Building and personnel services
> Headquarters: Auburn Hills, MI

Employees of retail inventory services company RGIS largely do not have high expectations for the company’s future. Just 28% of those who evaluated the company said it has a positive business outlook. RGIS employees have issues with many aspects of the business, but they are least satisfied with the compensation and benefits. On average, employees rate the compensation and benefits offered 2.2 out of 5.0. Many reviewers express frustration at the lack of available hours.

13. Hertz
> Glassdoor rating: 2.6/5
> Employees who would recommend working at company: 35%
> Employees: 37,000
> Industry: Car rental
> Headquarters: Estero, FL

Florida-based rental car company Hertz has some of the most dissatisfied employees of any large American company. Employee reviews on Glassdoor regularly regularly complain about the company’s culture and values as well as its senior management. From the reviews, company CEO Kathryn Marinello has a 50% approval rating. Meanwhile, Pam Nicholson, the CEO of Enterprise, one of Hertz’s major competitors, enjoys an 89% approval rating.

Marinello, who took the top job at Hertz in early 2017, downsized the company’s fleet of rental cars to maximize profitability and reward shareholders.

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12. DXC Technology
> Glassdoor rating: 2.6/5
> Employees who would recommend working at company: 32%
> Employees: 150,000
> Industry: Technology
> Headquarters: Tysons Corner, VA

The product of a merger between Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s enterprise services business and Computer Sciences Corporation in April 2017, DXC Technology is a relatively young company. Since forming, the IT services company has garnered many negative reviews, some of which critical of the post-merger layoffs.

Dozens of employees and former employees say that one of the most negative aspects of working at DXC Technology is the lack of pay raises and bonuses. Just 32% of reviewers say they would recommend working at the company to a friend, and the same share that approve of CEO Mike Lawrie.

11. Alorica
> Glassdoor rating: 2.6/5
> Employees who would recommend working at company: 38%
> Employees: 100,000
> Industry: Staffing & outsourcing
> Headquarters: Irvine, CA

Employees of customer support company Alorica regularly complaint about management. Workers feel they have little communication from the company’s top brass, rating senior management just a 2.4 out of 5.0. Though the Irvine, California-based company is one of the worst reviewed companies on Glassdoor, it is improving. As of 2017, Alorica’s rating on Glassdoor was 2.3, the worst reviewed company among those considered. Customer service can be a difficult job, as it regularly entails dealing with upset consumers. Those negative interactions could partially explain some of the dissatisfaction felt at Alorica.

10. Family Dollar Stores
> Glassdoor rating: 2.6/5
> Employees who would recommend working at company: 28%
> Employees: 176,100 (parent company)
> Industry: Department, clothing, & shoe stores
> Headquarters: Matthews, NC

Family Dollar is one of the nation’s largest discount store chains with 8,185 locations nationwide. It is also one of the worst companies to work for in the country. Only 28% of current and former employees who reviewed the company would recommend a job with the company to a friend, and just 36% approve of CEO Gary Philbin.

Though it was acquired by Dollar Tree in 2015, the Dollar Tree and Family Dollar brands remain distinct from one another. Despite a common parent company, Family Dollar employees are less likely to be satisfied than those working in Dollar Tree stores. Family Dollar has a 2.6 out of 5.0 employee approval rating compared to Dollar Tree’s rating of 2.9.

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9. LA Fitness
> Glassdoor rating: 2.6/5
> Employees who would recommend working at company: 33%
> Employees: N/A
> Industry: Health, beauty, and fitness
> Headquarters: Irvine, CA

Many LA Fitness employees feel they have no chance of turning their job at the gym into a career. Though many reviewers appreciate the free gym membership that comes with the job, others say the company offers low pay with few benefits or room to advance within the company. There were also complaints about long hours and a lack of work-life balance. Employees rate the compensation and benefits offered by LA Fitness just a 2.1 out of 5.0. These issues could driving the high turnover rate noted by many employees.

8. CompuCom
> Glassdoor rating: 2.6/5
> Employees who would recommend working at company: 38%
> Employees: 11,000
> Industry: IT services
> Headquarters: Fort Mill, SC

IT services company and Office Depot subsidiary CompuCom employs some 11,000 workers — and many of them are among the most dissatisfied workers in the country. Fewer than half of the company’s employees reviewing the company approve of CEO Dan Stone, and just 37% would recommend a job at the company to a friend. For reference, the average CEO on Glassdoor has a 69% approval rating.

Office Depot acquired CompuCom for $1 billion in November 2017, and despite the merger, the companies appear to have maintained distinct cultures. While Office Depot has a 3.1 out of 5.0 employee satisfaction score, CompuCom has just a 2.6 score — nearly the lowest of any major American company.

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7. The Children’s Place
> Glassdoor rating: 2.6/5
> Employees who would recommend working at company: 32%
> Employees: 15,800
> Industry: Department, clothing, and shoe stores
> Headquarters: Secaucus, NJ

Of the more than 1,500 reviews on Glassdoor of The Children’s Place, the least frequent rating was a top 5 star review. There are five key components that contribute to the overall rating of Glassdoor: culture and values, work-life balance, senior management, compensation and benefits, and career opportunities. At The Children’s Place, none of those components rated above a 2.5. Companies’ leader sets the tone for the business, and their impact trickles down throughout the company. But at The Children’s Place, leadership is a major problem, as CEO Jane Elfers has just a 27% approval rating among reviewers. For reference, the average CEO on Glassdoor has a 69% approval rating.

6. Sprouts Farmers Market
> Glassdoor rating: 2.6/5
> Employees who would recommend working at company: 36%
> Employees: 27,000
> Industry: Food and beverage stores
> Headquarters: Phoenix, AZ

Trust in senior leadership can greatly impact employee satisfaction. And few employees of Sprouts Farmers Market leaving reviews on Glassdoor trust in CEO Amin Maredia. Just 40% approve of the job Maredia is doing. Many of the reviewers on Glassdoor are critical of other managers as well, saying they are a negative factor in their job experience. Dozens of reviewers say management has a “lack of maturity” and gripe over the high turnover rate among store management, which makes it difficult for employees to know what to expect at work. Just 28% of reviewers have a positive business outlook for the Phoenix, Arizona-based grocer.

5. Genesis HealthCare
> Glassdoor rating: 2.6/5
> Employees who would recommend working at company: 34%
> Employees: 68,700
> Industry: Health care services and hospitals
> Headquarters: Kennett Square, PA

Pennsylvania-based Genesis Healthcare owns and operates nursing homes and elderly care facilities across 30 states. With an employee satisfaction score of just 2.6 out of 5.0, Genesis is the only company in the health care industry to rank among the worst companies to work for. As is the case with many companies on this list, Genesis Healthcare employees are dissatisfied with the company’s senior leadership — Genesis CEO George Hager Jr. has only a 36% approval rating among employees leaving reviews on Glassdoor.

Pay is not among the top factors that influence employee happiness — and Genesis HealthCare is evidence of this. Genesis Healthcare’s physical therapists, one of the most common job types with the company, earn an average of $85,100 per year compared to the average base pay among all U.S. physical therapists of $69,500.

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4. Speedway LLC
> Glassdoor rating: 2.6/5
> Employees who would recommend working at company: 38%
> Employees: 32,150
> Industry: Gas stations
> Headquarters: Enon, OH

Speedway is the only gas station convenience store chain to rank among the worst companies to work for. The Ohio-based chain has some 2,740 location across 21 states, primarily in the Midwest, Southeast, and along the East Coast.

Though Speedway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marathon Petroleum Corp., it is a far worse company to work for. Speedway has an employee satisfaction score of just 2.6 out of 5.0 on Glassdoor. Meanwhile, Marathon has a rating of 4.0 out of 5.0. Speedway reviews commonly cite work-life balance and senior management as major detractors to the work environment. Just 37% of Speedway reviewers would recommend a job with the company to a friend, and a lower than average 58% approve of CEO Tony Kenney.

3. Conduent
> Glassdoor rating: 2.5/5
> Employees who would recommend working at company: 32%
> Employees: 90,000
> Industry: Staffing and outsourcing
> Headquarters: Florham Park, NJ

Fortune 500 company Conduent provides digital communication services and platforms to companies and organizations in a wide range of sectors. Some of the most common jobs with the company are customer service and support roles, and many reviewers cite a call-center environment as a major detriment to job satisfaction. Less than half of the employees reviewing the company approve of CEO Ashok Vemuri, and just 32% would recommend a job at Conduent to a friend.

Like many other companies on this list, Conduent has reported declining sales in recent years. The company’s revenue fell from $6.7 billion in 2015 to $6.4 billion in 2016 to $6.0 billion in 2017.

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2. Frontier Communications
> Glassdoor rating: 2.5/5
> Employees who would recommend working at company: 28%
> Employees: 22,700
> Industry: Cable, internet and telephone providers
> Headquarters: Norwalk, CT

Connecticut-based Frontier Communications has an employee satisfaction score of just 2.5 out of 5.0, the second lowest of any major American company on Glassdoor. Just 28% of reviewers would recommend a job with the company to a friend, and 22% approve of CEO Dan McCarthy. Reviews of the company commonly cite a negative culture and poor relations with senior management. Even upper management at Frontier may not be pleased with the company as senior executives have been denied bonuses in each of the last two years — partially a result of the company’s poor performance on Wall Street. In the last year, Frontier’s share price took a 50% nosedive, falling from over $19 a share to less than $8.

Frontier is the only cable and internet service provider to rank among the worst companies to work for.

1. The Fresh Market
> Glassdoor rating: 2.4/5
> Employees who would recommend working at company: 26%
> Employees: 13,000
> Industry: Grocery stores and supermarkets
> Headquarters: Greensboro, NC

Based on employee reviews on Glassdoor, grocery store chain The Fresh Market is the worst U.S. company to work for. It is the only qualifying company with a Glassdoor rating below 2.5. The Fresh Market employees regularly complain about the company’s senior leadership. Just 23% of reviewers approve of the job CEO Larry Appel is doing, and senior management as a whole gets a paltry 1.9 out of 5.0 rating.

Employees reviewing the company say there is “zero consistency” from upper management, largely because of a high turnover rate. Just 27% would recommend a job at the grocer to a friend, and only 21% see a bright future for the company. These issues are made all the worse by the fact that The Fresh Market’s key competitors, like Whole Foods Market and Publix, have above average employee satisfaction scores, and most employees approve of their CEOs.

Detailed Findings

While certain types of industries may seem inherently less desirable than others, employee dissatisfaction hinges primarily on the employer, not the job. The average company rating on Glassdoor is 3.4 out of 5.0 stars. All industries have an average rating close to that mark as well.

One of the keys to keeping employees satisfied is a strong, positive company culture. Employees at companies that have abnormally high turnover rates or trouble getting talented new hires are likely to be considered as having a weak or inadequate company culture.

Employees are also happier if they feel they can move up within the organization. Corporations that do not often promote from within may risk making their current employees feel as if they work at a dead-end job with no hope of advancing their careers. This sentiment can be very damaging to company morale and may make employees less productive.

The third main driver of employee satisfaction is trust in senior leadership. Employees need to feel valued and that their work is important to the company. Company executives play a key role in ensuring workers know how valued their work is. It is also imperative that executives communicate to employees how the business is doing and what the plans are in the short and long term.

In 2017, the average Glassdoor rating was 3.3, so companies across the board have seen a modest increase in employee satisfaction over the last year. Some fluctuations are normal from year to year, but many large companies are also learning to utilize corporate review websites like Glassdoor and others as a way to find out what complaints employees have.

There are examples of improvements even among the worst companies. Corporations like the Kraft Heinz Company and Alorica have appeared on both 2017’s and this year’s list of the worst companies to work for. Yet both have greatly improved their scores over the past year and no longer rank among the top three worst companies to work for.

Employee morale is obviously important for employees as no one wants to spend 40 or more hours a week in a place that makes them miserable. But it is also crucial for businesses and their bottom lines. “Where employees are really satisfied, where they like or love going to work, [the companies] see better financial results,” Dobroski said.

Money can be a big factor in an employee’s overall satisfaction, but it is not everything. As long as employees feel they are not being taken advantage of by the company, the size of the paycheck does not play an outsized role in employee morale.

“It is too easy for employees to know exactly what current market pay is for their specific jobs in their specific cities,” Dobroski said. “So if they know that their pay is behind current market value, that can take a hit to their job satisfaction.”

Methodology

To identify the worst companies to work for, 24/7 Wall St. independently examined employee reviews on Glassdoor — this is not a Glassdoor commissioned report. To be considered, a company had to have a minimum of 1,300 reviews on Glassdoor and be currently operating in and headquartered in the United States. Glassdoor ratings are based on current and former employee reviews and calculated using a proprietary algorithm that favors more recent reviews. Some corporations were excluded when major corporate changes took place affecting the structure of a company, so that it would be unfair to use reviews of what was effectively a different company. Employee counts and net income data are from each company’s most recent annual financial report, when available. Employee counts in some instances refer to the parent company’s workforce.

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