The Worst Companies to Work For

Conduent is a New Jersey-based business services company that manages a range of tasks for its clients, including digital payments, claims processing, regulatory compliance, and benefit administration. Dissatisfaction with the company among its employees seems to stem largely from a lack of raises, too infrequent performance reviews, and lack of communication from upper management. Many negative reviews on Glassdoor also mention low pay and a call center-like work environment. Only 35% of Conduent employees leaving reviews on Glassdoor would recommend a job with the company to a friend.

Family Dollar is a national chain of over 8,000 discount stores. According to the company website, Family Dollar Stores operates under the credo: “The customers are the boss, and you need to keep them happy.” Customer happiness, however, may be coming at the expense of employee satisfaction.

Family Dollar employees frequently complain of long hours, understaffing, and poor relationships and insufficient communication between store managers and upper management. Only 27% of Family Dollar employees leaving reviews on Glassdoor would recommend a job with the company to a friend.

Alorica is one of several outsourcing and business services companies to rank on this list. The company manages a range of functions for its clients, including customer service, sales, back office support, and relationship management. Headquartered in Irvine, California, the company employs over 100,000 people across 14 countries — and many of them are dissatisfied with their employer.

Negative reviews on Glassdoor frequently reference the call center environment, a lack of adequate communication from upper management, and infrequent raises. Only 36% of Alorica employees leaving reviews on Glassdoor would recommend a job with the company to a friend.

Union Pacific, a railroad company that operates in 23 states in the western U.S., is the only transportation company to rank on this list. According to Glassdoor reviews, dissatisfaction often stems from a lack of work-life balance, long hours on call, and a rigid structure based on seniority. Union Pacific CEO Lance Fritz has held the top job for over four years and has a dismal 13% employee approval rating on Glassdoor.

Telecom companies frequently struggle with employee dissatisfaction, but none as much as Frontier Communications. The company’s 21,000 employees work across a number of departments, including sales, customer service, corporate, and engineering. Job dissatisfaction at Frontier often stems from poor relationships with upper management, a call center environment, and lack of a work-life balance, according to the reviews. Only 17% of Frontier employees leaving reviews on Glassdoor approve of CEO Dan McCarthy, and fewer than one-in-four would recommend a job at the company to a friend.

With a Glassdoor score of 2.2 out of 5, supermarket chain The Fresh Market ranks as the worst company to work for. Founded in 1982, the North Carolina-based chain has now over 160 locations across 22 states. According to Glassdoor research, trust in senior leadership is critical to employee satisfaction, and dissatisfaction with upper management is the most common complaint in Glassdoor reviews about the company. Other reviews also mention insufficient training and inexperienced department managers. Fresh Market CEO Larry Appel has a 28% approval rating among reviewers, and only 24% of employees leaving reviews on Glassdoor would recommend a job with the company to a friend.