Overworked with very little attention given to personal needs/feelings - Sales Associate Panera Bread Employee Review

1.0
23 May 2011
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Most customers are pretty nice since it is a nice place to come to and has good food, so rarely have issues with dissatisfied people. Have competitive pay for entry-level.

Cons

The new company that bought out our area is awful. They took away pay raises for managers, took away a lot of benefits, and have implemented some unnecessary rules. Employees only get food discounts during shifts, breaks are grudgingly given even during long shifts, and food is never allowed to be taken after closing like the old company allowed. Also, the management in our specific shop pays very little attention to personal needs. They schedule however they want and if it's too many hours then that is too bad. Do not pay attention to availability, and when confronted do not make changes. Are very unwilling to allow employees to call off for personal reasons or for illness. I was told that even though I had the flu it was not a good reason to call off when I had been told when to come in. Also, management is obsessed with job descriptions, if you are supposed to work bakery and a customer is needing assistance elsewhere you aren't allowed to help them, you have to have someone else do it because you are not allowed to leave your station for any reason. Management hands out criticism freely, and often 'jokes' with employees but these jokes are not kind-hearted. Not understanding of others lives. Employees come and go a lot due to dissatisfaction.

Explore other reviews about Panera Bread

5.0
10 Mar 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great work environment, management was great

Cons

Tips were not consistent every week

3.0
18 Apr 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

GM at this location is very on top of things, because it's the busiest Panera in Queens. Consistent hours. Shifts go by very quickly, especially in the morning.

Cons

Location is extremely busy so it gets very stressful, especially in the morning when someone is out / there is no second cashier scheduled so the single cashier in the morning has to clean the coffee counter, refill coffees, make drinks, stick bagels in the oven & serve those bagels, check and bag up RPU/delivery orders, get bakery items for barista screen, and ring up customers. It can get really intense when many people come in, which is most of the time. You will be running back and forth like crazy. Customers can be impatient, rude, demeaning, and nasty when the line gets too long. Not recommended for people who are sensitive, with high anxiety. As for Panera the company, this chain keeps making bizarre and difficult changes to the menu, all of which make employees' lives harder and harder. With every change comes strange, dismaying, and borderline impossible expectations for frontline staff that cascade down through management who cannot do much to alter the hard policies. You can tell the company is struggling greatly to keep itself relevant with the younger crowd (a solid 80% of customers are old people). The CEO and everyone making company decisions at Panera is extremely out-of-touch. EXTREMELY. With every nonsensical menu & operations adjustment, you can tell these people haven't actually worked at a food service job in like 40 years.

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