Pros
Co-workers are wonderful to be around with, customers are usually agreeable, free food.
Cons
When I first started, Panda was opening a new store and the orientation program taught us that it would be a safe and empowering environment. I was so, so wrong. Not only are the managers quite rude, but it's extremely hard work for little benefit. I get it, it's fast food, I have no problem with working very hard to get results, but it wouldn't kill them to have recognition for the hard work given. Not only that, but the organization of the store is awful. We are constantly understaffed, and now that we have hired new people the ones that have been working since the beginning have very little hours. Not that it's a bad thing to hire more people, but instead of giving less hours to everyone, how about having three BOH and three FOH to close so Panda can spend much less on salary? For about 3 months I only worked once a week for 4 hours, and I had to continually beg a manager to give me more hours. Since I have proved my worth, I assumed that maybe my hours would stay the same, but nope. I am part time so I ask for 15-25 hours but some weeks it would be barely four and some weeks it will be over forty. Managers ask for continuity in availability but why do I work one day Monday and then the next week I work four days? It's impossible to make plans beforehand even if you give them two weeks notice because they will probably forget even if you sent emails and texts. The store is being criticized by customers not because of how hard we work, but how UNDERSTAFFED we are. We need more than two BOH and two FOH! All co-workers dread closing shifts because we end at 12 to 1 am even though the store closes from 9pm to 10pm. There is no continuity with hours, it will always be different and I've come to accept it but this is ridiculous. There is a reason why more than half of the people who have originally started to work for this store have quit. If Panda Express spent more time organizing the restaurant than testing co-workers on the EXACT wording of the mission, values, etc. then this restaurant would succeed a lot more.
