'I worked at Center Parcs, here's the 'toxic' side that you don't see'

Former Center Parcs employees have shared an insight into what it's really like to work at the popular holiday destination, from 'toxic' environment to 'unrealistic workloads'.

The renowned forestretreats welcome thousands of guests annually, boasting an extensive array of exciting activities, a Subtropical Swimming Paradise, and the Aqua Sana Forest Spa at every location. There are currently five Center Parcs nestled in woodlands across England: Whinfell Forest in Cumbria, Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, Longleat Forest in Wiltshire, Elveden Forest in Suffolk, and Woburn Forest in Bedfordshire.

Since opening in the late 1980s, it's been loved by families and has become one of the popular locations in the UK for a weekend or week-long break. The wooden cabin lodges, set within a village and around 400 acres of land, only add to its appeal, with visitors immersing themselves in the enchanting woodland.

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It also boasts a variety of eateries, including the famed Pancake House, shopping outlets, and cycle hire centres. Just last year, more than two million people visited one of the Center Parcs locations for a well-needed break, and it held a staggering 97% occupancy throughout the year.

But away from the fun-packed family destination, staff have shed light on what it's really like to work at one of the busiest and most popular resorts across the country - and it's apparently not easy.

On the job site, Indeed, 526 current and former Center Parcs employees left reviews detailing what it's really like working for the company. While many praised the brand, one of the most recent reviews from July this year is an eye-opener.

In the review titled 'toxic', the employee, who claims they worked as a food and beverage assistant in Elvedon, wrote: "You're left to struggle. Management don't care unless it affects their bonus. You won't get support even if you're at rock bottom - Just bring those profits in. You're not a person with feelings, emotions or a life outside work.

"The perfect example I can think of is that our storeroom and our customer area had air con. The staff didn't, and you're left to combat 30 plus degrees of non stop service. Avoid. You can do better."

In the same month, an apparent Centre Parcs housekeeper/cleaner in Elvedon claimed there was an 'unrealistic workload'.

In the review on Indeed they wrote: "I was in house keeping and it started off very well. The management couldn't be any polite than they were but after a couple of months there attitudes changed dramatically when I wasn't doing the job to there [sic] standards.

"They would lie about the lodges I cleaned saying that they found marks and food stuff stuck on things in the lodge but quite often I would clean for example the kitchen sideboard to perfection and my manager would say that there was marks on it when there definitely wasn't.

"They made me feel very useless and they even said if I couldn't do the job properly then I shouldn't bother coming in to work anymore. I asked about other work that I could possibly do and they said there wasn't anything. So now I'm out of work and I have 3 children to feed. I had a very unpleasant experience working there."

Overall, the company scored a rating of 3.6 out of 5, based on five categories: work-life balance, pay and benefits, job security and advancement, management and culture. And they weren't all bad.

A cleaner in Nottingham cited the perks of the job, sharing: "Not bad place to work, good team mates and not bad for holiday discount and day passes. Very hard work and not a lot of time to do it in. And you can see a lot of wildlife as well."

A spa therapist in Wiltshire wrote: "Great place to work, so many amazing perks to enjoy with your family outside of work time. Working with amazing brands and working with a great team that helps you throughout your working day. Working in the forest is the perfect place to escape outside life. Pay is competitive and a nice yearly bonus scheme."

A spokesperson for Center Parcs told the Mirror: "We are sorry to hear these reviews as we take great pride in our colleague experience. We employ around 10,500 people and nearly 4,000 of those colleagues have been with us for more than five years and many more have more than 10, 20 and even 35 years of service. We have some of the lowest labour turnover rates in the hospitality sector.

"In addition, we pay a premium above the National Living Wage as a minimum and pay the same rate to all colleagues, regardless of age or length of service. All colleagues are eligible for an annual bonus and every single colleague receives a Christmas hamper alongside a unique package of benefits which includes the opportunity for enhanced pay over the festive period, discounted breaks, day passes and health and wellbeing programmes. We are a Disability Confident Employer and have a DE&I Network as well as offering specific training programmes aimed at increasing diversity and awareness of diverse perspectives."