H&M employees testify to poor working conditions

Digging journalists Erik Palm and Jonas Alsegren have been reviewing H&M for several years.

In their latest book, "The big boss", they portray the company's success story, how the owner Stefan Persson became one of the world's richest people, but also how to build a corporate culture that almost seems sectarian.

The book describes how H & M's store staff are always expected to be ready to work at short notice. According to the authors, the majority of those who work in the store are part-time employees and a third have so-called fixed-term employment - that is, a fixed-term employment.

- You are called or received a text message the day before where it says that you should work three or four hours the next morning. This creates a pressure among the employees and they find it difficult to walk around, says Jonas Alsgren.

In order to compensate for a few fixed hours in the contract, the staff can "k" a. This means that you write "KJ" or "can work" on the schedule on days when you are off - thus increasing the chance of being called in and getting more workouts.

- This is perceived as a major problem in most stores, says Monica Odenbratt, who works as a shop assistant and is chair of the local trade union club.

Another employee, who does not want to go out with her real name, describes how she has been a permanent employee for over 15 years. Since January this year, she has been offered only 25 regular hours a week.

- I hope to be able to "kiss" myself enough, but I don't really know how to do it, she says.

The explanation for part-time employment is stated to be that the store does not have to go with "overcapacity" for hours when there is less to do.

Several witnesses in the book describe how the corporate culture has sect-like features. It is partially described positively. Many employees talk about a strong team feeling, how colleagues become friends with each other and how the collective is rewarded when things go well.

But the so-called "family spirit" is also described as problematic when complaints are perceived as unfair behavior and employees are expected to bite together without whining.

- If you want to stay at H&M you just have to say yes and agree with those who decide, says Katarina who works as a purchasing assistant at the head office.

Outside, it is communicated that the company should be a high-ceilinged workplace where the staff should be able to control their own development. But an employee who SVT spoke with testifies to the opposite.

- You are a resource that they can do anything with, says "Lina", who does not want to give her real name.

She describes how she herself was periodically expected to work up to 16-17 hours a day. When she pointed out the shortcomings of her boss, she was met with doubts and suspicions.

- Employees say that it is an unsustainable situation so you do not listen to it but continue to push people all the way into the wall. They put the company's delivery ahead of the employees' health, she says.

H&M says in a written response to SVT that you do not recognize the description of the company and that you take a strong distance from the book. They also write that the book is based on "a multitude of incorrect facts, speculation and incorrect assumptions".

They also refer to several employee surveys that show satisfied employees and write that the book's author has already decided in advance for what conclusions they should reach.