I worked at Claire's for over a year. In the beginning, it was amazing. I loved the job, I loved the customers, and I thought I had finally found a place where I could grow. But that hope shattered the moment my first manager quit. After her, the last three managers all quit without notice--just walked away and left everything on me. Each time it happened, the weight fell on my shoulders, and nobody from the company cared about the stress it caused.
The second-to-last manager before I quit was the worst of all. She emotionally abused me, mentally broke me down, and even sexually harassed me. I felt trapped and powerless. Most days I could barely breathe, but I stayed because Claire's was one of the only jobs available in this crappy town of Cedar Falls. I felt vulnerable, afraid, and stuck in a cycle of abuse with no escape.
And it wasn't just the people--the store itself was unsafe. Exposed wires. Unhealthy, dangerous working conditions. I was constantly subjected to environments that should have never been acceptable for employees. But when I reported these issues, it was like screaming into the void. Instead of fixing anything, I was treated like I was the problem. District leaders wouldn't come to support me--they'd only show up to criticize, nitpick, and tell me everything I was doing wrong. Not once did they properly train me. Not once did they try to help.
I was passed up for promotion time and time again, even though I was basically running the store. The only reason I was promoted to Assistant Manager at all was because the second manager quit without notice. And even then, it wasn't because they recognized my hard work--it was because I told them I'd quit too if they kept forcing me to work 7 days straight, open to close. That "promotion" wasn't an achievement. It was a desperate attempt to keep me chained to the store.
Claire's never supported me, never valued me, and in the end, they completely failed me.
During my time there, I endured mental and verbal abuse. I was overworked, underpaid, and constantly taken advantage of. Once, I almost got fired simply because of old self-harm scars on my arm--scars that were nearly three years old. I was emotionally manipulated into covering shifts I didn't want. I was sexually harassed. And when I reported these things, it was like talking to a brick wall. My pain didn't matter. My safety didn't matter. To Claire's, I didn't matter.
Then came the bankruptcy announcement. I remember the moment clearly--it felt like everything I had sacrificed, all the blood, sweat, and tears I poured into that store, suddenly meant nothing. I felt hollow. Empty. Like the entire year of my life I gave to Claire's had been wasted. Out of despair, I quit, thinking the store was closing for good. Not even three hours later, they turned around and announced that they weren't closing. I immediately Texted my manager and district manager to explain the situation. that given the proper info I would not have quit. When I asked for my job back, they didn't even have the decency to respond. They ghosted me completely, like I was disposable trash.
I asked for my job back because I was given the wrong information by a closer coordinator. thinking my store was closing sooner then expected. But instead I got a run of the mill Complete cut off. Like I never mattered like my time and sacrifices where for nothing.
And that's the truth about Claire's. They are a soulless, heartless company that only cares about the bottom line. They exploit their employees, ignore abuse, and allow unsafe, toxic conditions to continue unchecked. I spent almost every shift wondering if I'd even have a job by the end of the week. The only manager who ever treated me like a human being was my very first one--after that, it was nothing but chaos, unprofessionalism, and cruelty.
Meanwhile, while employees like me were suffering, the CEO was cashing in a massive bonuses. Stores were being closed left and right. People were losing their jobs and their stability. And then, as if it were some kind of sick joke, the company pulled a "just kidding" act with the bankruptcy. To them, it was numbers and strategy. To me, it was my mental health, my livelihood, my dignity--all destroyed.
Claire's crushed me. They drained me of my energy, my hope, and my self-worth. I left that job broken, and the scars of what I endured there will stay with me.
That's who Claire's is: a soulless, careless company that values profit over people.
Never work for Claire's. Ever. read more
