Wellness brand Lululemon has employees comparing it to a cult

There’s something “toxic” going on at Lululemon. In a bombshell report by Insider, Lululemon’s “cult-like” work atmosphere is once again back in the retail focus after more than a dozen current and former employees said the retail company puts too much emphasis on employees to be happy-go-lucky to match the brand’s ideals that can be described as “toxic” levels of positivity.

Employees compare working at Lululemon to a cult

The report, which spoke to employees on the condition of anonymity, said that nearly all who were interviewed used the term “cultlike.”

Emma, a former sales associate at one of the company’s stores in Canada, told the outlet that her manager started making remarks about her mannerisms, saying she didn’t smile enough while working on the floor. This turned into a reoccurring instance when her manager would hold regular meetings with her about her lack of peppiness.

“On the outside looking in, Lululemon seems really kind and really inclusive, as long as who you are includes what they want you to be,” Emma, the employee, said.

She added: “Often, I just came home crying.”

Another employee, Erin, who worked at a Minnesota store, said that company made it more difficult for minorities to feel like their voice mattered.

“I think they definitely don’t appreciate all types of personalities,” Erin, an Asian-American woman who worked for Lululemon, said. “And it’s harder for minorities to feel like they have a voice during training when they’re constantly being talked over.”

An employee named Amy backed that claim saying that employees were generally “white, able-bodied, for the most part fit-looking” women with some male workers. Other workers told the publication that workers who didn’t fit that mold often had difficulty fitting in.

Workers also said that they were “heavily encouraged” to workout daily and often felt pressured to share their personal problems with their bosses.

Lululemon denied any of the claims made in the report.

“The claims you have shared are not consistent with the culture and values of lululemon today,” Lululemon said in a statement obtained by Insider. “As we have previously shared, lululemon is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and positive work environment, and we welcome and encourage employee dialogue and feedback.

“If anyone at lululemon has a negative experience, we have several ways for employees to share their concerns and feedback, including through anonymous channels. We take feedback like this seriously, reviewing every claim and taking appropriate action.”

Lululemon has been marred by claims of workplace toxicity in the past. Racked once reported that Lululemon had a “boy’s club” culture that was spearheaded by its then-CEO Laurent Potdevin, who had a years-long relationship with an employee.

Potdevin had been dating a designer at the company who employees said received special treatment for dating the CEO, including receiving “preferential treatment” like receiving extended time off and first-class travel. Potdevin’s girlfriend also had increased leverage that left employees unhappy. (Potdevin resigned for failing to meet the company’s standards of conduct, specifically failing to “exemplify the highest levels of integrity and respect for one another” in 2018.)

Lululemon founder Chip Wilson resigned as chairman of the company’s board of directors after he made comments that were critical over customers’ bodies in 2013.