The owner of Gideon’s Bakehouse, Steve Lewis, has issued a lengthy statement addressing a number of concerns alleged former and current employees of the famous store have made this month. The issues came to light on May 11 via an Instagram account called Ghosts of Gideons.
The Disney Springs location’s supposed terrible working conditions, including low wages, unsafe environments, and slurs, were first brought to our attention via WDWNT. I wasn’t sure what to make of all this, as Gideon’s is a place I rarely frequent or hear anything about regarding back-of-house affairs.
Now that Lewis has responded, it all seems to make sense. Where do we find the truth in all this, though?
First, let’s look at the unfair/unsafe working conditions letter that supposedly relays the concerns of Gideon’s staff:
The safety concerns stem from a few key factors, such as the lack of plexiglass windows installed during the pandemic. Which, in hindsight, isn’t as big of a deal as it seemed a couple of years ago.
A manager alleges she felt unsafe closing the store at night while also being responsible for counting the tills and having the safe open.
One former employee claimed that “Patrick,” I’m not sure what his position is in Gideon’s, would “threaten” general managers at other stores in Disney Springs. This was an attempt to keep other retailers from hiring Gideon’s workers.
Another person alleges that LGBT staff were harassed, but by whom is not clear:
“I watched LGBTQIA+ staff be bullied out of their self expression because “boys don’t wear nail polish” even though both Disney AND Universal had just adjusted their uniform guidelines to be more inclusive.“
Other complaints were regarding low pay, with an example of some of Gideon’s employees making around $7-$8 per hour while also receiving tips. However, it is also stated that management would dissuade workers from asking for tips because it was seen as “tacky.”
OK, I see some legitimate concerns and stuff you’d spot on Glassdoor or Indeed. Without more context and evidence, I can’t say much. However, such claims were enough to get owner Steve Lewis to issue a somewhat rambly statement on Instagram:
Who do you believe? Was the ultimate goal for some of the Gideon’s staff to start unionizing?
Let us know your thoughts.
[Source: WDWNT]
[Source: Instagram]
[Source: Instagram]
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