14 Pros and Cons of Working for Lululemon

Started in a Canadian yoga studio in 1998, Lululemon now has over 400 stores worldwide and is worth $52 billion.

The company’s founder, Chip Wilson, wanted more than a store, he wanted to create a hub where people could come together and discuss healthy living and mindfulness.

He wanted guests to feel comfortable asking questions of the stores “educators” on how Lululemon products could help them achieve their goals.

Unfortunately, Wilson went on to make several negative remarks about child labor and plus-sized women.

He was removed from the company in 2013.

But the company worked through the scandal their founder brought upon them and, over the past decade, has become one of the most iconic, in-demand products on earth.

While they are best known for their comfortable, well-made yoga pants, Lulu also makes shorts, shirts, hoodies, bags, tanks, bras, jackets, and training shoes.

It’s not uncommon to see celebrities like Jennifer Anniston and Kim Kardashian wearing the gear.

But by no means are they just for the rich and famous.

Many people love Lululemon for its high-quality, breathable material that supports athletic performance.

Currently, Lulu has over 34,000 employees in the United States alone.

If the product is so fabulous, then working for them must be too, right?

We scoured employee sites, social media, and yes, even Tiktok to find out.

Read on for the pros and cons of working at Lululemon.

Table of Contents

Pros And Cons Of Working At Lululemon
Cons Of Working At Lululemon
14 Pros and Cons of Working for Lululemon – Summary Table
Should You Work For Lululemon?

Pros And Cons Of Working At Lululemon

1. The Discount

One thing that Lululemon employees universally agree is an awesome perk of working at the company is the large discount.

Part-time workers get a 40% discount, while full-time employees get a hefty 60% off athletic wear.

This also includes clearance items that may be marked down by up to 75%.

You can do the math, but even for Lululemon prices, you’ll probably be able to find some items that will cost you only a few dollars.

2. Sweaty Pursuits

Lululemon believes in supporting its employees’ mental and physical health.

So they started the “Sweaty Pursuits” program.

Every employee receives a Visa card that is loaded each month with up to $250 (depending on if you’re part or full-time).

This money can be used for yoga or other fitness classes, gym memberships, meditation classes, or virtual fitness activities.

This is a great perk, and most employees do take full advantage of it.

3. Dress Code

While it isn’t absolutely required by corporate that employees wear Lululemon brand to work, it is encouraged.

Some individual stores may require that you wear at least one piece of the company’s gear each shift.

But this could be something as small as a belt bag, that can be used each shift.

Most stores will allow you to wear other brands, but will require you to cover up any identifying labels.

Comfortable shoes like sneakers are encouraged as long as they’re clean and neat.

Piercings and tattoos are acceptable in most stores.

4. Organization/Communication

Many workers are impressed by the impeccable organization of the company.

They state that expectations are clearly laid out, and the chain of command is clear.

If questions arise, they are answered as quickly as possible, with as much detail as possible.

Mass emails, texts, and social media communication are sent out regularly to all employees in order to keep them informed of all company news, as well as store-level information like promotions and sales.

5. Relationships

Many employees say one of their favorite things about working at Lululemon is the friendships they make.

They find that they have a lot in common with their fellow workers and that leads to spending time together outside of work.

Many people also say that the Sweaty Pursuits program opens the door to relationships because people are often looking for a workout partner or someone to take a class with.

6. Leadership Meetings

Each day at Lululemon begins with a leadership meeting.

This is where all employees meet together with management to discuss how they want the day to go.

It’s also an opportunity for everyone to share (if they want) anything that is bothering them, either professionally or personally, that may affect their work performance.

This way, everyone is aware and not making assumptions.

Fellow workers may also offer up solutions to various problems.

Snacks and refreshments are provided for these meetings by corporate.

Most employees feel it’s a positive way to start the work day.

7. Opportunity For Advancement

Lululemon employees say that with hard work and patience, the chances of being promoted to a management position are pretty high.

In fact, the company states that over 70% of all managers are promoted from within the company.

The 30% that are hired from outside usually require specialized, hard-to-find skills.

Employees are encouraged to take advantage of the many free trainings that are offered, as this will definitely help your chances for a promotion.

Cons Of Working At Lululemon

1. Rude Customers

Though it’s not necessarily a Lululemon problem, rude customers are just part of the retail game.

While most customers are great and happy for the knowledgeable staff, some people report that customers can be rude and entitled.

Some are even downright disrespectful and insulting to employees.

Again, this is not isolated to Lululemon.

When working at any retail store, you should be prepared for the occasional moody, rude customer.

2. Repetitive

Another complaint of employees seems to be the monotony of the job.

While it’s not difficult work, it’s understandable that folding yoga pants for 6 hours can get a bit tedious.

Some employees also say that constantly repeating the same advice, like reading from a script, can be annoying.

3. Physically Demanding

As with most retail, employees at Lululemon are required to be on their feet for most of their shifts.

You are expected to walk the store, show customers where items are, retrieve items from the shelves or the back of the store, and even lift heavy items.

4. Schedule

A lot of employees complain about the schedule.

Some state that they are not given enough hours.

Several reported getting less than 10 hours a week.

While others complain that you have no say in when you’re placed on the schedule.

This can cause conflicts with school, and family commitments, and make for a poor work-to-life balance.

Part-time employees are often the ones that must work weekends, nights, and holidays.

5. No Job Security

Some employees (former and present) state that if you don’t fall in line with everything the company stands for, you are let go with little notice.

Others say that they were let go when they asked to be given a schedule change or had an emergency and couldn’t work their shift.

They claim there is a culture of fear created by some managers, that makes people afraid for their jobs.

Others even claim that if you are not fit enough or don’t look a certain way in athletic clothing, you can be fired.

6. Management

Many of the employees complain that the management in certain locations are just plain awful.

People claim they hire their friends and let them do whatever they want.

Others say that management expects workers to “kiss up” to them and meet unrealistic demands.

If they don’t, they are punished with bad schedules or work assignments, or worse, they are fired.

Workers have even said that some managers will give away free clothing to certain employees and call it a promotional campaign.

Other management complaints include a lack of diversity and even fat shaming.

7. Benefits

While Lululemon does offer benefits to its employees, many are confused about how most of them work.

We will say that the company offers a generous maternity/paternity leave of 6 paid months to anyone welcoming a new child to their family.

However, complaints have arisen over the fact that employees must wait 3 months before benefits kick in, and that they are responsible for filling out the paperwork on their own.

If you miss the deadline for the paperwork, you must wait another 3 months before applying again.

Employees also state that it’s difficult to get time off and there is really no retirement package to speak of.

So not great if you’re looking to make Lululemon your forever workplace.