BuzzFeed Mexico interviewed a Zara employee in Mexico City about what working at the fast fashion retailer is really like.
And here's what we learned:
1. The whole staff has to get checked by security every day upon entering and leaving the store.
2. Sale days are the worst for employees, because you work nonstop.
3. The employees on the floor have one main job: fold and refold.
4. If the employees aren't punctual, they get sent home.
5. As an employee, the worst thing that can happen to you is getting sick.
6. Employees also have to strategize their bathroom breaks.
7. The women's clothing is always very dirty by the end of the day...
8. But even if the clothes are stained, the store still tries to sell them.
9. And don't even get us started on the fitting rooms.
10. If a customer comes into the store with food, it's up to the employees to discreetly make sure that they don't get it on the merchandise.
11. Employees who have been at the store for less than three months are issued a uniform...
12. And afterward, you can wear your own clothes, but they must be approved by the store.
13. And your employee discount only kicks in after you've been at the store for a certain amount of time.
14. If you're an employee and management thinks you're good-looking, it's more likely that you'll be assigned to work the floor.
15. Clothes that don't sell by the end of a season are sent back to Spain.
16. And on busy sale days, you should always check the tag.
17. The best days to go shopping in peace and quiet are Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
18. And finally, there are discounts all year — you just have to know to look.
This post was translated from Spanish.