Pros
Meeting Canadian designers and custom designing jewellery.
Cons
I joined Magpie Jewellers with enthusiasm, drawn to the company’s strong reputation in Ottawa and its commitment to Canadian designers. Unfortunately, my experience was profoundly disappointing.
The work environment was dominated by a long-standing back-office employee whose behavior created a toxic atmosphere. Her personal attacks and constant insults significantly impacted team morale (apparently the last 10 years). Despite repeated concerns raised by staff, including myself, the owner consistently refused to address the issue. He admitted that this is how she is, and questioned her why she can treat clients so well but not staff. But not solution or reprimanding her. In addition, his dismissive attitude was epitomized by his remark, “This is not a happiness factory,” which revealed his lack of care for employee well-being and underscored his role as a boss, not a leader.
After her last outburst, I stood up for myself in front of my colleagues and later followed up with an email to the owner, outlining how her behaviour was affecting the team and myself. Instead of addressing the problem (her), I was let go just before Christmas.
Ironically, during my interview, I had emphasized my desire for a positive work environment—a key reason I had left my previous role of nearly 10 years, which paid five times as much. Facing this situation alone, without family in the area, was especially difficult. It also meant I couldn’t provide a Christmas for my sponsor child in a developing country—a heartbreaking consequence of losing this job. For a company that prides itself on sustainability and community values, its treatment of employees is unsustainable.
Adding to the frustration, the owner strung me along for months—from February to November 2024—through emails and three in-person interviews. This prolonged process, only to result in such an unprofessional experience, should have been a clear red flag from the start.