The most frustrated employees at the world’s wealthiest companies, revealed

When it comes to the workplace, there’s no denying that even some of the most successful companies in the world can also have a reputation for being a toxic work environment. More often than not, this leads to unhappy and disgruntled employees. 

For example, Twitter got its fair share of backlash after thousands of employees vented their frustration at how the company’s new CEO Elon Musk mistreated his workers after taking over the major social media corporation last year. 

Despite the high-level salaries and luxurious perks, have you ever wondered how many employees at these top-earning companies still feel unheard and frustrated? 

Looking at the most profitable companies in the USA and worldwide, here at Lensa we decided to take a deep dive into the corporate world to reveal the richest companies with the most frustrated employees.

By examining the reasons behind the frustration and dissatisfaction of employees, 

we’ll explore why many workers at the wealthiest corporations in the world feel unappreciated, undervalued, and overworked.

This research will also shed light on the challenges that even the richest companies face when it comes to managing employee expectations and job satisfaction by looking at the number of criticisms received from employees based on Glassdoor reviews.

Corporate Giants with the Most Frustrated Employees

1. Walmart 

Company Earnings: $19.14B

Average Employee Salary: $40,439

Total score: 0.41/10

Despite being one of the wealthiest multinational retail corporations in the world, it seems Walmart hasn’t made the best impression on its employees. The company has a measly score of 0.41 out of ten. 

This perhaps comes as a result of the company’s lack of “benefits” and low salaries as stated by some of its employees. It has also been described as being “extremely hard” and “stressful” by fellow workers. 

2. Bank of Communications

Country: China | Company Earnings: $14.42B 

Average Employee Salary: $94,126

Total score: 0.59/10

Among the top five leading commercial banks in China, it’s no secret that the Bank of Communications has made a name for itself on the international stage. However, with a total score of just 0.59, it seems the company has a lot to work on when it comes to employee satisfaction. 

According to its employees, “the salary is very low” and there are “poor operation management teams.” Other employees have also stated that there is a lack of career progression within the company. 

3. United Parcel Service 

Company Earnings: $14.82B

Average Employee Salary: $45,033

Total score: 0.95/10

A largely popular multinational shipping, receiving, and supply chain management company, United Parcel Service (UPS) completes the top three wealthiest companies in the world with the angriest employees. 

With a score of just 0.95 out of ten, UPS harbors some of the most frustrated employees in its workplace, many of which describe its work environment to be “very hard”  with an expectation of working “long hours” leaving no free time for a good work-life balance.  

Corporate Giants with the Worst Ratings

1. Industrial Bank

Country: China | Company Earnings: $15.86B 

Glassdoor Rating: 2.8

Despite being one of the richest companies in the corporate world with a total of $15.86 billion in earnings, Industrial Bank tops the list for having the most frustrated employees with an overall rating of just 2.8 stars on Glassdoor. 

Based in Fuzhou, China, the commercial bank is said to pay its employees an annual average of $119,584, but it seems a major issue many employees face is a lack of “work-life balance” with no additional benefits for working overtime.

2. Bank of Communications

Country: China | Company Earnings: $14.42B 

Glassdoor Rating: 3.0

Known to be one of the major financial service suppliers in China, especially for commercial banking, the Bank of Communications has received a total of $14.42 billion in earnings. The company offers its employees an average of $94,126 per year. 

However, with a rating of just 3.0 stars, some employees at Bank of Communications describe the company as having a “tense working environment and high pressure” while other employees believe they receive low pay. 

      2.  BTS Group

           Country: Thailand | Company Earnings: $24.86B

           Glassdoor Rating: 3.0

Also ranking in second place is the privately-owned conglomerate, BTS Group. A public company in Thailand, BTS Group primarily engages in four business units including mass transit, media, property, and services. 

The company has made an estimated $24.86 billion in earnings but only has a star rating of just 3.0 on Glassdoor. According to its employees, one of its main issues revolves around having a “low budget when it comes to paying interns.”

The World’s Wealthiest Companies That Employees Would Least-Likely Recommend to a Friend

1. Bank of Communications

Country: China | Company Earnings: $14.42B 

Average Employee Salary: $94,126

Would recommend it to a friend: 27%

Although it is the fifth largest bank in mainland China, Bank of Communications grabs first place on the list as the least recommended corporation to work at. 

According to Glassdoor, only 27% of employees would recommend working at Bank of Communications to a friend. This may be because some employees have claimed to have a stressful work environment with long hours and a lack of benefits. Other employees have also stated that the company has “poor management” and not enough holidays. 

2. Industrial Bank

Country: China | Company Earnings: $15.86B 

Average Employee Salary: $119,584

Would recommend it to a friend: 32%

Industrial Bank comes in second place, with only 32% of employees stating they would recommend this company to a friend. According to some employees’ responses on Glassdoor, there is “high work pressure” with an expectation to “work late.” It also has “bad management” and offers “no training.”

3. Evergrande

Country: China | Company Earnings: $12.34B 

Average Employee Salary:  $110,072

Would recommend it to a friend: 36%

Ranking in third place is Evergrande. Engaged in the development, investment, and management of real estate properties, the Evergrande Real Estate group had just 36% of its employees admit that they would recommend the company to a friend. 

This is perhaps because some of its employees stated on Glassdoor that the company places “high mental stress” on its workers as well as an expectation to work over the weekend.

Richest Companies with the Lowest Earning Employees

1. Walmart

Country: USA | Company Earnings: $19.14B

Average Employee Salary: $40,439

Although Walmart currently rakes in $19.14 billion in earnings, it only pays its employees an estimated $40,439 on average. This is the lowest average employee pay when compared to other corporate giants. In fact, according to Glassdoor, many employees believe their low salaries should be increased.  

2. Home Depot

Country: USA | Company Earnings: $24.09B

Average Employee Salary: $40,950

Following closely behind is Home Depot. The multinational home improvement retail corporation is said to make $24.09 billion in earnings yet only has an average annual payout of $40,950 to its employees. 

Some of the Home Depot employees have stated that they, unfortunately, receive low pay even after working long hours. What’s more, having a work-life balance within the company isn’t always consistent according to its workers. 

3. United Parcel Service

Country: USA | Company Earnings: $14.82B

Average Employee Salary: $45,033

Said to be the largest courier company in the world by revenue, UPS ranks in third place as one of the richest companies with the lowest-earning employees. The company’s employees earn an average of $45,033 per year although the company has made a total of $14.82 billion in earnings.

Wealthiest Companies in the US with the Lowest Ratings

1. Walmart 

Glassdoor Rating: 3.3

The popular retail corporation Walmart takes first place as one of the wealthiest companies in the US with the lowest ratings. With just a 3.3 star rating on Glassdoor, it seems Walmart has a lot to learn when it comes to employee satisfaction.

Some of the major reasons many workers feel unsatisfied at the company are largely due to receiving “low pay” as well as having “no work-life balance” and a demand for working “long hours.”

2. United Parcel Service 

Glassdoor Rating: 3.5

Though it originally started as a messenger company, originally specializing in telegraphs, UPS has grown to become a Fortune 500 company. 

However, despite its success in the courier industry UPS has the second-lowest company ratings on our list with a rating of 3.5 stars on Glassdoor. According to some of its employees, the company has “too much micromanagement from upper management.”

      2.  Charter Communications

Glassdoor Rating: 3.5

The telecommunications and mass media company, Charter Communications is a widely known corporation said to have over 32 million customers across 41 states. 

The company also receives around $12.01 billion in earnings with an average employee salary of around $66,583. Though a highly successful venture, Charter Communications only has a total score of 1.06 out of ten and a rating of 3.5 stars on Glassdoor. 

According to employee statements on the site, some of the major issues of working at this company largely revolve around “bad management” due to an overwhelming feeling of being micromanaged. 

The US Companies Most Employees Are Less-Likely to Recommend to a Friend

1. Walmart

Company Earnings: $19.14B

Average Employee Salary: $40,439

Would recommend to a friend: 55%

Known to be the world’s largest company by revenue as well as the largest private employer globally, just 55% of its employees have stated that they would recommend working at Walmart to a friend. 

Perhaps this is because a large number of the company’s workers have stated that the work can be too “stressful” and “demanding” at times whilst management can also be quite toxic as well. 

2. Charter Communications

Company Earnings: $12.01B

Average Employee Salary: $66,583

Would recommend to a friend: 59%

Although it is said to be the second-largest cable operator in the US by subscribers and the third-largest pay-TV operator, Charter Communications ranks in second place as the company most employees would less likely recommend to a friend. 

With a recommendation rate of only 59%, Charter Communications has been described as having a “very stressful” work environment with a “no work from home policy.”

3. Phillips 66

Company Earnings: $15.28B

Average Employee Salary: $141,689

Would recommend to a friend: 61% 

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, this multinational energy company is largely known for its involvement in refining, transporting, and marketing natural gas liquids (NGL) petrochemicals. Phillips 66 has made over $15.28 billion in earnings and pays out an estimated average of $141,689 to its employees. 

According to Glassdoor, around 61% of employees at Phillips 66 would recommend working at the company to a friend. It seems that though it is a successful powerhouse, the company still has its faults. 

Some of the main issues include a lack of “flexibility options” such as not being able to work from home as well as “little communication from upper management.”

 

Survival of the Fittest: Unraveling Employee Longevity Across Job Titles and Industries

The article dived into workforce satisfaction and retention dynamics through a comprehensive analysis of employee tenures across various industries and job titles. 

 

These charts will help you get more clarity on this topic. Both charts are interactive, so feel free to play with them. Disclaimer: Data is available until April 2023

 

Chart 1, “Job titles by years on the job,” provides a visual breakdown of the longevity of employees in their respective industries, showcasing how certain job titles may correlate with longer or shorter employment durations. This examination into the lifespan of different roles uncovers fascinating patterns and trends in workforce retention.

 

Chart 2, “Employment duration by industry”, presents a comparative analysis of the length of service within various sectors. By encapsulating the average tenure across different industries, this chart exposes the sectors with higher employee turnover rates and those that retain their employees for longer durations, offering insight into industry-specific factors impacting employee satisfaction and retention.

 

 

Methodology 

Using a list of the top 100 highest-earning companies from CompaniesMarketCap, we looked at each company’s origin country as well as total earnings. This data was originally collected on 03/04/2023. 

Overall rating figures were taken from Glassdoor, this data took into account the average rating for each company and was collected on 03/04/2023. 

The average employee salary for each company is also taken from Glassdoor. This data looked specifically at the average figures of the 20 most submitted salaries.

This was then calculated based on the number of submissions to give a weighted overall average. In the case that any company had less than 20 salaries submitted then we looked at the overall average of the number of salaries submitted. Data collection for this was completed on 21/04/2023. 

The percentage of employees that would recommend working at the company to a friend section was taken from Glassdoor and was collected on 24/04/2023. 

For the US sections, the same data was used but filtered and ranked only based on US-based companies.  

To get a total score for each company, we used an unweighted ranking system to calculate the total average score. This was done by taking into account factors such as the average employee salary, Glassdoor reviews, and the percentage of those that would recommend working at the company to a friend. The figures for this were then ranked using an overall average.