Long hours, low pay and high demands are some of the most common reasons employment turns to drudgery.

So it may or may not surprise you that these are common complaints from workers at some of the UK's best-known brands.

Household names Caffe Nero, Holland & Barrett, Ladbrokes and even Laura Ashley are among some of the "worst" companies to work for in the UK - according to their own employees, say The Mirror .

Long hours and low pay makes for unhappy workers

The firms were listed by The Telegraph, based on reviews posted on job site Glassdoor, whose database contains millions of evaluations from those who know the company the best - the workers.

The Telegraph said it browsed dozens of company profiles on the platform and randomly selected 10 that had a rating of 2.6/5 or less - the average overall rating across the site is 3.3/5.

It said that these are not the 10 worst rated firms on the site, but a randomly selected sample - and not revealed here in any particular order.

William Hill - 2.5/5

William Hill bookmakers made the 'worst' list

The High Street bookmaker received poor reviews for "long hours" and an unsatisfactory "work/life balance" while one worker said not having breaks was "one of the cons you get pretty used to".

A William Hill spokesperson said: "William Hill employs 13,500 people in the UK many of whom tell us they love their jobs - in particular the interaction they have with customers and colleagues.

"There has been a lot of change in the business in the last 12 months which has been supported by many colleagues but which some have found more challenging."

The Financial Ombudsman - 1.9/5

Employees at the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) complained of "challenging" and "stressful" conditions where workers "don't have enough time to do what's asked of us".

A FOS spokesperson said: "Over the last few years, we’ve been changing the way our organisation works so that we can provide a better and more efficient service to our customers – with ombudsmen on the phone sorting out complaints in days rather than taking months.

"Of course, this has been a major shift for our own people and how they work, and although the overwhelming majority recognise the need for us to change that doesn’t mean it’s easy."

Holland & Barrett - 2.3/5

Holland and Barrett say they offer staff the chance to feedback directly

A common complaint at the high street brand among former and current employees was that their jobs involved "lone working for substantial period of time".

A spokesperson for the firm said: “We are one of the very few high street retailers to invest heavily in regular, in-depth staff training and our A-level equivalent qualification in nutrition, which our store associates have to acquire, can take up to a year and invariably prompts a number of associates to find less challenging roles.

"Some will no doubt report their version of events on websites such as this although they do have the opportunity to feedback to us directly.”

Mitie - 2.3/5

Employees said "high staff turnover" and "constant change" in management were problems at work while one worker highlighted "poor communication" between staff and managers.

A spokesperson for Mitie said: "At the Mitie results announcement on 12 June, the new executive leadership team announced that the business will be introducing a Mitie Way of talent management to develop and retain our people and create a winning culture that will make Mitie stand out from our peer group.

"This means that we are increasing investment in our people to make sure that they are engaged and have the skills they need to do their jobs with clear development opportunities to enable them to give their best during their Mitie career."

JD Sports - 2.6/5

There were mixed reviews for JD Sports

The sportswear giant hit the headlines in December after undercover reporters found conditions in warehouses "worse than prison" .

Reviews on Glassdoor indicated there are "high demands for minimum wage", "long hours" and "a lot of pressure" but others noted a "nice and friendly working atmosphere" with a 25 per cent staff discount.

Mirror Online have approached JD PLC for comment.

Ladbrokes - 2.3/5

Betting firm employees complained of "lone working" and troubles dealing with "abusive customers" while one claimed its merger with Coral had "ruined the company" after his contracted hours were allegedly reduced.

A Ladbrokes spokesperson said: "Working in the bookmaking industry is not for everyone but we regularly celebrate colleagues who have 10, 20, 30 and 40 years' service so it does appeal to many.

"The beauty of democracy is free speech and the beauty of social media is freedom to air it, but we don't think this fairly reflects the brand and would encourage anyone interested to come and experience the job before allowing others to make up your mind for you."

Caffe Nero - 2.6/5

Caffe Nero workers highlighted long shifts with few breaks

Workers highlighted long shifts with few breaks among the issues at the high street coffee chain while one claimed staff were marked late unless they arrived at the branch 20 minutes before their shift started.

A Caffè Nero spokesman told The Telegraph: "At Caffè Nero, we have a long history of creating a culture of career development - employing enthusiastic, hardworking individuals and equipping them with the skills needed to run a small business.

"We offer great careers, invest in our teams and they tell us that they have fun at work."

Wyevale Garden Centres - 1.9/5

The garden centre chain, which has more than 150 stores, received a poor rating on Glassdoor with workers complaining of low pay and few staff.

A spokesperson for Wyevale Garden Centres said: “Colleague engagement is critically important and we actively encourage two-way feedback across the business.

"We are committed to creating an environment that supports all our employees and recognise the need to get things right for them in order to deliver the best for our customers.”

Laura Ashley - 1.8/5

Laura Ashley scored just 1.8 out of 5

The homeware and fashion brand was slammed by employees for low pay which led to "low morale" as others said staff who worked there for more than six months were considered "old-timers".

A Laura Ashley spokesperson said: "We are proud to employ over 3,000 people, many of whom have been with the company for a long number of years, and we know customers appreciate our friendly and knowledgeable colleagues.”

IWG, formerly Regus - 2.5/5

Employees at IWG (International Workplace Group), formerly Regus, said there was "practically no training for new employees" and blasted an apparent lack of bonuses or perks.

Mirror Online have contacted IWG for comment.

If you're unhappy with your job, check out current vacancies with our jobs partner Fish4Jobs.

And Glassdoor listed the 10 best UK companies to work for in 2017, according to employee reviews

1. Expedia - 4.3/5

2. ARM - 4.3/5

3. Homeserve UK - 4.3/5

4. Mott MacDonald - 4.3/5

5. Peninsula - 4.2/5

6. Unilever - 4.2/5

7. Salesforce - 4.2/5

8. Screwfix - 4.2/5

9. First Derivatives - 4.2/5

10. American Express - 4.2/5

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