Working at Jam Van was one of the most toxic and exploitative professional experiences of my career.
Pros
Despite being a salaried role, the expectations were completely unreasonable and far below labour standards. The hours were routinely 9am–7pm at minimum, with evenings and weekends treated as a given, not an exception. During the summer, I once worked 46 consecutive days without a single day off. No overtime. No time in lieu. Nothing. After being pushed to the point of exhaustion, my direct manager had the audacity to tell me that I “get sick too often.” The irony was staggering. When you work people to the brink of burnout, physical and mental health inevitably suffer. That was never acknowledged—only criticized. Management constantly dangled the promise that “all the hard work would pay off,” frequently hinting at a substantial bonus as justification for the workload and sacrifices. My Christmas bonus? $50. I am not joking. It was a genuine slap in the face and a clear signal of how little employees were actually valued.
Cons
Middle management was ineffective—not necessarily by choice, but because they themselves were being verbally and emotionally abused by ownership. As a result, no one was protected, boundaries were nonexistent, and the toxicity flowed straight downhill. Promises were routinely made and never kept, which eroded trust entirely. Over time, the culture normalized this dysfunction. Many employees adopted a kind of Stockholm syndrome—accepting that “this is just how it is” rather than recognizing how deeply unhealthy and abusive the environment truly was. It took me a long time after leaving to fully understand just how damaging this workplace had been. If you value your health, your time, or being treated with basic respect, this is not the place for you.