production worker

delivery driver

sanitation worker

sales administrator

recruitment resourcer

Chapmans Ice Cream

In regards to the Distribution Center, the management is generally good enough.  It's a big place with a diverse group of people doing an assortment of a variety of jobs on four different shifts.
There is a different vibe from each group of people on each different shift, doing the different jobs on each shift.  All the different people don't easily all get along with each other on the same shift, and more so between different shifts.
One of the senior workers has good advice, which is great once you have been properly trained, which may or may not happen, depending on who trains you.
"Keep your head down and keep working".
Not to say people don't socialize, and there is some enjoyable personalities in there, but it is easier to avoid errors when you focus on your work.
Some people expect more from their coworkers, when it's not their problem, but make it their coworkers problem by vocalizing their feelings.  This breeds negativity, which can be the worst part of the job.
The majority of the work is in a freezer.  And part of your PPE is steel-toe boots.  The challenge is finding a work pace at which you keep warm, but don't sweat.  Once you sweat, you'll be cold the rest of the shift.  Or exhausted from working hard enough to try and stay warm.

Management (supervisors, plant manager) will give you dirty looks even with having family members there. Until they realize who you are they won't care for you at all. Hazard pay (+$2hr) was kept mostly to keep employees happy over these tough times and to make sure the company looks good to the public. Your hours are rarely ever consistent. Production work can be mind numbing and you won't always get good co-workers. Piling is absolutely terrible, from Leadhands and helpers not wanting to do anything, to getting yelled at, working multiple lines at once. On a good day in piling you may have 15 people and on a bad day maybe 10. Well guess what, you'll still be running all the normal lines they don't care to shut 1-2 down to help out (it's all about money to them). There are times where you won't rotate and be stuck on one line for your whole shift/week. Don't expect your breaks to be on time by any means. The cafe prices have gone up and you don't always get what you order or an amount worth the money you spend. Maintenance; some good workers, tons of terrible workers. Most will stare at the machine hoping it'll fix its self. 90% have no idea what they are doing. Can turn a wrench a little bit and will say "should work good now" then proceed to disappear and it's still running like before .. people come and go so fast there is almost no point in remembering a name. Human Resources can be helpful sometimes but not always. My advice is; if you need money and want an easy hire, then yes apply.. but constantly be looking for something else. Just remember you can always be replaced.

I worked at Chapman's for a week and a half and promptly left. Do with that what you will. I was given dirty looks and laughed at by the supervisors when reporting an incident and followed around by them for the rest of the day while they pointed at me and spoke about me to each other (all with the same dirty looks that I got while reporting the incident). Management and supervisors treat you with no respect and as if you are an idiot. The leadhands and helpers wander around to avoid doing actual work and if you do your job and inform them of an issue, you will be reprimanded as if you caused it. You are expected to clean just about everything while also running a line. Supervisors will stare blankly at you while you ask for help but if you stop because you can't continue and set off the e-stop, they will reprimand you. You are just a number to them and they set you up for failure even if you're good at the job. Most of the people you'll work with have been there for years and know everyone else and don't like to let new people in. It's a very closed off, toxic environment with a revolving door of new employees.
Also don't expect PPE to be where you're told/shown it will/should be and expect the person you ask about it to be mad that you didn't know where it is.

If you need the money, go for it, but just keep in mind you will be treated poorly. My advice is to keep your head down and shut up while you look for better work.

Because the company is run by family, all decisions are made by fewer than 5 people that may not have one hour of combined post-secondary education. Micromanaged from the top to the bottom; middle and senior managers that succeed are "yes men" with no real decision making authority. I have never worked anywhere else where people were so afraid to make decisions for fear of 'getting written-up', more unpaid suspensions than all other companies I know combined
The company has outgrown their ability to manage effectively. 
Long hours expected when on salary, and you had better not be late; one minute late and it gets discussed at performance reviews. Bonuses are paid based on no tangible criteria other than how much you are liked by someone senior. 
Nepotism runs deeper than the gene pool for a few select families and managers play favourite without concern
Production department is run like a restaurant, schedule changes daily, if not hourly due to ordering issues with raw materials. 
Many of the hourly staff are great people with no other job options in the area. Management takes advantage of their near employment-monopoly. No corporate culture to speak of, no room for growth opportunities. 
Hourly staff would benefit from a union hands down

15 Breaks -  takes 4 mins to walk from punch clock to your locker, get your phone/money, then to lunch room.  4 minutes going back to wash your hands etc, so you have 7 minutes to scarf down any food, check your phone messages, and/or make a phone call.  

1/2 Hour for lunch:  same thing, not much time to relax and get food.

Not much training, as a new employee.  You're supposed to know what you need to do.  Work is relatively easy, but if something goes wrong with scanner, good luck.  Don't know who your boss is from shift to shift.   

Can't make plans outside of work.  Last minute schedule changes can butcher plans.  Future appointments are hard to book in advance because you won't know what shift you're on. 

Mild hypothermia from time to time.  No hot water in washrooms close to working area.

Hired to be a forklift driver, but 95% of the work involves using a double-length walkie (NOT A FORKLIFT).  Puts a lot of stress on you fingers and wrist, when you're squeezing the handle (with mitts on) all day to steer/stop/start the walkie on slippery floors.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The only good part is the free ice cream.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
That will differ from person to person.
Things you may find stressful are as follows:
Lengthy entry process to the facility at start of shift, unpaid.
The cold.
The mundane.
Full body uniforms from head to toe.
And many more.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Soul crushing factory labour environment. Chill laid-back culture in that of an unambitious-soulless-husk-like fashion.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Spend 20 minutes(unpaid) getting into the factory and ready for shift just to clock in on time. Everyone else already there seemingly. 

Repetitive motions and dealing with production issues, housekeeping, 9 minute breaks and 24 minute lunches because it takes 3 minutes each way from punch clock to break room. repetitive tasks. repetitive mundane motions. Very simple. Then punch out and go home. 

Maybe grab ice cream to take home.

RUN!!  This is a company with horrible management.  They lack good work ethics and integrity.  They are two faced bullies who make quick unjust decisions.  They like to play psychological warfare on you to get you to say what they want you to say or to be a rat for them.  They twist your words to mean something different than you intended and are easily offended.  Hands down the worst HR (if you can even call them human).  If you are educated and have opinions, this isn't the place for you. 
All the rumours you hear in all the surrounding communities are 100% true and worse than you hear.   Production staff can be amazing and fun, some are down right nasty, hostile and angry.  Not a welcoming environment.  But the amazing ones make it worth tolerating.   And barely any free ice cream, always just popsicles.  Most uniforms are disgusting and in poor repair.  Foot wear is cheap quality and will get stolen by your co workers ( even though they are provided )  I could go on endlessly.

Sundays when you clock in, you need to help set up the room. Other days you get a "pep talk" from your lead hand, which is really a run down of how well or poorly the product is running. I learned how to pack 8 different kinds of popsicles on fast and slow lines, more than most employees on the lines, however my employment was terminated for unspecified reasons after my probationary period. 
While your a trainee, If you inform the higher ups of any employee breaking rules or failing pack a line they've been on for years, nothing with get done. You're taken like a joke. Often there are days where the lines your on don't run, and your made to do house keeping for the entirety of the night, which can cause you to feel dead on your feet. 

This will be an odd review, but I think it needs to be posted. 

Champans isn't a bad company by any means. They have great benefits and fair compensation. However, the toxic culture once you're one floor, absolutely ruins every other reason to work here. 

Within my first 2 hours, I was being berated for not going fast enough. I was being screamed at when asked simple questions. It was not a welcoming experience. Once I finished my first shift, I called to let them know I would not be returning. 

If Chapman's can improve their onboarding experience and put new trainees with an experienced trainer, I believe it would result in a higher retention rate.

Unfortunately, due to the toxic work environment I experienced within 2 hours of my first day, I decided this would not be a good fit for me.


Work there is not complicated and to a degree enjoyable however the company seems to employ intimidation tactics to get the most production out of their employees.  Many, including myself, feel that this produces a negative effect and is a major reason for the loss of many skilled employees and is also the main reason why I am currently seeking alternate employment.

Co-workers are generally very pleasant to work with and supervisors are usually fair and easy to deal with.

The greatest difficulty regarding this workplace is dealing with the fact that there is no logical explanation to how work hours are distributed making homelife extremely difficult as employees find it nearly impossible to schedule life outside of work

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Production worker 3 salaries reported	$21.25 per hour
Delivery driver 2 salaries reported	$1,400 per week
Sanitation worker 1 salary reported	$24.75 per hour
Sales administrator 1 salary reported	$50,000 per year
Recruitment resourcer 5 salaries reported	$47,500 per year

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