Orell Füssli Thalia AG

For people who enjoy books, literature, and interacting with customers, this work can be deeply rewarding. Conversations about books and culture, in particular, often make the workday interesting and varied. Many employees remain deeply committed to their customers and the book trade despite the heavy workload. At the same time, in my view, this work model is particularly suited to people who are very flexible with their time and can make do with small part-time hours or relatively low wages. Full-time positions seem to have become rare. Those who can get by on a comparatively modest income or who are not entirely dependent on this income may find the work more fulfilling than people who are looking for a financially stable full-time position in the long term.

Many employees are dedicated and, despite heavy workloads, strive to provide good service and foster a positive team atmosphere. In my view, the work environment has changed significantly in recent years. There are fewer and fewer full-time positions, and an increasing number of flexible or precarious work arrangements. I myself have had my contract reduced and now work part-time on a temporary basis with an hourly wage. I also get the impression that professionally trained booksellers are increasingly being replaced by employees without formal training in the book trade. In my immediate circle, only a few colleagues still have the relevant training. In my view, this partly affects the quality of work, subject matter expertise, and workload of experienced employees. Opportunities for continuing education and professional development also seem unclear or drawn-out to me in some cases. For example, a colleague has been waiting for quite some time for an internal training program that was announced. I would like to see more long-term staff development, more professional advancement, and more stable working conditions.