My Brutal Experience Working at Wildberries Warehouse: 2 Years of Night Shifts and the Harsh Reality

I'd been putting off writing this review for ages, mainly because I thought I'd still be working at Wildberries' warehouse by now.

However, I've come to realize that my health is way more important, and a job like that would not only ruin my physical health but also take a toll on my mental well-being.

It's been all over the TV lately, promoting warehouse work at Wildberries. I remember seeing their ads plastered all over the buses back in the day.

I think this review will be relevant to people of all ages – I've seen 18-year-olds and 70-year-old pensioners working there.

I started working at Wildberries' warehouse in the spring of 2022. My mom had already been working there for a year by then, and she was the one who got me the job. The warehouse I worked at was located in a small settlement called Sluchayny, near the city of Elektrostal. Since I live in Elektrostal, it was easiest for me to get to work on the free bus or a Wildberries' shuttle. Loads of people commute from Moscow, Zhukovsky, Orehovo-Zuevo, and other cities.

When we arrived at the HR department, there was a long, live queue that sometimes took an hour to get through. You'd bring your passport, get photographed, receive your pass, and then they'd ask you which shift you wanted to work and what position you were applying for.

WB Job AppI knew from the get-go that I'd be working the night shift as a mom. Yeah, it's tough. But there are some perks to it. During the day, I can get some stuff done, and at night, I can work.

As for what job to take, that's entirely up to you. You can go for assembly or product sorting. You could even go for receiving, sorting, and pre-sorting merchandise. Or, you know, be a warehouse worker or a hub worker (that's where you get the TSD terminal for data collection). Hub workers get paid by the hour, whereas other roles are piecework – you get paid for what you've completed.

The thing that really gets people's attention is the flexible schedule. You get to create your own. Want to work once a month? Go for it. Want to go every day? That's cool too. Or, like me, you can do 2/2 – two days on, two days off. Your body doesn't have time to recover from those long night shifts, but with a 2/2 schedule, you can get some rest.

And, you don't have to work a full 12-hour shift either. You can do 3 hours or 8. However, if you're constantly showing up for just a few hours and then leaving, the higher-ups might restrict your access to the warehouse. That's not ideal for them, since they need to meet their work quotas to avoid stockpiling merchandise.

You get 2 days of training to get you up to speed. I didn't need it, since my mom taught me everything I know.

I was able to carry a lot of stuff with me back then, including gaskets, water, food, pills, cigarettes, gloves, a stationery knife. I took all of these things, except for cigarettes. However, they later banned tablets, then food and water. The warehouse has vending machines with coffee, soda, and sandwiches, but the prices are pretty steep. There's also a dining area, but you have to pay by card. Initially, you had to pay with cash from your tariff card, and then it switched to card payments only.

The WB Job appYou can't bring your phone, jewelry, cosmetics, clothes, rubber bands, hair clips with you. Your hair needs to be tied back. Before entering the warehouse, you go through a security checkpoint where you strip down to your underwear and walk through the cameras. The security guards inspect you, stick a WB sticker on all your belongings. This is a mark that you brought the items with you, not stole them. I've heard stories of people stealing. The most ridiculous ones are when they try to hide things in their reproductive organs, anus, or mouth. When you leave the warehouse, you need to undress and show that you're only wearing your underwear and a bra.

The Wildberries form, as well as the sneakers, are given to you. You need to pay for them or work it off. Now, you can wear Demix sneakers if you write 'WB' in white paint or embroider it on them.

WB Job App I've had my fair share of locker room horror stories, but one thing that really gets my blood boiling is when the security guards themselves start swiping stuff. I've seen expensive phones and watches go missing, and it's not just the usual suspects - they'll even turn off the lights to avoid getting caught on camera. I've had my own share of losses, too - someone swiped 300 rubles from my backpack. We made sure to leave our phones behind, but I still had my button watch to keep an eye on the time and call a taxi.

To get paid, you'll need to download the WB Job app. They'll hook you up with a contract, and supposedly, pension contributions are taken care of.

But here's the thing - the app's been acting up, and I'm not just talking about the usual glitches. I earned 7K, according to the tariff calculator, but when I tried to withdraw the cash, I was left with a measly 2,300 rubles. I'm still trying to figure out where the rest of my money went - it just vanished into thin air. Even the fine section didn't have any record of it.

WB Job AppThe app's got a tariff calculator that shows you how much you've earned, and you can use it to withdraw cash to any bank card. They also post updates on the app, like 'all hands on deck for a sorting gig today, with a 4x surge in demand and plenty of stock to go around'. WB Job AppElectrostal Warehouse is one of the biggest in Russia. It's made up of multiple warehouses. In one 'building', there can be several blocks. I worked on blocks 2 and 4.

Aside from the cafeteria, there's a smoking area. I went there often, even though I don't smoke. You can hear some wild stories about huge fines and people's schedules...

At first, we worked for about a week on pre-sorting. We had to sort products from the general crate into different directions, into other crates. I didn't like it because there was constant KGT. We had to carry 5-liter bottles, shelves, and so on. The pay was pretty low – up to 3,000 rubles for 12 hours.

Next, we moved on to receiving. Keep in mind that they won't be waiting for you with open arms. You need to literally fight for a spot. They already have established workers, schedules, and they hate newbies. You show up, beg for a spot for the night. They tell you, 'Go to...'. You know the rest. About 80% of the workers are foreigners (Tajiks, Kyrgyz, Uzbeks). They build special hostels for them, just so they'll come and work.

I've gotta say, the receiving department was a real challenge. We spent about 2 months working there, and it was basically where we'd slap Wildberries barcodes on products. Unfortunately, we were stuck with the worst products, which we'd get paid peanuts for. I remember one time, we spent 7 hours packaging and labeling canned cucumbers. We got paid a whopping 1000 rubles for it. Meanwhile, our colleagues who were in good with the supervisors would get paid 8000 rubles for the same amount of work, just for sorting decent products like t-shirts and towels.

But my main job was sorting, which was by far the most complicated part of working with products. Before each shift, I'd have to prep around 200 boxes, which had to be a mix of small and standard sizes. Then, I'd have to glue the boxes together since they were initially flat. Next, I'd set up my workstation, which included attaching a TSD to my wrist, bringing over the gofru with the products from pre-sorting, and starting to sort them into 50-60 boxes each. Each box would be shipped to a specific PVS in a different city. I was based in Moscow, so the products would go to both the Moscow region and nearby cities.

These massive boxes of merchandise are a real pain to deal with. You have to remove them from the shelves, carefully place the items inside, and tape them down with packing tape all around the edges. Make sure the shipping label is applied correctly, or you'll be facing fines later on. After that, you need to load these boxes onto a pallet so the delivery guys can take them away for unloading. I've seen a lot of people working in shipping develop back problems, especially women, because lifting such heavy loads is just not safe. My doctor even asked me recently, 'Why did you work with this?' Because, let's be honest, the pay isn't bad... I'll get into that later.

When you're working with the TSR device, you take it out at the start of your shift and hand it back in at the end. But one time, my mom was given a damaged TSR device by mistake. She didn't notice it until the next morning when she tried to turn it in, and she got a fine of 70,000 for it. It's like they're trying to make her pay for their mistake. She had to work a month for free, and to make matters worse, she was hit with even more fines.

Yes, one of the biggest downsides of working in this warehouse is the fine system. I've gotten a lot of fines over the past two years, with the biggest one being around 14,000. But I've heard of cases where people got fined 70,000 for losing a coat, 16,000 for wearing orthopedic shoes, 19,000 for losing a bike, and 50,000 for no reason at all. Yes, there are a lot of 'no reason' fines too. The thing is, the merchandise goes missing, and the employee is held responsible for the loss. You basically have to work for free to pay off the fines. It's extremely rare for fines to be waived and the money returned.

My schedule was crazy: I'd leave the house at 3 PM, fight for a spot on the bus with guys from all walks of life, and if I didn't get one, I'd be waiting for another hour. I'd start work around 5 PM on my square. I'd head home at 6 AM, take a shower, and crash without even changing clothes. My legs would be numb after a night shift, especially my heels. I used to take selfies in the mirror as soon as I got home. I'll attach some of them. You can see my exhausted face and red eyes.

WB Job AppWinter mornings were a nightmare – I'd be waiting for the bus in the cold, pushing and shoving with everyone else. Having a car would've been a lifesaver. At first, I was a grump, but eventually, I started to get a little aggressive too.

WB Job AppThe uniform was a mixed bag – it was lightweight in the summer, but in the winter, it was a bit warmer. However, the material was terrible, so in the summer, I'd die from the heat, and in the winter, I'd freeze. We'd have to work outside in 30-degree weather, and it was like working in a wind tunnel. During my first winter, I even lost my voice because I got so cold. I'd been working outside in the cold for hours, and my throat would get so sore. WB Job AppOne thing that really stands out is how uniform the people working inside the warehouse are - they all wear the same dark purple or black gear. By the way, the new uniform at WB is a black pant and a black-purple shirt - it's a bit more expensive now.

WB Job AppBut the new uniform makes everyone look like they're part of some sort of ant colony - they all blend in with each other.

WB Job AppThe work is incredibly physically and mentally demanding. I've seen cases where people have caught the hantavirus - it's basically just the flu, but still. There are also a lot of cases of back pain, hand injuries, and foot problems. I've even seen people get taken away by ambulance because of the heat.

I've accidentally cut myself with a letter opener about three times. My feet are always bruised because I'm constantly bending down to pick up boxes and I'm always bumping my shins. And don't even get me started on the back pain - I've heard so many stories about people needing to use heating pads and getting shots.

WB Job App I've got a few reasons why I'd work somewhere like this. For me, it's about paying off debts, covering mortgage, tuition, or even saving up for my own farm. Some people do it to save up for their wedding or other big life milestones. WB Job App Penalties, though - that's a major issue. I've got it down as one of my top complaints.

Now, let's talk about the pay. At first, it was pretty meager (around $2,300 for 12 hours). That's just not worth it, especially considering the workload. I think you'd have to be getting at least $5,000 to make it worth your while. And sometimes, even that wasn't guaranteed, like during the holiday season when there just wasn't enough work to go around.

But after three months, things started to settle down. The best pay I got was just before New Year's. I loved it when I could make at least $10,000 per shift, with $1,500 to $2,000 going towards penalties. In a month, I was bringing in around $120,000. I was able to treat myself to some nice things, like a new iPhone and some designer clothes. But now, I realize it wasn't worth the toll it took on my health.

WB Job AppI've got to say, the worst part of this job is dealing with other people's attitudes towards you. But, of course, there are some decent folks out there too. This job helped me because I got to interact with people, which is tough for an introvert like me. I'm sure you'll find someone to connect with. There are plenty of couples who've met on the job, and even families who work together – I know some who work at the warehouse with their spouses and in-laws.

WB Job AppThis job can be seen as part-time work. It's bad and sometimes even hazardous. I'd come home in the morning and cough up huge amounts of dust and dirt (sorry for the details). It was like I'd been rolling around in the dirt – my skin and hair were covered in it.However, many people work here full-time. My family members still work there, but I don't want to go back. They've actually moved to a different area of the warehouse, doing pre-sorting now.

If it weren't for the terrible working conditions, the way people treat you, and the fines, I'd say this job is perfect. As it stands, I'd recommend it for a few days a week as a part-time gig, but only if you're not losing all your earnings to fines.👋