However,emails seen by this masthead show casual staff reported instances of underpayments and non-payments to human resources several years ago,but claim their concerns were dismissed. This masthead does not suggest Berchtold personally knew about these incidents.

A spokesperson for The Iconic said an internal review was launched in 2019 and prompted the wider,external review,which reported back in early 2022. Staff who spoke to this masthead said they were not aware of the 2019 review.

One former staff member,who spoke on condition of anonymity,said the payroll problems were “common knowledge internally for years but[human resources] were not receptive or kind when these were raised. When the audit happened in 2022 and suddenly we were inundated with damage control comms and rushed ‘I’m sorrys’ ... it just felt so insincere.”

Forty-two people who The Iconic has been unable to contact are yet to be reimbursed. A company spokesperson said it is working with Fair Work to ensure the $55,000 outstanding is made available through the Commonwealth Consolidated Revenue scheme should they come forward at a later date.

Launched in 2011,The Iconic,which pioneered same-day delivery and free returns on everything from sneakers to beauty products,has built a reputation as a progressive,fun company. Staff are known as “Iconites” and at its offices,in Sydney’s CBD,the elevators are plastered with inspirational slogans,such as “people are our greatest asset”.

But several current and former employees who spoke out on the condition their names were not used,paint a bleak picture of working life at the company,especially for young people. In interviews and written statements,they describe a company with a culture in which management did not listen to staff concerns about pay,conditions,and recognition for jobs performed.

“Those that want to remain working in fashion know that The Iconic is one of the only big Australian employers within this industry and are worried speaking up will sabotage the careers they’ve worked and studied so hard for,” said one employee,who recently left the company. “That’s also one of the reasons it’s so hard to leave in the first place. We all know that if you want to pursue fashion as a career,there’s not really anywhere else to go.”

A current employee,who asked to remain anonymous because they still work at The Iconic,said the culture of the company did not match its public image.

“Of all the terrible places I’ve worked,I have never felt so devalued,disrespected,unappreciated and unheard as at The Iconic … the company pushes their #peopleareourgreatestassest comms down your throat while making you feel so small and replaceable every day,” they said.

In publicly available documents,the company says it is “putting people first by ensuring health,safety and wellbeing across our workplaces and entire supply chain,and creating opportunities for a diverse and inclusive workforce”.

But staff have disputed the company’s commitment to safety and wellbeing,specifically those who worked at a converted warehouse in Alexandria with no central heating or air conditioning. In winter,staff described being forced to work draped in blankets and with hot water bottles and hand warmers,while in summer,the office heats up to what they described as uncomfortable levels.

“We have portable fans that sit on our desks,directly blasting into our faces at all times to try and combat the heat,” a former staffer said. “There’s no windows or air conditioning,the only outside air you get comes from the big delivery door when they open it. On a couple of occasions,birds have flown in through there and got trapped with us,dying a few days later.”

Emails and internal staff messages seen by this masthead refer to the “Titanic iceberg temperature” inside the Alexandria site,which houses the production teams responsible for much of the content on The Iconic’s website.

Models required to pose in the uncomfortably cold environment,including in swimwear,often needed their photos retouched as the skin tone on their hands turned “blue” due to the cold,according to several sources.

“In winter people are walking around in blankets,they even issued us thermal gloves but they were impossible to type in,” another former staffer said. “For a while we were allowed hot water bottles until they were deemed a safety hazard,which feels ironic. I’ve seen people’s skin crack and bleed from the cold … It feels so cruel and unsafe making people work there.”

Despite repeated promises going back three years,according to one former employee,no proper heating was ever installed. However,following inquiries from this masthead and feedback from employees and models,a spokesperson for The Iconic said the Alexandria site will be fitted with infrared heating by the end of January 2023.

The Iconic’s spokesperson also said the site is regularly audited and has met all Safe Work NSW guidelines. “The wellbeing of our people and the models we work with is paramount,and we take our obligations to provide a safe workplace very seriously,” the spokesperson said.

“We also ensure that both our employees and models have easy access to heat lamps and warm clothing should they request it at any point.”

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