stocking associate

material handler

director

warehouse associate

project manager

Funko

When I first started at Funko there was a very positive atmosphere within the company. Everyone seemed genuinely happy to be at work, people worked as a team and it was a very enjoyable place to work. Unfortunately that changed with some questionable management team changes. Book smart managers that had no experience of anything related to Funko came in, although they were tossed aside once it was determined they weren't up to the task. Information that came down from director level was usually inaccurate, or would have changed by the time it reached the warehouse floor.

The company has a very fragmented feel to it, the sales and creative teams at HQ live like royalty compared to those that work at the warehouse. Sales would bend over backwards to accommodate ridiculous requests from customers without any thought as to how the warehouse would handle said request, and then get mad when it wouldn't be given priority. Every order that comes late from sales is designated as "code red" but this term gets abused by everyone and anyone, so after a while it loses all meaning.

The move to Arizona was supposed to fix all of the well publicized problems that Funko had with excessive inventory, along with the fact that they would be offering new hires $3-$4 per hour less then they paid in Washington, but it didn't. They continue to overproduce inventory which eventually ends up going to landfill or being disposed of internally, and they are reliant on 3PLs to help alleviate storage issues.

If you work for Funko as a Supervisor or Manager expect to do 15-20 hours per week more than you are contracted and paid for. If you tell your boss you are unable to do this for any reason then you are seen as lazy or not committed. They've had some managers working 16-18 hour days and they get no extra thanks for this, it just seemingly becomes the expectation.

Training for new hires is hit and miss, relying on a few Funko veterans to impart their wisdom to the new people that join (referred to in management meetings as Tribal Knowledge). Nobody ever seems to be given enough time to train, either the workload was non-existent so nobody could train, or it is so busy that you may get a half day if you are lucky before being expected to function as well as the rest of the department.

There are very few pros to working at Funko, the wages are mediocre and can easily be matched or exceeded at other warehouses, the one redeeming feature they had was the health insurance. Initially this was fully paid for by Funko, and provided excellent coverage. Towards the end of their time in Washington Funko did change how the insurance worked, and employees were to pay $50 a month towards coverage which was still an exceptional deal for how good coverage was.

If you are looking to get in to warehousing I would strongly advise you look for alternate employment with a more functional company. With the continued mismanagement of inventory, and poor treatment of staff (just look at the reviews over the last 12-18 months), I don't see this company continuing unless something drastic changes.

I worked at the newly established Funko warehouse in Puyallup. This is where unsold Funko product goes to be held and ultimately destroyed. I worked primarily as a forklift operator.

From the get-go it was clear that the management was poor at planning -- either for the long-term or short-term. We were unloading sometimes dozens of trucks a day but the off-site warehouse manager determined that we only needed one forklift. He ignored our pleas for a second forklift (realistically we needed 3-4) and instead hired additional temporary workers (which cost the company FAR more than just renting more forklifts). The result was lots of temps just standing around looking at their phones since they were unable to unload or put away product. There was no logic to the warehouse configuration and inventory was a mess. Temps who could barely count were given inventory control responsibilities which led to several huge inventory disasters.

My immediate supervisor, who did work on-site, had been freshly promoted from a "working lead" position at another location. He usually seemed confused or flustered. He did not demonstrate any leadership ability and he had no real supervisory experience beyond one year as a lead. A good amount of his time was spent hiding in the office playing video games with techno music blasting. Often with the lights turned off. It was bizarre. He would claim he was "working on a report" or some such, but little did he realize that his computer screen was clearly visible from certain angles. He also loved to take excessive bathroom breaks.

I worked very hard and did a good job. I was reliable and had the best attendance in the facility. My reviews were favorable. One day, however, the supervisor, after having found out that he might have a serious health issue, had a random fit of anger and threatened to fire me and another employee over something we did not do. I was taken aback and realized then that I was completely undervalued as an employee. 

Some time later another lead, who had been freshly promoted to the position from a clerical role, transferred to our location from the Everette warehouse. He was socially awkward to the extreme and did not understand how to interact with people, much less lead them. He was also grossly inexperienced for his position -- he didn't even know how to drive a forklift. His previous job was fast food. One day he was essentially being abusive to the workers and causing a disruption in workflow. I approached the supervisor about it and explained the situation. He seemed understanding and agreeable, saying that he was also irritated by the lead's behavior and honestly didn't even see a need for him at this facility. 

That same day, about 15 minutes after my shift ended, I received a phone call from my staffing agency (I was a contract worker). I was told that, despite being a "top performer" and generally excellent employee, the "hard decision" was made to end my assignment at Funko. I was no longer "good fit for the culture." 

And that was the end of my five months at Funko. There was no discussion, no corrective action, no real explanation. I was simply tossed away.

As a political activist and advocate for workers' rights, my time working at Funko has been nothing short of disappointing. For a company that markets itself as fun and creative, the working conditions are anything but. The PTO in Washington state is set at the bare legal minimum, which is appalling for a company of this size. Funko’s headquarters may be in Everett, but it’s clear they don’t care about the well-being of their local employees.

Wages at Funko are embarrassingly low, far below what’s needed to survive in this area. With the cost of living continuously rising, paying employees such a small fraction of what competitors offer shows how out of touch Funko is with its workforce.

What makes it even worse is the corporate culture, which feels more like a marketing gimmick than a real commitment to employee satisfaction. The training materials seem to be designed to sell the brand image, rather than actually support the employees who keep the company afloat. It feels like propaganda, masking the real issues we face in the workplace.

Adding insult to injury, a significant portion of our in-network benefits was dropped recently, with no warning or explanation. It’s absolutely unacceptable to treat employees this way, especially when so many are already struggling to make ends meet. Funko needs to step up and start respecting the people who work hard to make this company successful. Without serious changes, they’ll keep losing good employees who demand the fair treatment we deserve.

I worked a short-term wholesale assignment at Funko. The coworkers were fantastic, relatable, friendly, and supportive, and made the long 10/12 hour shifts much more manageable.

Unfortunately, management made the experience frustrating and unfair. Recognition programs and “pop star” awards always favored department leads and forklift operators, leaving wholesale workers overlooked despite equal effort. This created a noticeable morale gap and a feeling that hard work wasn’t valued.

The attendance policy during probation was extremely rigid. I left a voicemail before a shift I couldn’t make due to a family emergency, yet it still resulted in my termination, with little opportunity for clarification or discussion. It felt disproportionate and discouraging, it was a clear violation of their rules and policies.

Overall, while the team environment was positive, management and policies created a work environment that was not supportive, equal, or motivating. I hope future employees are aware that recognition and fair treatment can vary greatly depending on your role.

What is the best part of working at the company?
My coworkers and manager were all fantastic. They were all very knowledgeable and friendly.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Because they are a publicly traded company the executive management will layoff staff at the drop of a hat to cover their mistakes. Don’t plan to work there for more than a year because it is very likely you will be let go to make investors happy. Hard to feel safe, happy and productive in that environment.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
It was good but the turnover is so high that it’s more of an environment of fear and a empty culture of depression.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
I would meet with my coworkers and manager to establish assignments and deadlines. Then we’d work together to get things done. Then they laid off most of the team, my heart goes out to the folks that are still stuck there dealing with the fallout.

When I started at Funko the week they opened in buckeye az I really enjoyed my job, I worked in assembly and was moving up, then management put a new lead in assembly and she had no idea what she was doing! Those of us that had been in assembly for several months had to do her job while she took the credit! The blue vests knew what was going on but did nothing and anybody that complained about her were let go! It’s whose but you kiss at Funko to be treated good and get promoted fast. If you don’t they treat you like you are lower class then management. They promote those who know nothing about the job and expect those of us that do to help them do their job, management talks about employees behind their backs! This is not high school grow up and do your job!!!

Funko is a very demanding, dynamic and creative environment to work in. They ask a lot from you but also make you want to perform at your best. You become a part of the culture of Funko almost immediately, their products have a cult following and you want to work your hardest to satisfy the faithful fans that have made the company what it is.  Because it is a relatively new company (established about 10 years or so ago), you are asked to wear a lot of hats and "fill the need". The company is continuing to grow and because of that the staff are asked to assist in that growth by taking on tasks that were either not there before or less vital than the are currently. Also because of that growth some positions become less needed and/or need people with greater skills than previously required.

Worst job I have ever had. Funko is a company that does not  care about their employees well being/happiness only about deadlines. Their warehouse staffing is mainly temp workers. They employee hundreds of temps but only hire on a few a year. This is not a bad company for your 1st job or if you are coming right out of high school. Do not work in any of Funko's warehouses if you need a real job or even a long term job. Learn the equipment if you can and move on to a real job with your acquired skills. You would think that the high turnover rate would stop with the temp workers but the high turnover rate goes up through the management levels (all the way up to the director level) and has for a long time. No recognition for hard workers. Do not trust the management team.  

This location is so unorganized that it isn't even funny. They play with your hours (not enough hours), and lots of VTO. They previously had automation system, but they got rid of it because they didn't know how to use it (talk about incompetence). Their WMS is trash, but their labor standards are pretty easy. Lot of people here are spoiled to the core (in the name of safety, they would allow incompetence). Management, HR, and Third parties gaslight and contradict workers all day. I was hired on, but never had access to onsite gym. Too many loopholes in their policies. Neighboring walmart RDC management are hired here, and brought their toxic PTSD management style in here. Don't apply to Buckeye jobs, the workforce around here are extremely bad for your mental health.   

Funko has a lounge with a bowling alley and full bar in the basement, along with an arcade, gym, and slides in between the floors of the headquarters. Depending on the team you are on, the culture can be very cliquey - sometimes I feel like I'm back in high school. But for the most part, people are kind enough and the environment makes it fun to get to know your teammates and have a very fun time at work. The benefits are perfect if you are single (free for pretty much everything!). Pay is minimal for positions that people have to work really hard in but high for those who don't seem to do a lot of work. But I guess people get comfortable when they make a lot of money.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Stocking associate 15 salaries reported	$1,808 per month
Material handler 10 salaries reported	$27.50 per hour
Director 3 salaries reported	$164,333 per year
Warehouse associate 3 salaries reported	$17.67 per hour
Project manager 3 salaries reported	$80,000 per year

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