Woman Alleges Lovisa Supervisors Bullied Staff While Denying Bathroom Breaks. Then She Begins Documenting the Accusations: ‘Hell on Earth’
The brand has denied all wrongdoing.
A video calling out jewelry brand Lovisa for its toxic work environment is blowing up and the stories pouring in from current and former employees are painting a grim picture. Captioned, “It was truly hell on earth <3 #lovisa #netflixdocumentary #classaction #workplacebullying #retail,” the video has become a rallying point for workers who endured horrific treatment.
Livyah, @livyah92 on TikTok, posted a clip with text overlay that reads, “Preparing for my Netflix documentary on employees of Lovisa between 2019-1026 when we worked until 1 a.m., weren’t allowed toilet breaks which resulted in multiple UTIs, got paid overtime in gift cards, were bullied by our superiors, and made to spend our own money to make KPIs.” If that doesn’t sound like a nightmare, the comments section will convince you otherwise.
One commenter dropped a bombshell, writing, “There’s a class action currently against them ?” Livyah fired back, “I know!! I wish my dates were eligible. I would light them the f— up.” Another former employee said they “lasted 3 shifts at Lovisa and quit,” while Livyah revealed she worked there for seven years and is “forever changed for it.” If that doesn’t make you question the state of retail work, the sheer volume of similar stories in the comments will.
The allegations in Livyah’s video are part of a much larger legal battle
In Australia, a class action led by Adero Law is moving through the Federal Court, with over 1,800 current and former Lovisa employees signed on. The case centers on claims of unpaid work outside rostered hours, denied meal and toilet breaks, and other underpayments under the Fair Work Act and Lovisa’s own enterprise agreements.
An initial trial is set to begin in April 2027, where the court will tackle common toxic workplace environment concerns like whether employees were forced to work off the clock and if those hours should have been paid. Lovisa has denied all allegations and is fighting the claims in court. The legal drama doesn’t stop at Australia’s borders.
In the U.S., a separate lawsuit filed in April 2026 in Ohio, Jalbert v. Lovisa America, LLC, accuses the company of denying overtime compensation. The case is still active, with notices of consent to join rolling in as recently as August 2026. Livyah’s video has given these legal battles a human face, turning what might have been dry court filings into a conversation that’s impossible to ignore.
The class action in Australia is particularly damning because it alleges deep-rooted systemic issues. According to court documents, Lovisa is accused of even pushing employees to sign Individual Flexibility Agreements that required extra hours during busy periods like Christmas, without proper overtime compensation. The lawsuit claims these practices affected both part-time and full-time employees, spanning over a decade and impacting an estimated 10,800 workers.
Adero Law filed the class action on January 23, 2025
Since then, the case has been moving steadily through the Federal Court. If the court sides with the workers, it could set a precedent for how similar cases are handled in the future. For now, though, the legal process is still in the discovery phase, where both sides exchange documents and build their arguments. No decisions have been made yet, but the sheer number of workers involved – over 1,800 registered so far – suggests this is far from a minor dispute.
The comments under Livyah’s video reveal just how deep these issues run. One former store manager shared a horror story about staying until midnight to finish a stocktake because their boss didn’t let them start scanning the store until 3 or 4 p.m. They were exhausted and hungry but couldn’t leave until the job was done. Then, they had to come back on their day off to re-scan a section their boss messed up.
For context, they added that the last two stocktakes under a different manager were wrapped up by 7 p.m. They quit shortly after, citing “no support and lack of organization from the higher ups.” Another commenter said they didn’t get paid for overtime at all, just “insults,” while someone else joked that they quit Lovisa and would “love to join a documentary.”
Not everyone is surprised by the allegations
Some commenters argued that this kind of treatment is just “retail in general,” but others pushed back, saying Lovisa’s reputation is uniquely bad. One person with 20 years of retail experience wrote, “People saying this is all retail stores, it’s really not! I’ve heard so many things about Lovisa specifically.”
Another former employee said their “last straw” was when their regional manager complained that the store wasn’t making enough money at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. If you’ve ever worked in retail, you know that kind of pressure is all too common, but the specifics here feel extreme even by industry standards.
Livyah’s video has created a space for workers to share their experiences, find solidarity, and even joke about the absurdity of it all. One commenter wrote, “OMG I JUST QUIT LOVISA ID LOVE TO JOIN A DOCUMENTARY ?,” while another said they worked at a different jewellery store and were told they couldn’t quit unless they found someone to cover their shift. The sheer volume of similar stories suggests this isn’t just a few disgruntled employees, but a pattern.
(Featured images: Livyah @livyah92 on TikTok)
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