The last place I worked at had no employee discount (it was a cafe) and while I obviously found that disappointing, I didn’t think it was a big deal when I started working. I eventually realized it was indicative of the way they treated the staff in all regards – like we were soulless automatons who didn’t have any human needs worth considering. They treated us with constant suspicion and contempt, convinced we were trying to steal from them or slack off or get away with doing our jobs wrong even though they had no reason to believe any of that. They had no wiggle room for lateness or calling out sick and would get mad at us for taking “too many” bathroom breaks.
When I interviewed for my current job, I asked if there was an employee discount. They told me employees got half off food and could have free coffee during our shifts. The boss here treats us like people, with actual dignity. He actually cares about keeping us comfortable while we do our jobs for him.
Anyway, this has now become something I will always ask about in job interviews. If they don’t give a discount, chances are it’s because they don’t see their employees as people. Just working machines.