Shiny on the outside but toxic in the inside - Anonymous employee O2E Brands Employee Review

2.0
30 June 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

CEO is a really good guy - too bad he is not part of the operations (he is more like a mascot) Really nice office in a good location in Vancouver. A lot of structure in terms of role descriptions and goal setting. The annual kick off meeting is a great production and lots of fun.

Cons

Leadership plays favourites and only a few are in the 'inner circle'. It's a product-led culture NOT a people-led. Every year they ask "what do you need on your team and who should you fire or hire to get there?" Zero succession planning or long-term career path. Minimal promotions to people, mostly just add responsibility and say that is career progression because you are learning new things. Many examples of wrongful terminations and super high turnover of top talent for many years across all brands (yet certain people stay forever despite poor revenue). Very toxic sketchy HR leadership in the Vancouver office. Franchise partners are very unhappy.

Explore other reviews about O2E Brands

5.0
11 July 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

There are so many Pros it's nearly impossible to list them all out. Here are the top 3: 1) Culture. An ambiguous term thrown around in corporate environments. To me; it's collective and shared work experiences. When we win, we celebrate together. When we fail, we acknowledge, accept accountability, learn and move on. 2) Did I mention we celebrate together? O2E hosts some of the best company bonding events. From Christmas Parties to Quarterly Connects; our diverse group of colleagues value our time spent getting to know one another. 3) Local Teams & Management - O2e and its brands do a remarkable job at assigning management and leadership roles to the best people, and that results in a very cohesive team environment.

Cons

At times, progress can feel slowed down by red tape.

1.0
14 Nov 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

It used to be work from home, but that's now changing in 2025 with them having us come in 3 days a week every other week.

Cons

I’d strongly recommend staying far away from O2E Brands. There’s a common piece of advice when job hunting: if you see mostly long-term employees mixed with a constant stream of new hires, it’s a red flag. I wish I’d taken that advice myself—this place has a cult-like vibe. People with common sense, a backbone, and some self-respect rarely last beyond a year or two; they either leave or get pushed out. They try to hook you with the vacation package and the 'awards' for company culture, but what they don’t tell you is that employees are promised extra paid time off if they complete those surveys with favorable feedback. I’ve spoken with countless coworkers who are unhappy here but play along just to get a break and escape the workplace. And I can’t blame them; things have only gotten worse year after year. Starting in 2025, they’re making everyone come back to the office three days a week, which I’m sure will lead to a wave of resignations since many people stay only for the remote work flexibility. Leadership keeps grasping at straws, changing strategies every few months. It’s honestly a joke—they clearly don’t know how to handle the changing industry or competitors. They’ll bring in a new VP, and six months later, they’re gone, never to be mentioned again. Meanwhile, the CEO seems more focused on appearances on 'Dragon’s Den' than on fixing things here. My advice: believe the negative reviews. The way they treat people here is concerning, and it’s not changing anytime soon.

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