Great benefits don't pay the rent - Associate Production Manager Penguin Random House Employee Review

Pay. After four years, a promotion, and three across-the-board pay band adjustments to keep pace with the industry, I left PRH having reached the lofty heights of making $55,000/year, pre-tax. This is an unlivable wage for anyone who doesn't come from money or who's not partnered with a higher earner, especially in NYC since they're now "encouraging" a return to office. Even before the actions of Markus Dohle and Madeline McIntosh plunged PRH into a storm of VSOs, layoffs, and 2% "COL" (lol) raises, the pay structure and raise procedure was utterly broken and impossible for most to navigate. It's also just quietly implied that you should work until your work is done, whether or not you're salaried or hourly, regardless of how short-staffed your department is or low long the title list grows. This, combined with the practice in my department of individuals not being considered "ready" for a promotion until they're already trained on and doing the 'next step' work for a good long while at their current title and pay grade, meant that basically everyone was underwater and underpaid.