If Culture Is Important to You, Look Elsewhere - Brand Management SC Johnson Employee Review

2.0
24 Mar 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

-Competitive pay -Recognizable brands -Peers at lower levels are amazing! -The best technical teams out there -Unlike other reviewers, I had pretty positive experiences with the HR team and I feel like they do care as individuals but are maybe prevented from making a difference because of Fisk's policies

Cons

I saw a review from a marketer in October 2020 that was completely accurate, to which SCJ responded that they respectfully disagreed. So I am going to reiterate many of those same points, plus some others, because they are true, they need to be acknowledged, and prospective employees need to know what they're getting themselves into if they choose to work for SCJ. These comments apply to marketing/brand management - I think other functions are better. - Psychologically abusive behavior by senior management (gaslighting, public berating, blaming lower levels for mistakes, taking credit for others' successes, lack of empowerment, questioning competence of employees, bullying, etc.). I saw at least one review on GlassDoor share similar feedback (1 person), I experienced it myself (1 person), and I heard directly from 2 other people on different teams who experienced this behavior personally (I know that these 2 people and the other reviewer are all different people). So you have, at minimum, 4 marketers from multiple teams who have directly experienced this behavior. Take note and don't let SCJ's "we respectfully disagree" comments dissuade you. - No support of BLM - Fisk issued an "all lives matter" kind of statement internally only. Company didn't identify any improvements they could make. Pro -Rudy (CMO, now COO) did set up a session with employees to begin a conversation. - NOT a culture of feedback. I came from a company in which frequent feedback was expected, and I was able to openly give feedback to/about my manager without fear of repercussion. No such thing exists at SCJ. There is no way to call out aforementioned abusive managers because they don't have a feedback mechanism in place. - Every decision must be run by directors/senior directors and above. I'm not exaggerating. Like "should we use word A vs. word B in this internal presentation" - this gets decided by the director/senior director. -Dangerous return to office policy. Worst was when SCJ informed us that we would be returning to the office right before Thanksgiving, thereby forcing us to choose between quarantining before seeing family for Thanksgiving or keeping our jobs. Ultimately they backed off (and then tried to force us back 2 more times). -Family = The Johnson family, not your family. -No work/life balance at associate/manager levels. More so once you make senior director. However, most successful people who are director and above have a partner who stays at home with the children. Not great for dual-income families at associate/manager level because at Global, you'll be expected to be available for calls with Europe at 7 AM, meetings all day, and night calls with Asia starting at 6 PM. -SO MANY MEETINGS. -Good idea to check Fisk's political contributions...

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SC Johnson Response
5y
We're glad to read your comments on your peers, our technical teams and HR support. We agree, culture is important. That’s why being a diverse, inclusive, and effective culture is critical and core to who we are. At SCJ we have zero tolerance for discrimination or harassment, and we believe in the respectful treatment of all people. Throughout our history, we have worked for a better world with more opportunity for all. Prioritizing action over words, we are proud of all the work SCJ teams have done to provide support to disadvantaged people, help to improve the communities we operate in, and continue our company’s rich history. If SCJ people have concerns, we strongly encourage them to speak with our HR team or contact: MyHR_North_America@scj.com or 800-987-3850. We are excited for the future of our company, our people, and the talent looking to join and share in our progress.

Explore other reviews about SC Johnson

5.0
21 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great brands, company, vision and leadership. This place is special and unlike so many other CPG companies.

Cons

Super competitive industry can create longer than usual hours.

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SC Johnson Response
2w
We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with us! We are happy to read that you enjoyed the vision, leadership, brands and more at our family company.
2.0
3 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

You will not be bothered by people talking to you, benefits seem okay.

Cons

Don’t expect to be trained on anything. Management will expect you to figure things out on your own, request your own accesses and figure out what you need without any guidance. They’ll send people to you for questions on how to do stuff within your first couple days, not having taught you how to do those things.

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SC Johnson Response
1w
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We appreciate your comments regarding onboarding and training and will take your feedback into consideration. We have shared your experience with the appropriate team.
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