Great Founders and IT Leadership, but Overworked, Toxic, and Unsafe Office Culture
Pros
Exceptional Founders & MD: The company founders (Richard and John) are incredibly kind, genuine, and make a real effort to know everyone by name. The Managing Director, Jake, is also down-to-earth, highly approachable, and genuinely appreciates hard work. Outstanding IT and Tech Department: The IT/Technical department and its Director are a massive asset to the company. The Director makes every team member feel genuinely valued and important, which is reflected in the department's incredibly high staff retention. Annual Appreciation: The company does host a dedicated staff appreciation day. My 3 Stars is for Tech/IT & Richard and John.
Cons
High Turnover & "Boys' Club" Culture: Outside of IT, office and Head Office retention is incredibly poor, with most staff lasting two years or less. The company is male-dominated with office staff being mostly female and clique-driven. Younger or newer staff are routinely looked down upon, and a toxic "blame culture" is enabled by certain groups who prefer naming and shaming over problem-solving. Severe HR & Safeguarding Failures: There is a deeply concerning lack of action regarding female staff safety. Known Sexual Harassment/ Harassment by long-standing male sales staff is actively brushed under the carpet by HR with excuses like "that’s just how he is." Female managers literally have to warn new starters about "creepy" and inappropriate physical contact because HR refuses to protect the staff. Furthermore, some directors completely ignore their own teams, choosing instead to spend time fraternizing with specific female employees to feed their egos. Disrespectful & Catty Environment: Certain Project Managers routinely speak down to female office staff. When asking for assistance, colleagues are frequently unhelpful, even when asked point-blank. Performative Mental Health & Care: Management loudly preaches about mental health, but their actual support starts and ends with handing you a phone number. In reality, staff are left feeling completely unheard, and valid complaints are ignored. Extreme Overwork & Corporate Coldness: Since relocating, the "family feel" is entirely gone. It has been replaced by a cold corporate structure that severely overworks staff. Underpaid and Unappreciated Backbone: The office staff are the absolute backbone of this business, yet they are the least valued and lowest paid especially Projects and Service. While the company newsletter boasts about soaring profits, office staff receive zero Christmas bonuses. True appreciation is entirely non-existent outside of the official, mandatory "appreciation day."
