Hydraulx Reviews

1.9

23% would recommend to a friend

(46 total reviews)

Scott Michelson

15% approve of CEO

20% positive business outlook

Hydraulx has an employee rating of 1.9 out of 5 stars, based on 46 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a poor working experience there. The Hydraulx employee rating is 49% below average for employers within the Media and communication industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

46 reviews
1.0
26 May 2016

Don't.

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

There are not any pros that come to mind.

Cons

The brothers are often late on paying their employees (currently two days late as I write this). When the checks do come, they are backdated to when you should have legally received them -- in other words, if I do finally receive my paycheck tomorrow (the 27th), it will without a doubt be dated the 25th as if that's when I received it. Pay has been delayed by as much as two weeks, and it seems recently pay is late more often than it is on time. Contractors often similarly get paid incredibly late. On top of the consistently late pay, the W2s given to employees are clearly puposely falsified. Each paystub states what taxes are taken out and for what purpose (state, federal, etc.), but the W2s are not a reflection of this practice -- i.e., someone that made $100,000 in 2015 received a W2 from the company stating they only made $7,000, and therefore the W2 is stating that the employee only paid in taxes a small portion of what was actually taken out of their paychecks throughout the year. It is unclear where the "tax" dollars taken out of the paychecks actually do go (though there are rumors) but it makes it impossible to file taxes -- most employees file for extensions and wait months (sometimes longer) to receive their rebate. Many employees haven't even received a W2 (it's almost June!). Who knows where their tax dollars went. It is a very negative environment all around. I would not recommend this place for someone serious about working in the visual effects world, or someone serious about being treated like a valued employee or person in general.

1.0
25 Oct 2018

Respect your talent and yourself

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The artists you work with

Cons

Everything that you have read so far Hey fellow artists, Im not here to repeat what's already been said. Everything that you have read / heard about this company is true. Im writing this to make you think long and hard before you ever take employment at this company (should it re open its doors) Its true that they may pay well (when you get paid) and give you a fancy title, but what you don't know is that it will not prepare you for any other company. Their techniques and poor management / supervisors will not prepare you to work else where in this industry. For example, junior artists fresh out of school are promoted to leads within 2 years. Coordinators will be promoted to production managers / producers within a year. No body is to blame, of course anybody would accept the pay rise and title, given the opportunity. But now that Hydraulx has closed its doors in Vancouver these people have to go and find work else where and they are not equipped or experienced enough to carry the "fancy title" with them. Further more these people are now going to have to adjust their life styles as they will not be getting the same amount of money anywhere else. Which is problematic because these people have homes / cars etc based un an unrealistic wage that they should not be earning. The employees lucky enough to secure work have had to go backwards in their career as other VFX companies know the reputation of Hydraulx and its lack of training. As an artist your constantly being abused and talked down to by The Brothers. They have no respect for anyone. They only care about lining their own pockets. The Brothers let go all of the Vancouver office by an email. No visit, no apology, nothing, and now no pay. It has been over a month for some people without even an update as to when they're going to get paid. Then when enquiring about said pay you will receive an email from HR outlining that "The Brothers" will not be discussing pay until further notice. They also think its funny to text message certain members of staff that remain on the books with what they have brought them selfs while artists still await for their payment. Yes Strause brothers people talk!! If you're a self respecting artist who has genuine love for our industry and work please do not give your time or talent to these people. Give your time to the companies that will guide and make you the best possible artist. I urge you to really read the reviews from the other artists and consider other options before even thinking about applying here. Read the warning signs right in front of you, there has to be something wrong with the company for there to be so many bad reviews.

1.0
25 Sept 2014

Very Unprofessional

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

You do not have to pay for parking and the building is located in Santa Monica. They have tons of equipment for filming. Work on 2-3 projects a year. Programs are current.

Cons

I have seen many people come and go from this company and I have not been here long. This company likes to get you in the door by having you sign a contract and when OVERTIME comes they do not like to pay you for it. They also make you work holidays, weekends and personal birthdays with no regard to your social life. Your paycheck will ALWAYS be late because they file you as a "contract worker" even though you signed a contract. This company promises you evaluations / promotions / raise but when the time comes the person who told you that statement no longer works for the company and has not been replaced. Most recently, an employee came in for his shift and was NOT told by management he was fired. I had to tell the poor guy and he had been working here for over a year. EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONAL and it makes me fear for my current situation. Other Artist are friendly at first but as you make a name for yourself in the company they like you less and less for fear of losing their jobs to you. It's DARK, GLOOMY and HOT in the building. If your FEMALE, this place is not for you and be prepared for some very disturbing comments and situations.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 46 Reviews

Glassdoor has 59 Hydraulx reviews submitted anonymously by Hydraulx employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Hydraulx is right for you.