Staff feel neglected and undervalued by higher management, who appear focused solely on profits rather than employee wellbeing. Initial staff incentives, which helped boost morale, were abruptly discontinued without explanation. Recognition programs like the “Rippa Award” are poorly managed—intended to be monthly but only announced every six months—and selections are seen as arbitrary and unfair.
Redundancies are handled unprofessionally, with employees given just 24 hours’ notice and no opportunity for internal redeployment. Staff are instructed to stay silent about their termination, even with family, and meetings lack empathy. HR is described as underqualified and unsupportive, now overwhelmed with added responsibilities.
There is a noticeable level of favoritism among managers, especially when it comes to flexible work arrangements—only select employees are allowed to work from home. I raised concerns with management about certain staff arriving late but still recording on-time arrivals in their timesheets. Despite bringing this to their attention, no action was taken, which was frustrating, especially as someone who consistently shows up on time.
On one occasion, I stayed 15 minutes late to support a colleague who was under pressure. When I asked if I could leave 15 minutes early the next day to make up for it, I was told, “No—the company can require you to work two hours for free.” I later checked with HR and was told this wasn’t true. When I brought it up with my manager, all I received was a hug and an admission that she was wrong and simply “having a bad day.”
Leadership is viewed as unqualified and disengaged. The CEO and second-in-command (a former chef) are seen as lacking both business and interpersonal skills, often failing to greet staff or acknowledge their presence. Incidents of body-shaming and disrespectful comments from leadership are also cited, as my colleague was told one time when they ordered size 4XL tops the owner response to this was ‘why are we hiring people that big’ reflecting poor company values.
Employees are often pressured into additional work without pay increases, under the guise of the company “struggling.” When staff express stress, they are handed a counselling hotline rather than meaningful workload support. Vacant roles from redundancies are not refilled, leading to increased workloads for remaining staff. A single one-hour group therapy session for a team of 12 following 20+ redundancies was considered performative rather than supportive.
Company morale is further diminished by the cancellation of events like the Christmas party and Secret Santa, allegedly due to time constraints—but widely believed to be cost-cutting at employees’ expense.
Advice to Current Employees:
1. Look for a better job where you’re valued.
2. If you stay, know that redundancy may come with only 24 hours’ notice.