Octopus Money Reviews

Recent changes at C-suite level have disrupted the company's trajectory, slowing growth and leading to significant cuts across the team.

- One of the clearest examples of how poorly sensitive situations are handled was finding out I was being made redundant through internal leaks before my formal redundancy meeting had even taken place. Instead of hearing it directly, professionally, and with the appropriate level of discretion from leadership, the information had already started circulating internally. Finding out in that way was deeply unprofessional and completely undermined what should have been a confidential and respectful process. From speaking with colleagues afterwards, it became widely known where the leak originated, yet as far as I am aware, no meaningful accountability followed, and no one was formally disciplined for it. That only reinforced the view that information is handled carelessly, confidentiality is not taken seriously, and accountability is applied selectively depending on who is involved. - The company has gone through multiple rounds of layoffs over the past three months, which has created a strong sense of instability across the business. What has made this worse is the lack of consistency in leadership communication; employees were reassured after one round that there would be no further cuts, only for another round of redundancies to be announced just a few weeks later. That kind of contradiction has seriously damaged trust in senior leadership and left many people feeling uncertain about their future. - There are clear leadership and management issues across parts of the business. Some individuals are in senior or managerial positions despite lacking the capability, experience, or judgment expected of those roles. In some cases, it feels like promotions have been driven more by tenure, internal politics, or personal relationships than by actual competence. As the company has grown, this has become much more visible. It is not unusual to see experienced new hires brought in to add structure and expertise, only to find themselves compensating for managers or department heads who appear out of their depth. This has led to poor decision-making, unclear direction, and repeated issues with strategy and execution. - The bonus structure is poorly designed and demotivating, particularly for those in back-office roles. Bonuses are tied heavily to overall company performance, which means individual contribution often goes unrewarded. In practice, someone can consistently deliver excellent work, exceed expectations, and add significant value to the business, but still receive little or nothing simply because broader company targets were missed. It creates a disconnect between effort and reward and does very little to incentivise strong individual performance. - The internal culture can be difficult to work in due to how prevalent gossip and negativity are across the business. It is not uncommon to hear colleagues speaking poorly about others behind their backs, and unfortunately, this behaviour is not limited to junior staff; senior leadership and management are often just as guilty of it. The atmosphere can feel cliquey, immature, and at times more like a school playground than a professional workplace. It creates an uncomfortable environment, undermines trust between teams, and contributes to a culture that feels more political than collaborative. - There is a noticeable disconnect between senior leadership and the day-to-day reality of the wider business. Decisions are often made at the top with little understanding of how they will impact teams operationally, which results in impractical expectations, shifting priorities, and unnecessary disruption. It can feel as though leadership is detached from the actual challenges employees are dealing with.