Pros
They care about the product and I do think that they genuinely care about the employees, even if it doesn't always seem that way. The full review is in cons.
Cons
I've broken down this review into six different categories that you may want to consider when looking to apply for a job. Management: The benefit of working for a big company is that you don't have to deal with the bad parts of a small company, and the benefit of working for a small company is that you don't have to deal with the bad parts of a big company. With Opulux, you get both. One of the biggest complaints people have about big companies is that the employee feels small, unheard, and like a nameless cog in a machine. The company will often pretend to hear you and care about your concerns, but you're still ignored in the end. This is the case with Opulux. It doesn't matter how hard you work or what your value is to the company, if you are not grandfathered in as either a family member or one of the founding members, you will not be listened to. Do not expect to accomplish any noteworthy projects of your own or make any meaningful changes. Even people who are promoted to management have almost no power. The boss has some control issues and doesn't like to give up any control or power of any particular area unless he believes the person in question can do it better than him. This results in a few issues. First, it means that there's little to no room to learn. If you don't do something better than him right away, he simply takes over the job himself, so you don't have the chance to grow or improve. This means that he ends up doing almost everything, which is bad for the company, and it's bad for you, the employee. This company also has extreme problems with nepotism. As mentioned above, you can't expect to be trusted to do anything on your own, unless you are a family member. Then you have absolute free rein. This is frustrating for full time employees, because it means being beholden to someone who doesn't really know what they're doing and is only there temporarily. The family members don't work full time and come in as they feel like, so it's difficult to rely on them for anything. Full time employees are left feeling helpless, ignored, and under-appreciated. I do think that the owners care about the company and the employees, but they've made a lot of decisions over the years that have created an unmanageable and unpleasant work environment. Workload and work fulfillment: As should be expected with any small business, the workload can be heavy. When the workload is overwhelming, it can be a challenge to convince management to hire a new employee (although this is not unusual for any company). However, I will say this: They care a great deal about the quality of their work, and you can be proud of the product that is produced. Opportunity for advancement: As mentioned above, it's hard to get anyone to hear you, and even if you do get promoted, it's barely a title change. Even if they restructured the business entirely and actually did value their employees, the company is simply too small to offer any valuable career advancement. This job is, at best, a stepping stone. Benefits: There aren't any. You get ten PTO days. Turnover: I don't know how in the world they're hiring people, but the turnover here is ridiculous. There are three kinds of employees under this roof: Largely unpaid family members, resentful long term employees, and ineffectual newcomers who last, at best, two or three months. I suspect it's the fact that they have very little to offer and so have trouble attracting anyone who can stay. The only way to keep a job here is to be reliable, minimally competent, and have little enough self-esteem that you're willing to tolerate the treatment. Workplace atmosphere and environment: This might be the worst part of this workplace. Never in my life have I encountered such a petty, vindictive, gossipy bunch of children as I have at Opulux, and that includes high school. There is absolutely no attempt by management to curb this behavior, and anyone who feels like making a scene is allowed to without reprimand. If there's an interoffice dispute, the loudest person gets their way because the employers don't want to deal with it. There is a lot of passive aggression and even more open aggression.
