Avoid - Systemic HR failures affecting staff wellbeing
Pros
Yearly breakfast is nice and some get Christmas holidays
Cons
My time at Trodat was not a positive experience. Staff are not treated equally or with consistent respect. Length of service makes little difference and unless you are in management you should not expect even the basic standards of duty of care. Fundamental working conditions are frequently neglected. Toilets, heating and power outages occur multiple times a year. There are no disabled toilet facilities and first aid provision is extremely limited, relying largely on a single trained first responder who is not always on site. Basic health and safety is not prioritised, including the absence of regular fire drills over several years. Reasonable adjustments are not meaningfully supported and the idea of hybrid working does not reflect reality. The working environment itself contributes to health issues, from migraine inducing lighting to a general unwillingness to make changes when concerns are raised. HR is not approachable and appears ill equipped to manage core responsibilities. This includes matters relating to disability, fitness for work and sickness. There is also a serious lack of professionalism, including reading email requests and private information aloud and using openly dismissive language about staff, such as referring to anyone earning under £14 an hour as “f****ing nobodies”. The company feels outdated in its practices, including an excessive level of unnecessary product waste and no consideration given to redistributing unused goods, even to employees. It does not operate like a modern organisation and only appears to meet minimum standards when external visitors are present. There is a significant wage gap and a culture of excess at senior levels, while routine redundancies are presented as unavoidable. Opportunities for progression are extremely limited. Some employees are expected to pay for their own equipment, while others face pressure or threats around sick pay and contractual rights for raising basic concerns. There are genuinely good people within the company, including at senior level, which makes this situation more disappointing. However meaningful and urgent change is needed, particularly within HR, health and safety and accessibility, to protect employee wellbeing and bring the organisation in line with modern employment standards.