So Tired Now, Just want to cry - Anonymous employee Activate Learning Employee Review

1.0
31 Oct 2022
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Some of the kindest and hardest working staff i've ever met. Everyone wants the students to do well and puts their all into everything they do. I love working with my students I love their lightbulb moments and watching things click for them. My line manager, she is a real gem but she is one of the few.

Cons

I don't feel like I can comfortably put my job title on this review. I feel like my love for my role is being beaten out of me. I used to come in to work happy and leave happy, now I find myself wondering "what's the point?" Many staff are staying only to complete courses they will be charged for if they leave half way through. We are underpaid, understaffed and under supported. New people in the same role are getting paid more than I am. Some staff are telling line managers information in confidence only to find out it has become common knowledge.

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Activate Learning Response
3y
Thank you for your review. It is lovely to read your positive feedback on the people that you work with and your line manager, and the commitment and passion to students and their experience is clearly evident. We feel saddened that your employee experience is not a positive one and we would value the opportunity, in confidence, to discuss your feedback further so that we can better understand how we can make improvements. We value our employees as vital to our continued success and when we receive feedback which indicates that an employee’s experience is not positive one, we want to do something about that. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss your feedback further. Please could you contact us at recruitment@Activatelearning.ac.uk. Your feedback is important to us. Thank you, Activate Learning Talent Team

Explore other reviews about Activate Learning

5.0
7 Jun 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great place to work, great benefits

Cons

None I can think of.

2
2.0
27 Jan 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Strong benefits package, including a healthcare cash plan - Generous annual leave that increases with length of service - Salaries have improved since the current CEO joined - Many passionate, committed colleagues across the organisation - A very positive place to work if you’re in the right department - Opportunities to gain qualifications and develop (department-dependent) - Excellent staff events and improving enrichment activities - CEO appears genuinely invested in staff wellbeing

Cons

- Staff experience varies significantly between departments - Limited progression routes in some areas - Poor behaviour by some staff and managers is tolerated or protected - Pay increments frozen for two years following promotion - Heavy and uneven workloads with little flexibility or redistribution - Flexible and hybrid working policies are inconsistent and manager-dependent - Admin staff frequently face unreasonable demands from faculty - Escalatory and political behaviour (e.g. CC’ing managers) instead of constructive dialogue - Feedback is sometimes escalated rather than addressed directly - Favouritism affects workload, progression, and promotion opportunities - Serious concerns about management: in one department, a manager is in a relationship with someone he directly managed. The manager also influenced friendships and working relationships in ways that created tension within the team. - Resistance to new ideas unless they originate from management - Lower-paid staff often demonstrate higher competency than higher-paid roles - Pay disparities across admin roles are not aligned with workload or responsibility - Staff awards frequently overlook non-teaching and frontline staff - Ongoing budget cuts mean vacancies are not backfilled, increasing pressure on remaining staff - Limited investment in facilities, systems, and frontline teams - Too many senior leadership roles compared to investment at ground level - There have been some concerns around governance, particularly with staff representatives serving beyond their intended term. It can sometimes create confusion around accountability and decision-making.

2
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Activate Learning Response
1mo
Thank you for your detailed feedback. We’re pleased you recognise the strong benefits, committed colleagues, development opportunities, and positive initiatives across the organisation. We take very seriously the concerns you’ve raised regarding consistency of experience, workload, progression, pay, leadership, and workplace culture. We are committed to reviewing these areas to strengthen fairness, support, and accountability across the organisation.
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