Borderline abusive. Management and HR are a joke - Bench Jeweler Catbird Employee Review

1.0
11 Feb 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Nice physical studio environment, Decent coworkers, training team very professional and helpful.

Cons

HR does not know how to handle issues professionally. Any complaints about management will pretty much a sure fire way to get you in trouble because there’s a ton of favoritism happening at this company. There’s a very clear divide between the “blue collar” employees and the “white collar” office employees. Almost every jeweler i talk to here feels absolutely miserable about their job but keep up their fake demeanor at work because they watch you closely and not seeming like a happy go lucky little worker will affect your performance review. Opportunity for growth is abysmal. They will not teach you new skills unless you drive yourself crazy working as fast as possible making them an insane profit. Even then, it’s slow and your raises will not reflect your hard work or inflation. They cultivate a toxic competition culture with the jewelers by forcing you to compete speed with every other jeweler in the company, forcing you to have to think about continuing to work faster and faster to beat your coworkers for a positive or even neutral performance review even after you’ve become familiar with the production process. Run for the hills, this was one of the most miserable jobs I’ve ever had and I’ve worked a lot of retail jobs in my past that I would’ve rather been at than this one.

Explore other reviews about Catbird

5.0
19 Jun 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Decent discounts, decent time off, great co-workers, overall a consistent company.

Cons

Health Insurance not so great

1.0
10 Mar 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The team - and the discount on some items

Cons

The culture created by upper management was often hostile and controlling, creating an environment where employees felt they had to walk on eggshells. Many employees feared for their jobs depending on the mood or shifting expectations of upper management. The company removed previously offered compensation structures such as bonuses, weekend pay, and holiday pay, while payroll hours were reduced to the point that some team members struggled to maintain stable income. Turnover was extremely high, with very few employees lasting longer than a year. Employees were frequently replaced when they were perceived as no longer “aligned.” There was also a culture of gossip about employees who left the company, including within HR, which made reporting concerns feel unsafe. Several employees left abruptly or needed time away from the workforce due to the stress of the environment. Compensation was below industry standards for luxury retail, and benefits and incentives were reduced over time rather than improved.

4
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