regret working here - Employee Union Visual Effects Employee Review

- My co-workers were very friendly and keen to share knowledge. - They took me on with no prior experience and allowed me the room to develop my knowledge... when times were good. - Recruitment did a good job at hiring mostly nice artists and tech staff. - Working from home was a life saver (though when I left they were cutting that down massively!) - Lovely Pipeline and Tech staff.

Finding out that the name of the company was not born from their positive attitude towards being a unified workplace, or of unions in general, but from namesake of the founder’s favourite pub should tell you all you need to know about this company. They even displayed a red neon Hammer and Sickle in their foyer when I was there which added to the deception that they may be “for the workers” or that “we’re in this together.” But like the set decoration, it is all in fact a facade. - You will be severely underpaid. I pushed for and received 3 incremental pay rises in my 2 years there, and still ended up on less than London Living Wage. - Expected to work weekends unpaid at short notice. - Very strong toxic hierarchy. Upper management see the workers as beneath them and dispensable, when they are the people who are creating the art that is getting you paid! - Wild inconsistency of messages and treatment. - Inability to take holiday as and when needed. Able to carry it over, but we all severely needed a break. - Extreme micromanagement from people who know nothing, nor want to know anything about your job. - No respect for, or understanding of disabilities or mental health. - Diversity and inclusion? nowhere to be seen.

The Montreal team is skilled, especially in 2D work, with talented and experienced professionals. The team environment in Montreal is warm and collaborative, with great moments during breaks that build a strong sense of community. Union collaborates with creative UK directors, offering projects with artistic potential, even though VFX are not always the main focus. The company’s strict no-overtime policy ...

... combined with poor time management, often leads to significant pressure at the end of the day. Micromanagement from London means Montreal lacks independence, with most decisions controlled remotely. The decision-making team is not accustomed to cross-site work. London management is less experienced compared to the Montreal team, creating inefficiencies and placing stress on the London team to make decisions. Low-quality 3D work is often rushed and falls below Montreal’s high standards. Current talented people are simply waiting for opportunities at top studios. Once the job market stabilizes, they are likely to leave the company.