Fun socials but bad pay for long hours - Anonymous employee ZEAL Creative Employee Review

Wage - the salaries for graduates and more junior positions are ridiculously low for what they call "competitive" - other agencies I know pay at least 5k more for the same position. I think this is why they organize so much fun stuff etc because they know people would just leave otherwise. The hours are really long and they told me in the interview process that you only work your normal hours (9-6) but this is really not the case, I feel I don't stop working (sometimes till 9-11 pm I can finally put my laptop away) On days we are in the office it will get to finish time and no one moves and you feel you have to stay. I will get texts to my personal phone, and emails all evening and on weekends. I have even worked Sunday evenings many many times. I find socializing hard cos I never know what time I will finish, it gives me anxiety every time I have something planned after work because I don't know if I will actually make it. I had to leave my sports club cos it started at 6.30 pm and I never had time. I don't even feel I can switch off at weekends anymore. There is progression, and if you do well you can get promoted once a year, or even more if you are well-liked. However, the higher you get the more responsibility you get so it feels like there is no way out of the poor work balance. I stay because I have some good friends here and the work is good and there is progression, however, I think life is too short to work this much and have such a poor work/life balance.