This job has no work life balance. You can’t make plans for after work because chances are you will have to cancel them. The real frustration is, it’s not even a lot of work. It’s waiting for the directors to make a decision about something very trivial. I worked in office for one year and 2 years from home when the pandemic started. The long hours only got worse when we started working from home.
Since working from home, I saw meetings starting at 6:30 pm and later(after the end of day). We were expected to work very late into the evening because in management’s eyes, we couldn’t go out any way during the shut down. I would get calls/texts to make updates to projects as late as 12:15 am when I was already in bed. I got a very long angry text about a FedEx label at 10:30 pm. I’m asked what the closest staples is at 9:00 pm on a Friday (as if google isn’t a thing). They do not provide any way of communicating other than email, so you will be expected to use your personal phone for calls and texting. Expect to be bothered into the evening. I think this is highly inappropriate, as should you if you plan on accepting a job here.
I was an associate and was paid less than all the other associates I spoke to. We all shared our salaries. I knew the salaries of 3 other associates. I found out I was paid less than most of the assistants as well. I asked for a raise all 3 years I was there. The reason they gave me for denying my raise the last year was budget. The last time I requested a raise I was denied because our design director had to fight for a promotion for another employee who had been at the company less than me. I was only asking for equal pay. This started a team dynamic I did not like. I never think of my colleagues as competition, only as friends. And telling me in my performance review the reason I’m not getting a raise is because of another employee seemed to really make it feel like a competition.
Advice to new hires: try to avoid this company. If you NEED to take this job, don’t stay for more than a year. Start applying elsewhere after 11 months. This job teaches bad habits and really mistreats their employees. I took this job out of desperation and I wish things had been different for me. I hope you can get out faster than I did.