Don't do it! - Anonymous employee Berkeley Group Employee Review

Within a few days of starting here I realised I had made a mistake, within 5 months I was sick with stress! Thank goodness for probationary periods with 1 week's notice! This is by far, the worst place I have ever worked. It is just an awful, toxic working environment, especially when you work within close proximity of the senior management. The executive directors (including the executive chairman) are chauvinistic bullies. The board of directors couldn't care less and the secretariat is not permitted to attend the board meetings! I can't imagine there is much challenge or deliberation in that boardroom! The Chairman can't let go, the company he founded is his baby, he shouldn't have listed it. The contract of employment is a joke, long contracted hours no maternity benefit, no sick pay (unless authorised by your line manager) basically no perks. There is a culture of presenteism and people are encouraged to sit at their desk longer even if you have nothing to do. Within a few days the group lawyer was complaining about me, she couldn't even bring herself to talk to me directly! Apparently I was on the internet all the time instead of doing my job, it was made very clear to me that pretty much all websites were blocked when I started! I even had to get Companies House unlocked! Nice people start working there, tired, stressed and depressed people leave there! If you value your health don't work here, the salary is not worth it! On my last day I popped my head into the CFO's office to 'thank him for the opportunity' his response, "oh you are leaving are you? Didn't take us long to break you did it?"..........