Pros
I'll start by saying that working at Belu is currently a demoralising experience. When I joined I was under the impression it was a social enterprise that cares about the environment. It's more like a glorified water filter machine reseller at this point. I am sad to say the company has been losing its soul over the last couple of years and is now struggling to stay afloat in a crowded market. The problems start at the top with the two CEOs. One who does the bulk of the real work and another who acts as a talking head. The talking head CEO is obsessed with power, micromanages everything, and frequently undermines employees with passive-aggressive remarks like 'I assume you’ve done X' but it'll be the first time mentioning X as an attempt to make people feel uneasy and confused. She will create tests and plays ridiculous mind games with staff, especially new starters. This kind of behaviour trickles down and results in a toxic, fear based environment. The only positives I can give are that a few people are there for the right reasons, however they are always the quietest in the room, and the profits donated to WaterAid is going to a good cause. I have hesitated over whether to write this review, I doubt it will change anything within the company but at least I can warn others who might be thinking of joining in the future.
Cons
The talking head CEO's obsession with control and power is too much. As employees we were pressured into supporting her mayoral campaign last year and give signatures. People are nervous to turn her random (and frankly inappropriate) personal requests down in case they become a target. There are random layoffs where they get rid of good people out of nowhere which has created an unstable environment where people constantly worry about the security of their own jobs. I know if I said anything to my director I would be next on the chopping block. They do not want anyone who challenges them, despite the narrative that it is an open culture. There is in fact a huge blame culture, where human mistakes are punished rather than seen as a chance to learn. Forget about progression and career development at Belu, promotions are rare. There are people who have been at the company for years in the same junior positions. The salaries and bonuses also vary wildly for employees at the same level with no transparency. There is favouritism at play, when employees do inevitably end up discussing pay at the pub it causes awkwardness and demotivates those paid less than others at the same level. Boundaries are broken constantly, managers repeatedly message employees on their days off and do not respect personal time.