Pros
Was somewhat flexible with giving time off, but it was always unpaid
Cons
The most toxic workplace I have ever experienced in my life. The owner has an extremely poor employee retention rate, the longest-standing employee she has ever had was one of her own sons, which speaks volumes about the work environment. The company being a “small business” seemed to create an atmosphere where behavior and illegal practices that likely would never be tolerated at a larger organization were normalized. There were also ongoing concerns among staff regarding labor practices, including hourly employees allegedly not being properly compensated for overtime work. According to many former employees, vendors, and even individuals close to her personally, the owner frequently contradicted herself, saying one thing one day and something entirely different the next, only to later deny or deflect responsibility for it. Over time, that constant inconsistency and manipulation created an extremely stressful and mentally exhausting work environment for employees who dealt with it on a daily basis. Her staff played a major role in helping grow the company to the largest it had ever been since she started the business, something she herself admitted multiple times was new territory for her. Despite the company’s growth and success, there was a strong perception that business revenue was frequently prioritized toward personal expenses, including remodeling her home, funding international trips, and other non-business-related spending, while employees often felt undervalued and underappreciated for the work that made that growth possible. It was widely known among former employees and even vendors that the owner had rarely been able to take vacations during the many years running the company. Ironically, once she finally had a staff capable of independently managing day-to-day operations, she was absent for extended periods of time, at one point up to four to five months combined, only to return and excessively criticize minor issues rather than acknowledge or appreciate the team’s efforts. Almost every tenant seemed to have negative experiences with her, despite her frequently claiming she was protecting her clients’ interests. In reality, it is entirely possible to advocate for property owners while still maintaining respectful, professional relationships with tenants, something many other property management companies successfully accomplish. Staff were expected to absorb overwhelming workloads, fix ongoing operational issues, and keep the business functioning smoothly, yet were often met with distrust or criticism instead of appreciation. The most frustrating part was that the company genuinely had potential. Employees worked incredibly hard to grow the business, improve systems, and create stability, only for that effort to be overshadowed by disorganization, toxic management practices, and an inability to maintain healthy professional relationships. Overall, the environment was driven by micromanagement, negativity, and a constant feeling that nothing you did was ever good enough. Morale was consistently low, and turnover reflected that reality.