Nightmare, Employees need to Unionise - Production Associate Dinosaur Designs Employee Review

1.0
Aug 12, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

It used to be a wonderful team of creatives who all had amazing and inspiring side hobbies, the team is what made this place bearable during the 15 minute break and 30 minute lunch. Despite it all, I did enjoy listening to podcasts and audiobooks all day while working.

Cons

High turnover of staff, most people quit quite quickly. Really tough work conditions for minimum wage, very low moral for all employees. The company tends to take advantage of and churn out young creative graduates. I (and many longer term employees) developed permanent nerve issues and RSI's from the relentless production and use of their (often dodgy) equipment. If you develop RSI, they send you to a doctor who tells you you can't work anymore and they they stop giving you shifts. Everybody is micromanaged. It's freezing in winter, daily getting showered with cold water from the sanding machines and boiling hot in summer. Tiny rooms filled with resin and dust. If you speak up and complain about the conditions, you tend to lose your job. Very little room in the company for career growth. There really needs to be some sort of coordination for the production employees to unionise and improve their rights, working conditions and higher wages.

Explore other reviews about Dinosaur Designs

1.0
Jun 16, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Looks good on your resume.

Cons

Unsafe, impractical timelines and bizarre social divisions

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Dinosaur Designs Response
1w
Hi .....? Thanks for the feedback. I'm pleased we make you look good on your CV. As an employee you have attended and signed off on our monthly toolbox meetings and witnessed our weekly plant inspections. I don't understand how you say we have such poor safety. You have also been trained in all work procedures and signed an SOP for all work performed, especially working with equipment. To jump on here and use "unsafe" is both incorrect and unfair. We continue to manufacture in Australia where the costs and wages are high compared to competitors who manufacture offshore. Not many Australian companies in our market do this, but we love this country and remain committed to supporting our people. We pay above award rates, with defined pay bands commensurate with skill and experience. You were always paid in full, on time, as agreed. We take Health and Safety extremely seriously. We have been inspected by Safe Work. Upon their unexpected arrival to investigate a specific complaint, they found nothing wrong in that area. They then walked through the entire building and found a few minor housekeeping issues, which have been addressed. The full report is available to all staff. To accuse us of being "Classist" is bizarre, I am 3rd generation Australian and very proud of living in a classless country that values attitude and talent over background. This comment beggars belief when directed at us with an incredibly diverse workforce from all walks of life. StephenOrmandy Co Founder Dinosaur Designs
1.0
May 29, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Listen to music, Production supervisors are lovely and kind, fellow production workers are lovely.

Cons

Resin covered, uneven floors in the casting room lead to slippages and back problems. Lack of communication between higher-ups and production workers. Hostile reactions when reporting genuine safety concerns and incidents. Ovens malfunctioning causing silicone to melt and reach high temperatures in rooms full of flammable materials. RSIs occur frequently in sanding department. Unrealistic demands placed on production workers. Low pay for what is a difficult job, doesn’t matter if it’s above the FW standards, it’s still very low for the work. Most employees stay because of their fellow workers but leave soon because the job is stressful, low paying, causes injuries, and leads to poor mental health, which is not taken seriously by higherups

1
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Dinosaur Designs Response
1y
Hi .....? Thanks for the feed back. I must say given you attended our monthly toolbox meetings and witnessed our weekly plant inspections I don't understand how you say we had such poor safety. You would have had training and signed off on a SOP for any work carried out especially with equipment. We continue to manufacture in Australia where the costs and wages are high compared to our competitors who manufacture offshore. Not many Australian companies are doing this but we love this country and remain committed to supporting people and for you to jump on here and use language like "harsh" and "hostile" is very unfair. We take Health and Safety extremely seriously. Stephen Ormandy
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