A Sinking Ship - Editorial Staff Flagship Publishing Employee Review

At Flagship Publishing the vibe in the office is tense, funereal and more than a little bit culty. The owners rely on their products—Nebraska Life Magazine, Colorado Life Magazine, Utah Life Magazine and Maui No Ka Oi Magazine —to prop up their wholesome façade while making the production process hellish. In less than a year I witnessed at least 6 new hires quit as soon as possible. They seem used to sky-high turnover. And why not? They’ve gotten away with treating employees like garbage for more than 20 years. The micromanaging and controlling behaviors are so extreme that the owners required several employees to write 5 stars reviews on Indeed to counter all the bad ones. My job offer was a bait and switch. They played mind games concerning my advancement opportunities, a clear pattern of behavior. No matter how good you are at the job, they’ll find reasons you’re not good enough to receive whatever they’ve promised. The first time you can’t read the owners’ constantly changing minds, you’ll be the next scapegoat. The unaffordable health care options and poor pay (for employees and freelancers) are two more signs of their condescension. To heal from the toxicity, former employees have created private support groups. Seriously, these people should not be allowed to employ others.