No autonomy to do your role - General Manager JD Gyms Employee Review

Not able to make an impact due to every single detail and decision having to come from senior operations management. No autonomy for your own club and staff. It didn’t used to be like this. Before JD bought X4L, us GMs were empowered and we thrived. Since the buy and covid, the whole company changed, even though the senior staff didn’t. What happened?? The company started to feel like it was crumbling, even though to the outside world it looked like we were thriving (acquiring new sites etc). GMs expected to work stupidly long shifts to cover other staff, with no opportunity to take time back or be reimbursed. Payroll was often wrong, employees regularly are paid incorrectly. Get the basics right. Feels like a copycat company of a larger, turquoise gym chain. Always chasing their tail, copying their models and processes - but just a little bit too late. Always feels like JD gyms ‘react’ to things instead of proactively putting processes in place. There is such an element of anxiousness and panic across senior staff and HO staff. It’s a shame, because it really didn’t used to be this bad. But now, I wish I had never made the leap to work there. It’s really ruined me as a person and diminished confidence and ability. Only work here if you are a ‘yes-man’. Opinions are not favoured. It also very much is a ‘clique’ and if you’re not pals with people in HO, you’re a nobody and it shows.