Pros
Friday lunches and holiday gatherings were nice morale boosters. Some opportunities to gain experience in different areas since roles often extended beyond job descriptions.
Cons
Work-life balance was very difficult to maintain. Employees were often expected to work weekends and extremely long days (sometimes from early morning until very late at night, ex 8am to 2am), especially around events. Staffing levels did not match the workload. At times, I was responsible for the equivalent of three different roles simultaneously, without additional pay or support. My first two paychecks were delayed, and I had to follow up multiple times to receive payment. Leadership struggled with communication and consistency. Decisions were sometimes reversed (e.g., letting employees go due to “lack of work” and then rehiring them shortly after). High turnover, with many employees leaving due to burnout or dissatisfaction. PTO was minimal (only 5 days of earned PTO per year starting out). The culture could feel overly critical at times, with low morale among staff.