Where to start...
We were lied to. Our attorney advocates now have a sales quota that works against their overall compensation. We were told that this new department would not be asked to close accounts and that this new department would be giving our sales floor access to more qualified accounts once they were put through the engagement process. The sales floor is now asked to help with attorney engagement and not be paid for it and the attorney advocates are asked to close accounts and not be compensated for it, SURPRISE!!!
Transparency with employees is all but completely gone. Someone upstairs is no longer following the fight chant that Mark origianlly promised to his employees. Employees are kept in the dark about changes that are made that directly effect our financial well being. We are told one thing and the complete opposite is implemented without notice. In turn, morale is at an all time low. Everyone is looking for the next Avvo. Regional sales managers are leaving, people who have made six figure incomes are heading towards the doors because we know what is to come. I don't think the new senior leadership gives his employees enough credit in the area of having a functioning brain. Mark has allowed management to put profits over his employees and we al trusted him when he said that Avvo was and will always be different from other fast growth tech companies, we should have known better. We are a pre IPO COMPANY and we now get the big picture.
There is also talk of another sales executive heading toward the door, according to outside sources. He has been one of the driving factors of Avvo's success and it wouldn't be a surprise that he doesn't agree with the direction senior leadership is steering the ship.
AVVO WAGE AND HOUR LAWSUIT: since this is now public information I will bring it up. Former sales employees are bringing a potential class action suit to Avvo for not paying overtime that they believe we are entitled to. There are mixed emotions about this on the sales floor. Many are for the company but many are upset if the end results show that the company may have purposely labeled us as exempt employees in order to improve their bottom line and in turn secure a more favorable outcome when the company goes public. We will see, all I know is that this is yet another factor in the declining work culture and the declining transparency within the org.
Unpaid commissions is also a concern to the company's well being. There is some speculation regarding unpaid commissions and retroactive rules being made on their end in order to hinder the employee's ability to be paid for the work that they have done. Another possible employment law issue could soon arise, we will have to wait to see what the company decides to do in the coming months about this issue.
