Pros
The only real positives about working at Phoenix are the coworkers and the culture that once existed. The team is full of hardworking, talented, and supportive people who do their best to carry the weight of the company despite its ongoing struggles. When paychecks were on time and leadership wasn’t creating constant chaos, the culture was genuinely enjoyable and collaborative.
Cons
Unfortunately, the negatives far outweigh the positives. In the past year alone, there have been six rounds of layoffs, leaving the remaining employees constantly worried about job security. Since the first week of July, paychecks have been consistently late, which has placed unnecessary financial stress on staff. To make matters worse, company CRMs and corporate programs are in a constant state of disruption due to nonpayment, which makes day-to-day work nearly impossible.
Leadership is one of the company’s biggest problems. The President, Maria, demonstrates little to no business sense and regularly sends company-wide emails pressuring employees to fabricate positive reviews on Google, Glassdoor, and Indeed, as well as boost YouTube views. The owner, Greg, is entirely disconnected from operations to the point of not even knowing how to log into his own email. The CFO, who was expected to improve financial health, has instead presided over an even steeper decline in the company’s finances.
Beyond internal dysfunction, the company faces external problems as well. There are active investigations with the Michigan Labor Board regarding the treatment of previous employees, and multiple lawsuits with franchisees are ongoing. Instead of addressing valid concerns raised by franchisees, employees are often instructed to lie or gaslight them, which erodes trust and makes it clear that there is no sustainable path forward for the organization.