Horrendous boss sent all my wages to his account and lied about it (£29.3k) - Consultant Right Angles Employee Review

1.0
May 22, 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

You will meet some fascinating people and interesting journalists.

Cons

I was 22 when I started working for Paul Blanchard in September 2019. I started as a researcher, then became a senior researcher and then a consultant. When I became a consultant, he said he was going to 'pay me from the US company account' for tax reasons and I would be self employed, so I would have to send invoices. I stupidly told him that I wanted to save all my wages towards a deposit and wouldn't be checking my account. As I was receiving wire receipts to 'Madelaine Hanson' with my sortcode and account number listed, I didn't even think to question it. When I left in November 2019, I checked my account and my bank told me they'd never received any funds, amounting to £29,324.67. Puzzled, I contacted Paul Blanchard and he said he was surprised and had no idea what was going on, promising to look into it. Despite being penniless and homeless, and having to borrow money from my parents, he continued to drag it out, making crazy accusations that I was the reason his clients had left after I did, going as far as to accuse me of telling them about his illicit business practices concerning a major political event, resulting in a massive ongoing lawsuit against him. Even after the clients themselves informed him that this hadn't happened, he still ignored my requests for my wages. I then found out, from his own invoice to a client, that the IBAN that had received ALL my wages was his account at Metrobank. He had never informed me of this, and to this day hasn't given me a penny. He owes hundreds of thousands of pounds to at least 18 former employees, and is in multiple legal disputes with clients for unfulfilled promises and broken contracts. He did what he did to me (not send the money to my account) to at least other woman and refused to pay the mother of a disabled child her wages going back months in unpaid invoices unless she signed a NDA on his activities. I cannot stress how much you should avoid Paul Blanchard.

Explore other reviews about Right Angles

1.0
Sep 12, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The people who work there are mostly nice, but they're too scared to speak up

Cons

Literally everything about this company. Paul Blanchard is a terrible person and still owes me money 5 years later. He creates a hostile work environment and caused me months of anxiety and distress. Avoid this place and this man at all costs, being unemployed would be preferable to working here. I was reprimanded for not answering work emails after hours and not having my phone on in the evenings

2
1.0
Dec 28, 2021
Anonymous freelancer
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The money is good - but only if he decides to pay you.

Cons

Twice bankrupt Paul Blanchard claims to have offices in New York, Los Angeles and London. These claims are exaggerated. In reality, he has a PO box in LA, a shady accountant in New York (where the company is registered, conveniently stripping you of any rights under UK law) and everyone else (mainly young, inexperienced women) works remotely, at whatever members' club or hotdesking hub he hasn't been turfed out of. He has no employees - all are freelance. Google him and look at his liquidated businesses on Companies House - it's all there. He lowered and reinstated salaries at will to control people, and owes many former workers money. He criticised people's work when no criticism was warranted, and pitted team members against one another to create an atmosphere of mistrust. He regularly made racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic and ableist comments without shame while his complicit minions discouraged anyone from complaining about it. If you take a job here, say hello to working 12+ hours a day, bullying, inappropriate comments, gaslighting, and being constantly available on Slack – and goodbye to lunch breaks, a reliable income, job satisfaction and any kind of life outside of work. He will make grand promises and not deliver - this applies to clients too, only when they start to complain he will blame you. Good luck taking him to court for your unpaid invoices, as he has about as much respect for the courts as he does for people's boundaries. In short: Right Angles is a highly toxic workplace and you should do everything you can not to end up here.

7
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