After several years of working in the Product Support department at Relativity, it is difficult not to get the impression that the company is increasingly moving away from the values it once promoted. The current situation in the team is a mixture of financial stagnation, lack of transparency, and management decisions that cause frustration and a feeling of underappreciation.
Frozen salaries and the illusion of raises
During the pandemic, with inflation reaching 20%, the company offered a symbolic 3% raise. Since then, the situation has not improved – annual “raises” hover around 2-3% gross, which in practice means a real decrease in the value of salaries. The lack of budget for meaningful raises is a constant refrain. It's a bit demotivating when the company boasts about its awesome financial results, which then don't translate into raises.
Last year, we got an extra +-4,000 PLN to our annual bonus, but what is 4,000 PLN on an annual basis...
Promotion? Only if a “mystical business need” arises
Career path in Product Support - promotion to the second level of the position can take over three years, and the next levels are only available when an enigmatic “business need” arises.
Sudden change to 24/7 working mode without consultation
One of the most controversial moves was the announcement that the entire support team would be working 24/7. For many people who had been working standard 8am to 4pm hours for years, this meant a sudden switch to night shifts (e.g., 10pm to 6am), without prior dialogue or consideration of individual life situations.
Manipulation of employee survey results
The company conducts employee surveys twice a year, but the way the results are presented raises serious doubts. When the Polish Product Support department received poor responses to the question about satisfaction with remuneration, they were “mixed” with the results from the US to show that “50% of employees are satisfied.” Such a presentation is not only manipulation, but also a lack of respect for the team's voice.
Generally, what keeps people in this team is the fear of changing jobs and ending up in a worse situation.
There are few options to escape from this team to another team through internal recruitment, but those who can do so, do.
