Mass layoffs and the danger of a pretentious company
Pros
Honestly, none. From the beginning, the company showed serious instability. Senior hires not only resigned within 1-2 months, many of them were already in conflict with each other early on, which reflected deeper leadership and organizational issues. New hires were left with nothing meaningful to do for their 1st 2 months, which in itself is a major red flag. This company left many of us emotionally exhausted, anxious, and genuinely traumatized. Keep DOLE on speed dial.
Cons
I joined CUBEWORK.COM PH (Subsidiary of Cubework / UNIS) expecting a stable international setup and an opportunity to collaborate with US-based teams. Unfortunately, my experience turned into one of the most difficult I’ve ever had. 1. Misalignment between recruitment promises and reality The role was pitched as an American-led operation with direct collaboration with US counterparts. In reality, most coordination was with another team whose primary working language was not English, creating racism, communication barriers that slowed technical progress. 2. Unprepared PH expansion We were told we’d be working in a Makati office ready for operations. When we arrived, the setup was still incomplete. This contributed to health issues, danger in workplace, hiring delays and fueled public skepticism once concerns started circulating online. 3. Rigid working hours without cross-team alignment The PH team strictly followed a 9am to 6pm schedule despite Makati’s unpredictable traffic, while other teams enjoyed more flexibility. Misaligned working rhythms led to repeated coordination issues and unnecessary stress. 4. Unclear policies on holiday observance There was constant confusion about whether we were following US, PH, or CN’s holiday schedule. This inconsistency affected planning and workflows. 5. Early organizational instability Leadership turnover, internal disagreements, and emotional handling of issues were glaring signs of operational disarray. Looking back, the red flags were there from the start as multiple colleagues exited quickly. 6. Compensation structure transparency issues The compensation package wasn’t broken down clearly in the offer. A significant portion of pay was labeled as “bonus,” affecting tax calculations and statutory benefits such as the 13th-month pay. This felt misaligned with standard PH employment practices and raised questions about compliance. Layoff experience During the layoff meeting, the COO broke down and centered the entire discussion around how he felt about a Reddit post that didn’t even name him. Meanwhile, we were still trying to process losing our jobs. The lack of professionalism and emotional awareness was staggering.