Toxic environment with favoritism and bullying - Member Advisor Benenden Health Employee Review

Friendly colleagues who are very supportive and hardworking.

I completely agree with the most recent review left in May 2026. The concerns raised reflect a culture shaped by toxic management, favouritism, and workplace cliques. Support is often talked about but rarely delivered in practice. Mental health concerns are frequently overlooked if performance targets are being met, and employees facing difficult personal circumstances receive no meaningful support. One of the most disappointing aspects of my experience was the handling of bereavement. During an extremely difficult time, understanding was lacking and rather than support my circumstances were viewed as an inconvenience, highlighting a culture where staff wellbeing isn’t important to business priorities. Gossiping is incredibly common, trust is low, some managers avoid accountability while presenting a very different image publicly. Staff are left feeling undervalued, unsupported, and reluctant to raise concerns. Turnover is high, with multiple employees leaving due to management-related concerns.

Looking at some of the recent reviews, I feel I may be one of the lucky ones because I genuinely can’t fault my manager. They have been nothing but supportive throughout my time at Benenden. I have struggled with my mental health during my employment, and felt well supported during that time. While there are some small cliques within the business, I have generally found colleagues to be friendly and approachable. Personally, I have not witnessed any workplace bullying. However, I would hope that if such issues did arise, they would be taken seriously and addressed appropriately by the organisation.

There is a lot of encouragement at the start of employment around career progression and moving within the business. While these opportunities do exist, I think expectations could be managed more realistically, as it simply isn’t possible to accommodate everyone who wants to progress or move departments. Although there are development pathways in place, it can sometimes feel as though opportunities are not accessible to all employees equally. This can create perceptions of favouritism or leave some people feeling overlooked, even if that is not the intention. With many employees interested in moving to different departments, competition for vacancies can be high, and when multiple people apply for the same role, it can leave those who are unsuccessful feeling discouraged. Calls are monitored regularly, which I understand is important for quality assurance, training and compliance. However, the process can sometimes feel overly intense and intimidating. At times, feedback can come across as quite harsh, particularly when advisors are already performing well and working hard to deliver a good service. The contact centre team is at the heart of the business, and the workload can feel relentless, almost like being on a hamster wheel. Burnout is a genuine concern, and I believe greater recognition and appreciation for the work advisors would have a positive impact on morale and wellbeing.