sweatshop for designers - Graphic Designer KOLAB Interactive Agency Employee Review

Amazing owners and management at Kolab. Very personable and caring.

Cant think of many, the owners really take care of you as an employer.

Occasionally you get to work with a some decently cool companies. The day-to-day job is kind of a joke how easy it is. Occasionally you can work from home. Cool office in Newport/Irvine.

You are expected to work at the office and have set hours and use company equipment, yet they pay you as 1099 contract worker so that they get tax benefits and you're stuck paying like 17% employment tax. I looked it up and it's actually illegal but I needed the job so I never said anything. You get $10/hr for graphic design and web development which is insanely low for the job. Since you're 1099 after taxes you are actually making below minimum wage. Several times I was asked to go after hours to client's sites for video and photography work, which is not a problem, but when I asked if I would be paid for my time the boss's would always say never mind and storm off in anger. Sorry but we are not friends, I'm not doing you any favors, I work for money. Period. That is all. Pay me for my time. The managers often made sexual comments and jokes about other employees personal lives which is very inappropriate and made me very uncomfortable. But there is no HR so nobody to report it to. There is a lot of client turnover because management constantly overpromises and under-delivers. Management is fairly transparent about that, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it can be stressful when they make it seem like there might not be enough money to keep you on board or pay you.