Toxic, demoralising environment - Software Developer Unicard Employee Review

1.0
30 Sept 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

If you're desperate for employment and you can fill one of their open positions, well... they're pretty desperate too, so you can probably walk in.

Cons

Staff retention and motivation are rock bottom. The vast majority of employees have < 2 years of service, even those in senior positions. Unicard operates on a shoestring startup-like budget despite being in business for 20+ years; as a result, demands on staff are high. Nobody is truly valued for their skills and expertise. I was an employee of their subsidiary Ecebs Limited for over 15 years, a company that they acquired from Visa Inc. in August 2023. They spent a month preparing us for the acquisition (negotiations had been strictly secret), and this was driven by their CEO Sean Dickinson. His approach was so insulting, incompetent, contradictory, unrealistic and demoralising that full-time permanent staff members led a successful unionising effort with Prospect in less than four weeks. More than half of the 41 employee Ecebs workforce had signed up before Unicard management even stepped foot in their new building. As part of the acquisition, Unicard are forcing staff to accept higher hours with no base pay increase, a reduction in holiday allowance, and a whopping cut to discretionary benefits and pension contribution: all without consultation. When we forced them into a consultation period, we got no substantive concessions or improvements. Almost 20% of the workforce gave notice in the first six weeks. Unicard are implementing fire-and-rehire for folks who refuse the terrible new contracts. Discretionary benefits with Unicard are minimal, salary is low, hours are high, demands are intense, and many of their function are outsourced. Overtime is expected, but not compensated monetarily. On-call support pays a small weekly retainer and nothing else. They're dishonest to customers about capacity, capability, and infrastructure. They lack experienced senior staff because they can't retain anyone. Morale and motivation are non-existent. They have no in-house infrastructure and architecture management or planning to speak of. In my six weeks in Unicard, their new IT manager was gone after three weeks, and their CFO gave notice after only six months in post.

Explore other reviews about Unicard

5.0
3 Jun 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The company has a very good culture and supportive team.

Cons

No major complaints on my end.

1.0
20 Jul 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I've just read a load of reviews on here. If the wording doesn't totally give away the blatantly obvious fact that the only positive comments are made by the CEO and his sycophants, then I don't know what would! The staff at this company are truly great. Hard-working and conscientious. Unfortunately the vast majority are also suffering from stress, stress-related illness and being enormously overworked.

Cons

.... What keeps them going? Threats from the ceo - you'll be fired, you'll go on a performance review, I'llget rid of 50% of you. Crazed threats thrown around, in place of support. You name it, he's got it all. Toxic is not the word. It's a thoroughly abusive 'relationship '. Despite his best efforts at division, the staff form strong bonds. That's what happens when you treat everyone so poorly. Everyone is in fear each day.. 8 security cameras in the (not that big) office, he monitors the times when you access the building. ..God help you if you work from home on a Monday or Friday! Ceo definitely doesn't know the boundary between work and personal time. He genuinely couldn't give a sh*t. Even customers don't like him. The company 's reputation is increasingly poor within the industry . Such a shame. I feel sorry for the people left there.

9
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