Ownership opportunities overshadowed by poor work-life balance and layoffs - Operations CHAGEE Employee Review

1.0
6 Jul 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Lots of room for taking ownership of tasks

Cons

Business has failed this year and they laid off 80% of staff. They were supposed to open 100 stores and were only on pace for 10-20 and had to do mass layoffs. Work life balance is poor - they expect you to work 10-12 hours a day and be online at all times while working Saturday/sundays for 8+ hours for their new shop/teahouse openings. Every other weekend was taken up by grand openings. These openings also shift dates every week so you can’t actually plan vacation. Additionally the executive management is all from China and dictate all actions at the company without understanding US markets and culture. Worked about 80 hours a week and got no notice of layoffs. Our personal expense cards only have 500$ credit limits so you need to front all your money. I had to drive 1 hour plus for meetings/openings in Irvine, San Diego, Ontario, and more 2-5 times a week. For work travel, we were also mandated to share rooms with other co-workers amongst other poor travel policies.

Explore other reviews about CHAGEE

5.0
25 Feb 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Amazing product and brand story - High-impact and high-visibility role - Ability to drive strategic work and influence business outcomes - Competitive comp, immersion opportunities, growth, perks, bonuses - Passionate, smart and capable people

Cons

- Flexibility required with overseas partners and time zone challenges - Those familiar with a traditional corporate background may struggle to adapt to start-up-like environment

1.0
1 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Amazing tea, lots of opportunities to take on interesting projects, global brand with great reputation and success, you can thrive if you have really thick skin, are really ambitious and willing to sacrifice your every waking hour to the company

Cons

Your experience will largely depend on the team you join. As a global brand, you have to expect cultural differences, some late meetings as required, and other challenges unique to such a company. Also, the U.S. headquarters operates similarly to a startup, and the global leadership still sets unreasonable expectations for the market. However, the leadership style of some key U.S. executives has created a hostile environment that is not the default of a global brand. Many teams are expected to work late into the night/early morning on a daily basis, and you’ll be shunned if you don’t work weekends to accommodate the demanded work volume. Departments are pitted against each other and conflict isn’t resolved maturely, setting a terrible example for many of the young employees who join as the first job, drawn in by the shiny, competitive pay and free merch. You will quickly start tracking all of your conversations and work done as some leadership is known to “forget” a decision and pin the blame on you, or you get harassed in a meeting. The environment is so bad that the reputation of the U.S. headquarters has reached the ears of all the other markets. If you value having any semblance of a life, I urge you to take your talents elsewhere.

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