A cautionary tale in corporate mismanagement – proceed only if you value exhaustion and lack of recognition. - Senior Manager Carne Group Employee Review

Carne suffers from an entrenched culture of overwork and underpayment. Experienced staff continue to leave due to poor remuneration and lack of recognition, only to be replaced with inexperienced graduates who receive little to no meaningful training. The result is a cycle of burnout where capable employees shoulder more work without reward or support. The company talks about being a meritocracy but often feels like the opposite. Promotions and performance ratings seem driven by internal quotas and personal preference rather than merit or objective criteria. Line managers are frequently overruled on performance assessments due to HR quotas, and talented staff are overlooked, creating deep frustration and disengagement. The company has become rife with nepotism with family members of senior management being parachuted across the company which further adds to an unprofessional environment lacking recognition of merit. Compensation and benefits are well below market, particularly shocking given the cost of living in Dublin and other hubs. Wage disparities between Irish and Luxembourg offices are striking, and inflationary pressures are barely acknowledged in annual pay reviews, with increases of approx. 2-4%. Health benefits and pension contributions are minimal if even existent, and even mid-level managers are paid far below market benchmarks. I have personally had to pay out of pocket for team members to get taxi's home, rather then watching them walk over 70 mins home late at night due to their financial stress. There have been many junior staff barely able to afford two meals a day and some are at the point of nearly starving themselves due to fear that they wont be able to pay rent, bills and the cost of Dublin which far outpace wage growth. The internal culture is rigid and hierarchical, where raising legitimate concerns can be career-limiting. HR and senior management often appear disconnected from reality, prioritising optics and investor relations over staff welfare. Several employees have reported feeling intimidated or dismissed after speaking up, leading to a culture of silence rather than improvement. There is significant concerns re potential age discrimination where i've had direct reports being referred to as "lazy and entitled Gen Z" by senior management because they set boundaries, raise issues and focus on a sustainable work life balance. Workload expectations are unsustainable. Unpaid overtime is implicitly expected, and employees are told this will be “reflected in bonuses” which are negligible. Promises of advancement or recognition often go unfulfilled. Younger employees in particular seem to bear the brunt of the pressure, and burnout is widespread. The diversity and inclusion rhetoric does not match the reality. Senior leadership lacks visible diversity in background or perspective, little ethnic, age or LGBTQ+ representation at senior levels, and feedback loops are weak. Engagement surveys lead to more meetings but few tangible actions. The company’s increasing reliance on “AI” and automation, without corresponding training or resourcing, raises legitimate quality and compliance concerns. Processes remain outdated and inconsistent, adding to the strain on staff. Overall, Carne feels like a place that drains motivated professionals rather than developing them. Unless meaningful change occurs in management, culture, and pay, the cycle of attrition and burnout will continue.