HydroJug Reviews

I’ve debated back and forth on leaving a review on here. Like many startups, the company has gone through many phases, and I loved the company when it started out! However, the way my experience ended at HydroJug was heartbreaking for me. I invested so much time and energy into the company because I sincerely believed in it and it’s people. And there are so many people still there that I adore. However, by the time I left, the environment was so toxic that it left an undeniable mark on my relationships and mental/physical health. There was zero work/life balance. Your contributions were measured based on the time you spent working “off the clock.” The toxicity I described mostly came from upper management. They did not even consider opinions from their reliable, trained, and competent employees. Transparency was preached at every turn, but never actually practiced. Voicing opposing opinions (even on simple things) was virtually a death sentence for any of your future opinions. People started getting fired left and right (without explanation) and psychological safety was non-existent by the time I left. Leaving HydroJug was the best thing that has happened in my career thus far and I’ve simply never regretted it.

During a leadership meeting, the founder of HydroJug said, "The only way I know how to measure dedication to the company is by the number of hours they are working each week." Employees that worked 40 hours a week was viewed as people who were not dedicated to the company. Disregard that the company was exploding in sales, the measuring stick that was used was TIME WORKED not end results. Nice job guys... no wonder why half of your creative team walked out the door.