employer cover photo

Backyard Products

Is this your company?

Money before morals - Senior Graphic Designer Backyard Products Employee Review

2.0
Jul 6, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Basic 9-5 hours, standard PTO, standard tasks on the day to day depending on your job. Insurance coverage is basic, 401k contribution is basic but lower than desired. Typical office job, so not so much a list of "pros" as a list of baseline expectations from working for a company. At the end of the day, it is simply a job. If you are lucky, those who are on the same level as you, are solid people and make working that simple job, feel a bit more human than it otherwise would. Having employment means security - to an extent - so at least having employment here, gives you that much.

Cons

Pay is below industry standard for how long you may have been working for the company, or hired from another with a good amount of experience you're bringing with you. Health insurance rates (especially for single households) are atrociously expensive. Bonuses are minimal or nonexistent, with pay raises clearly scraped from the bottom of the dregs. Here, you are a grunt expected to save the company on a day to day basis for people who do not know what they are doing, nor do they care. Office environment is tense, due to the upper crust constantly visiting their multiple subsidiaries' offices for optics, and to oversee the cubicles. There is also a lack of honest communication and frankly, the more exclamation points and bold font used in their company wide emails, the more you should be concerned and not take what they say, at face value. There is a thing and easily seen through facade of business integrity, and an expectation you will follow their "5 Rules" mantra and that is somehow enough for a company to succeed with. Getting responses from department heads is near impossible with several refusing to respond at all, causing jams in project approval and this backs up shipment dates and meetings with buyers. The HR department is a joke, has no idea what they are meant to do, and has responded to group inquiries about 401ks and health insurance with "Good luck!" or a .PDF of how to make an account on Voya. Unless you are in the upper ranks of the company, you can expect to be treated like a number meant to make more money for the company, than a person who probably cares about the work they're doing. Their management of their people and their products is nonsensical and confusing. If anything, Backyard Products is in the business of company acquisition, not production and manufacturing outdoor goods. If you get a job here, use your time of employment to find other work, while you have the security of the paycheck from Backyard. You are worth more than working for these people.

Explore other reviews about Backyard Products

5.0
Dec 17, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Working at Backyard Products the past 4.5 years has been a very rewarding experience. Our company continues to grow by way of our product portfolio and demand, as well as investment into our people and technology.

Cons

No cons to speak of. We operate mean and lean, yet it feels like family.

1
1.0
Jul 9, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

There are some good people left (non-management)

Cons

The foundational issue at this company stems from top-down leadership practices. Executive management struggles with transparency, empathy, and objective decision-making. Furthermore, there are systemic cultural issues regarding diversity and inclusion, with an executive environment that lacks diverse perspectives and instead prioritizes compliance over accountability. Rather than addressing systemic issues highlighted in exit interviews and “anonymous” engagement surveys, leadership frequently dismisses feedback, labeling dissatisfied employees as "entitled" or "ungrateful." Driven by the executive culture, middle management faces intense pressure to maintain 24/7 availability. Boundary violations are common, including text messages, calls, and emails during weekends, evenings, and approved PTO. Consequently, this strain is frequently pushed down from middle management to individual contributors, manifesting as vaguely defined goals, shifting priorities, and unrealistic timelines that further compromise work-life balance across all levels. There is a stark division in the workforce between a small percentage of high-performing employees who sustain operations and a segment that remains unresponsive. When high performers request support or report communication bottlenecks, they are instructed to find workarounds rather than management addressing the root cause. Furthermore, when employees resign or are let go, positions are rarely backfilled. Instead, the workload is absorbed by remaining staff without adjustments to compensation. Employee turnover is exceptionally high, with numerous departures occurring within short timeframes—some without external roles lined up. Knowledge transfer during notice periods is virtually nonexistent, as departing employees are often isolated or ignored by management, leaving remaining staff unprepared for the transition and set up for failure. The company’s core growth strategy relies on acquiring distressed companies. However, the integration process consistently involves stripping standard corporate benefits (including PTO, healthcare, and parental leave). Following these acquisitions, there is typically a noticeable decline in product quality, customer satisfaction, and overall consumer trust. Because acquisition integrations frequently result in a degraded customer experience, the front-line customer service and call center teams bear the brunt of consumer dissatisfaction. This high-stress environment has led to a significant percentage of the support staff taking medical leaves for mental health and burnout. Management has shown a documented lack of empathy regarding these struggles, failing to offer adequate resources or operational relief. While the company enforces strict, company-wide "cost-cutting" measures that result in remote employee layoffs, executive travel expenses remain high. Frivolous travel for in-person meetings that could easily be conducted via Teams is common, creating a strong sense of hypocrisy regarding fiscal responsibility.

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