Great product and coworkers in high cost of living area. - Recensione dipendente - Dipendente anonimo presso Backroads

5,0
11 mag 2026
Dipendente anonimo
Consiglia
Gradimento del CEO
Pronostico commerciale

Vantaggi

The product (luxury active vacations) is phenomenal. It's great to be able to have confidence in what we're selling and know we are leading the industry in quality. Coworkers are great - hard working and fun. They also do a good job with benefits, especially trip credits and retirement plans.

Svantaggi

Bay Area cost of living is quite high and while the sales role isn't a tech sales job, increased compensation would go a long way considering working remotely (full time) is essentially not an option.

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5,0
26 mag 2026
Dipendente anonimo
Consiglia
Gradimento del CEO
Pronostico commerciale

Vantaggi

I find that its a great workplace where folks are encouraged to speak up, take initiative, and problem solve together. I think it reflects well that there are many tenured people at the company.

Svantaggi

There are many systems that do not always seamlessly work together so it can take extra effort to find the resources that exist & high cost of living in Bay Area can be challenging to keep up with.

1,0
27 apr 2026
Consiglia
Gradimento del CEO
Pronostico commerciale

Vantaggi

If you're lucky, you'll find life-long friends and see incredible places. However, at this point, it is not a guarantee.

Svantaggi

This is the closest thing to a corporate cult I’ve experienced. Loyalty - not competence - is the currency that determines whether you’re treated well. If you buy in, stay quiet, and reinforce the company narrative, you’ll be protected. If you question anything, even constructively, you’ll feel it immediately. Favoritism isn’t subtle - it’s the operating system. The company loves to brand itself as “feedback-driven,” but that’s largely performative. Feedback is only welcome if it flatters leadership. Otherwise, it’s ignored or quietly punished. Meanwhile, leaders are subjected to a deeply unhealthy evaluation system where guest feedback is sent directly to them - not anonymized, not filtered. You’re constantly being graded, often on likability rather than competence. And the bar is absurd. A 10/10 is the expectation. A 9/10 is a problem. An 8/10 triggers emails from mentors and internal scrutiny. It creates a culture of anxiety, not growth. Success doesn’t feel rewarding—it feels like avoiding punishment. Pay is consistently misrepresented as “industry standard.” It isn’t. Not even close. For the level of responsibility, hours, and sacrifice required, the base pay is low and the structure is opaque. At the same time, policies are being manipulated to limit hours and reduce eligibility for benefits like health insurance. Work-life balance is nonexistent. Flexibility is demanded at all times, but never reciprocated. Time off - even for major life events - is treated as something you have to justify and VERY OFTEN is denied or revoked after being approved. The expectation is total personal sacrifice. The most concerning issue, however, is how the company handles serious misconduct. There is a pattern of not taking sexual harassment seriously - particularly when it involves guests or vendors. Problematic individuals are tolerated to avoid conflict or protect business relationships, leaving female staff to manage or endure situations that should never be acceptable in a professional environment. That alone should give anyone pause. Leadership continues to hide behind buzzwords like empathy and radical candor, but the reality is a top-down, insular structure that protects itself first. Turnover is high, burnout is expected, and the company shows little interest in questioning why. They’ve built a system that relies on hiring great people, pushing them to their limits, and replacing them when they inevitably burn out.

5
avatar
Risposta di Backroads
1w
Thank you for taking the time to share such a detailed perspective on your experience as a Trip Leader, and for the many years you spent helping create meaningful experiences for our guests. We’re sorry to hear that your time with Backroads ultimately felt discouraging. Trip Leading is a guest‑facing role with high expectations, and guest feedback plays a critical role in maintaining the quality of experience our guests expect. Our intention is for feedback and evaluation processes to support growth through mentorship, training, and development, not to create fear or anxiety. We’re confident in the structures we have in place to support our field staff, including a robust mentorship program, time‑off policies, opportunities to request additional flexibility, and a comprehensive approach to compensation and benefits. At the same time, the reality of trip leading is that the work is seasonal and can be unpredictable. It’s a unique lifestyle that can be deeply rewarding for some, and not the right fit for everyone. We also want to clarify that eligibility for benefits, including healthcare, is based on clearly defined criteria tied to hours worked and employment regulations. For US‑based Trip Leaders who do not meet the eligibility threshold for employer‑sponsored health insurance, we offer monthly wellness stipends to help offset out‑of‑pocket healthcare costs, and we continue to work on improving clarity and communication around these programs. When we made staffing structure changes, we actually reduced the hour eligibility threshold with the intention of helping Field Staff maintain benefits, rather than lose them. We want to be very clear that we do not tolerate harassment or misconduct of any kind, whether it involves colleagues, guests, or vendors. We take concerns seriously and maintain established reporting processes, training, and leadership accountability to support a professional and respectful working environment. Protecting the safety of our field staff is a priority, and behavior that does not meet our standards is addressed accordingly. We appreciate you sharing your perspective and wish you the best in what comes next.
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