Where do I start? My experience at MHA was riddled with discrimination, unfair treatment, and broken promises. 2023/24 was definitely a year of M&A and not one for People Retention. A little proof is the company itself only responding to 5-star reviews on its Glassdoor profile page.
Here’s a breakdown of my unfair ordeal:
1. Broken Promises and Unjust Demotion: I was hired as an Audit Senior, only to have my role downgraded to Semi-Senior right before starting, with no real explanation other than “team budgeting reasons.” Despite performing Senior-level tasks, MHA used this demotion to reduce my compensation and charge-out rate. That excludes still being low-balled despite stating every staff at my level were paid the same during salary negotiations. I was paid at least £3k less in this role despite having the ACA qualification and “peers” still battling the ICAEW exams.
2. Discrimination Rumors: Management spread unfounded rumors that I was being let go because my visa was expiring. This led to emotional conversations with admin staff, who asked if I’d have to return to my home country. Random team members inquired about my job search, although I had only disclosed my visa status to my line manager and HR in confidence. This was deeply humiliating and unprofessional.
3. Visa Sponsorship Debacle: HR failed to formalize an agreement regarding visa sponsorship but still tried to claw back tuition costs despite no formal agreement. After months of back-and-forth, they only agreed not to deduct these costs in the final days of my contract.
4. Leave Entitlement Fiasco: HR continually made errors with my annual leave entitlement. Despite this being their fault, they refused to honor my full entitlement, leaving me forced to forfeit 66 hours of unused leave. This was not only unjust but also evidence of poor management and administrative incompetence.
5. Workplace Culture: The team may have been polite, but the environment felt insincere and emotionally draining. The constant rumors and lack of transparency from management made it hard to trust anyone. My mental and physical health deteriorated rapidly during my time here.
Final Thoughts:
MHA’s handling of employee well-being is not only unethical but borderline discriminatory, especially toward those on visas or international staff. The HR department is extremely disorganized, and management clearly prioritizes covering their own mistakes rather than supporting their employees. I left early for the sake of my mental health, and honestly, it was the best decision I could have made.
I WOULD NOT recommend this company to anyone, especially immigrants seeking a supportive and fair working environment.
