I have been an employee with Russel Metals for 20 years currently working in the Puslinch facility. Over the years I have moved up several job positions in the company but currently I'm an Operations Assistant. Russel Metals Inc. has programs for people who want to better their education to move up to other positions. There is a lot of room for advancement for anyone who is interested and willing. The company has a pension plan, great benefits, great vacation structure and bonuses. Most employees in my branch are long standing employees who have been with Russel for 10 to 30 years of service. The managers here are always looking at ways improve and maintain the safety at this facility. I was working from home remotely during this pandemic and I honestly enjoy coming to work instead of being at home for the interaction and involvement with the people here and the hands on part of my job. One day in the future I will retire from this company and I will look back with no regrets.

Pros

bonuses, barbeques, happy place to work

Cons

I can't think of any cons for my position and work atmosphere here.

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Good

Laser Operator (Current Employee) - Winnipeg, MB - 20 January 2023

Good place to work with good pay. Management is great, as long you do your job they will never bother you, they are also very professional. Managers also push employees to learn other machines

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Insights into Russel Metals

Based on 28 survey responses

Areas for improvement

Support from manager
Sense of belonging
Ability to meet personal goals

Pire place que j'ai connue pour être camionneur

Chauffeur classe 1 (Former Employee) - Succursale Chicoutimi - 19 January 2023

Pire endroit où j'ai travaillé en tant que camionneur, le syndicat est beaucoup trop présent dans tout, le premier chauffeur décide ce qu'il veut et les autres en arrière ramasse les miettes!! Promettait au moins 45 a 50 heure à semaine et ça prenais tout pour en faire 40! Quand a la direction et la contremaitre de la shop, pas a leur place du tout! Je ne recommence pas du tout

Pros

Y'en a pas beaucoup

Cons

Syndicat et direction

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May as well sell the company and call it a day

Crane Operator (Former Employee) - Cambridge, ON - 4 November 2022

Hiring for a job that doesn’t exist. When they say “assisting and supporting” it really is only that. Prepare to be a shadow to someone else then be fired before probation is up. Fellow employees will go on to no end about how unqualified the management is and how useless the union representation is. Rest assured you will be fired before making the union.

Pros

Nothing

Cons

Anything you can think

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Nope

Financial Analyst (Current Employee) - Canada - 28 October 2022

Don't walk, RUN away from here. There is no flexibility or compassion towards empolyees, very much a "shut up and do your job" style managment. If you are treated unfairly, too bad, live with it. There's is absolutely zero room for advancement of any kind. Very flat employment structure. Very much a boys club, almost no diversity or women in senior positions. There are MANY people who are well past retirement age and are still there leaving no room for new or young talent. If you are a person who wants to work where you are being paid substantially lower than market value, staying in the spot as where you started and being reminded that you are just an employee and are replaceable then this place is for you. All of managment needs a complete overhaul and younger people need to be brought in. This company is still stuck the in stone age when it comes to technology, policies, functions because its run by older generation who have no idea how the world has changed. Stay away.

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Run, don't walk

Accounting Clerk (Former Employee) - Mississauga, ON - 28 October 2022

I was there for about 6 years. First 3 years were fine, last 3 were miserable. I was overworked and significantly underpaid. The management is old and isn't great and are extremely stuck in archaic ways. Very hard to move anywhere. UNDERPAID. And work life balance is nonexistent.

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Great Pay, Not That Hard Of Work, Certain Employees not Welcomed not matter how hard you work.

Overhead Crane Operator (Former Employee) - Calgary, AB - 16 October 2022

I worked here at the Calgary location for 9 months. The pay is very good and the work is not that difficult but I guess I wasn't good enough. I could not keep up and made to many mistakes so they got rid of me.

Pros

Great Pay and Not That Hard Of Work

Cons

Disrespectful Work Environment, Co-Workers will stop at nothing to see you fail, A Bit Over Safety Cautious

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Not a good atmosphere most guys seemed unsatisfied with management production schedules.

Yard Labourer (Former Employee) - Cambridge, ON - 7 September 2022

Lots to learn about operating a crane confidently. I guess my learning curve took too long to meet Russel Metal standards. They let me go after two months.

Cons

If don't have experience operating a crane. Go somewhere else.

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Be warned

Yard Worker (Former Employee) - Cambridge, ON - 8 August 2022

Very disorganized from management/Supervisors. Zero communication. If you're new to this environment with little to no experience then you're screwed as there isn't any PROPER training. They put you with employees that haven't been there long (high turnover rates for both employees and management) , nor have the experience to train someone or the few that have been there a long time simply do not want to train new employee's. It's a joke overall to say the least. Would not recommend this job to anyone.

Pros

Decent pay

Cons

Everything else

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Terrible

Yard Worker (Former Employee) - Cambridge, ON - 4 August 2022

This workplace is the WORST company to work for, fire people for no reason, do not care or want to care about the well being of their employees. Do not train any of their employees properly at all, they assume you should know how to do your job with out doing it. The management at this company is by far the worse I’ve seen ever, do not care about staff are rude to their employees and over work them and expect everything. The supervisors them selves also do no work at all to ensure fair work balance, they never grant days off even if u give them months advance and they expect you to do unreasonable amount of hours in overtime. I have a lot more to say but I’m going to stop there…End thing to take NEVER WORK FOR THEM

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Jobs at Russel Metals

Terrible the way they treat people

ADriver (Former Employee) - Stoney Creek, ON - 22 July 2022

Employees are just numbers .They care more about there bottom line then your safety.They no all the rules and if you get hurt they will fight you every step of the way.Better company's that care about you out there .

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Steelwork

Tractor Trailer Driver / Warhouseman (Former Employee) - Edmonton, AB - 29 June 2022

Working with steel is what it is. Most of the guys were good. A couple bad apples that ruin the atmosphere. I witnessed lot of disrespect, and misery, but won’t quit because the pension at 65. Many work place injuries

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Unfair treatment of staff by manager at burlington branch. Manager has his favourite employee and it really was not fair to the rest of the staff.

Customer Service Representative (Former Employee) - Burlington, ON - 3 March 2022

Promotions were based on who you know, not what you know.Nothing was ever done about complaints of management. Specifically the burlington branch. Has a high turnover rate.

Pros

Staff was nice but not alot of happy people.

Cons

some management, some supervisors

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Poor management and horrible Attitude towards employees, very two faced and Quite possibly racist towards indigenous people.

Warehouse associate (Former Employee) - Saskatoon, SK - 23 February 2022

Horrible place to work very poor management very bad attitude and very poor moral and people skills floor manager and head manager should be reprimanded.

Pros

On site parking.

Cons

Bad work environment for mental health and for self esteem.

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Official response from Russel Metals

5 April 2022

At Russel Metals we work hard to create an environment that is safe and inclusive. We do find the claim of racism within our facility concerning and also surprising because this location does have a very diverse workforce at many levels and has active partnerships with a variety of outreach programs to attract individuals from many backgrounds. Any form of discrimination is unacceptable and Russel Metals encourages employees to bring any concerns forward.

Amazing employer, read my review.

Forklift/Crane Operator. (Current Employee) - London, ON - 6 February 2022

Absolutely excellent place to work. If you're into heavy machinery, fantastic and transparent management and a wonderful group in the warehouse to work with. THIS is the place for you! (London, Ontario)

Pros

Great pay, benefits, pension plan, shares, management.

Cons

A little bit dirty.

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A good place to work.

Administration/ Inventory Control (Former Employee) - Burlington, ON - 13 January 2022

My direct manager worked out of a separate branch and was easy to get ahold of. If anything was urgent the branch manager would assist. I learned a lot during my time at Russel and my coworkers made the job easy to go to every day. It definitely felt like a family. My role never changed during my time here, which was nice. I was able to go in and do my job and help others if asked, which was rare. Training was great and people were willing to teach you whatever you wanted to learn. During Covid things changed and the stress started to show with some people but that is to be expected. Overall this was a good place to work.

Pros

Group lunches from time to time, salary was very fair

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Excellent company to work for.. great people... safety conscious

Corporate Safety (Current Employee) - Mississauga, ON - 8 December 2021

I have been with Russel Metals for almost 20 years. Russel Metals is a great company to work for that encourages internal advancement. I have had numerous promotions and opportunities to advance. I started as a team leader on the floor and now have responsibilities covering multiple regions. Safety conscious workplace, promotes teamwork and communication. Excellent benefits, vacation structure and bonuses. Low turnover and a family like atmosphere. Looking toward retirement in 5 or 6 years, however it would be difficult to leave as I have thoroughly enjoy my job and the people I work with

Pros

family atmosphere, great benefits

Cons

none that I can think of.. it is difficult to find the negative

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Great company culture

Internal Auditor (Current Employee) - Mississauga, ON - 25 November 2021

Yet to meet a person who wasn't a pleasure to deal with or talk too. Great corporate culture. There is truly an open door policy here from direct managers all the way to executive management.

Pros

Compensation, Management, corporate culture

Cons

Nothing as of yet

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No available advancement, poor management

Purchasing Assistant/Inside Sales (Former Employee) - Burlington, ON - 12 September 2021

From the time I started to when I went on maternity leave, my time at Russel Metals was good. Everyone got along, found myself to be busy and learning something new everyday. Once my maternity leave ended, and I returned.. my experience took a complete turn to the worst. My position and what I was doing disappeared without me knowing previously. I was then pushed into a monotonous position within administration where I found myself completely bored, sometimes doing no work all day. In regards to management - I found myself having a difficult time trying to find an accommodation when I came back in order to pick up my son from daycare and be able to continue working for the company.I was told by management to “tell someone who cares” while wanting me to choose work over my own family. I was told as well that I had no respect for other people after parking in a spot that was not designated for my manager. And, lastly he called me strong willed, as I said that I proudly take after my uncle and grandfather (who both passed.. and who also both worked with my manager). My manager proceeded to respond with “your uncle and grandfather were two very different people. Your uncle was the salt of the earth who had everyone’s respect while your grandfather had no ones respect nor anyone liked.” This is what broke the camels back and what forced me to look for new work.

Pros

Good and fun coworkers

Cons

Poor management, not busy, favouritism

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There's far better places to work.

Labourer (Current Employee) - Cambridge, ON - 21 July 2021

This company needs an overhaul from top to bottom if things are to ever improve here. So unorganized, so mismanaged, always behind on everything. Constantly back ordering customer orders. Many long-term customers have taken their business elsewhere. There's too much favoritism throughout the plant, passing off tasks to those who actually work and don't throw a hissy fit when told to do their job. Many long term employees have left for other jobs this year through frustration, and because they've simply had enough. Things used to be better here. It's been on a steady decline since I started here, and there's no hope in sight.

Pros

Pay is slightly above average

Cons

Poorly managed, no supervision.

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Not a happy or nice place to work

Warehouse Worker (Former Employee) - Langley, BC - 8 May 2021

The manager has zero people skills the lead hand yells at the crew every day telling them that we are retarted and useless the job is very demanding with little reward I worked there for 2 years hoping things would change but not for a big company I saw many people come and go some only lasting 1 month leaving crying and upset because of the lead hand