Barbican
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DismissThe Barbican is a performing arts and exhibition space in London.
barbican.org.ukBased on responses from 11 employees at Barbican.
About jobs at Barbican
Pay
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Good
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Most people are paid a living wage
Do Barbican pay a living wage?
Most people are paid a living wage.
How we know this
82% of people say they are paid at or above the Real Living Wage for where they live.Based on data from 11 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between June 2021 and April 2023.
Why this matters
Everyone should be paid enough to live on.
The Real Living Wage is a voluntary rate employers can sign up to that is based on the real cost of living.
The new Living Wage rates were announced on Thursday 22 September 2022.
The rates are now £10.90 per hour, and £11.95 per hour in London.
Employers are expected to implement the rise as soon as possible but by the latest 14 May 2023.
On the 14 May 2023, employers’ Breakroom Rating will be updated to reflect this.
Find out more in our explainer about the Real Living Wage.
Bad
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Most people don’t get paid breaks
Do workers at Barbican get paid breaks?
No. Most people don’t get paid breaks.
How we know this
100% of people say they don’t get paid breaks.Based on data from 10 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between June 2021 and April 2023.
Why this matters
A good job should have paid breaks.
You should be paid for all your time at work, whether you’re on a break or not.
Bad
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Most people don’t get sick pay
Do Barbican pay sick pay?
No. Most people don’t get proper sick pay.
How we know this
70% of people say they wouldn’t get paid if they were sick but scheduled to work.Based on data from 10 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between June 2021 and April 2023.
Why this matters
Everyone gets sick sometimes. You should be able to take time off without worrying.
At a good job you should still get paid if you’re scheduled to work but can’t due to sickness. Your contract should say how many sick days you can take each year.
This is more than the legal minimum, which says you should only get paid if you are unwell for 4 full days. See Citizens Advice for more details.
Good
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Most people don’t do unpaid extra work
Do workers at Barbican do extra work that they don't get paid for?
Rarely. Most people don’t do unpaid extra work.
How we know this
90% of people report that they don’t do extra unpaid work.Based on data from 10 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between June 2021 and April 2023.
Why this matters
Everyone should get paid for any extra work they do, even if it is outside your contracted hours. At a good job, you should be paid for all the time you spend at work.
Hours and flexibility
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Good
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Most people get a choice of shifts
Do Barbican workers get to choose the shifts they work?
Most people get enough choice over which shifts they work.
How we know this
80% report that their manager gives them enough choice over which shifts they work.Based on data from 10 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between June 2021 and April 2023.
Why this matters
A good job is flexible around your personal life. This means you get a say in when you prefer to work.
Good
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Easy to book holiday
How easy is it to book a holiday at Barbican?
Most people find it easy to book holiday.
How we know this
73% of people report it’s easy to book holidays.Based on data from 11 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between June 2021 and April 2023.
Why this matters
A good job should let you take time off when you need it, and it shouldn’t be a nightmare to arrange.
Good
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Shifts don’t get changed at short notice
Do Barbican managers change shifts at short notice?
Most managers don’t change people’s shifts at short notice.
How we know this
82% of people say their manager doesn’t changes their shifts at the last minute.Based on data from 11 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between June 2021 and April 2023.
Why this matters
If your manager is often changing your shifts at short notice that’s a sign of poor planning. At a good job you won’t be messed around at the last minute.
Good
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Most people find it easy to take sick leave
How easy is it to take sick leave at Barbican?
Most people find it easy to take sick leave.
How we know this
90% of people report that it’s easy to take time off if they are sick.Based on data from 10 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between June 2021 and April 2023.
Why this matters
Everyone gets sick sometimes. You should be able to take time off when you need to.
A good job should support you when you’re unwell and have systems in place that will allow you to take time off to recover when you need it.
Workplace
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Good
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Most people feel treated with respect
Do people at Barbican feel treated with respect by their managers?
Most people feel treated with respect by their managers.
How we know this
91% of people say they’re treated with respect by their managers.Based on data from 11 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between June 2021 and April 2023.
Why this matters
Everyone should get treated with respect by their managers. You shouldn’t feel discriminated against or bullied, and if you have a problem you should be able to speak to someone about it.
Okay
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Only some people get proper breaks
Do people at Barbican get proper breaks?
Some people don’t get proper breaks.
How we know this
40% of people report that they don’t get to take proper breaks.Based on data from 10 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between June 2021 and April 2023.
Why this matters
When you take a break it should be a proper rest. It should last the full duration and you shouldn’t get pulled off it.
Okay
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Some people are stressed
Is it stressful to work at Barbican?
Some people feel stressed here.
How we know this
50% of people say they often feel stressed at work.Based on data from 10 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between June 2021 and April 2023.
Why this matters
Work isn’t always easy, but if you’re frequently feel stressed, that’s not good.
Your employer should support you with enough people and resources to get your job done without feeling overwhelmed.
Okay
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Only some people recommend their team
Do people at Barbican recommend working with their team?
Only some people recommend working with their team.
How we know this
55% of people report that they wouldn’t recommend working with their immediate team to a friend.Based on data from 11 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between June 2021 and April 2023.
Why this matters
A good job means enjoying the place where you work.
The people you work with every day really matter. They can be the difference between a terrible day and a great one.
If you’d recommend your team to a friend, this shows that something’s going right.
Okay
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Only some people get enough training
Do people get enough training when they start at Barbican?
Some people did’t get enough training when they started.
How we know this
36% of people report they didn’t get enough training when they started working here.Based on data from 11 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between June 2021 and April 2023.
Why this matters
A good job should give you good training when you start, not just drop you in at the deep end.
This means that you’ll be happier and more productive from day one and shows that your employer values you.
It’s also very important if your job involves anything that could be dangerous. Good training from the outset keeps you and your team safe.
Okay
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Only some people get support to progress
Are people given support to progress at Barbican?
Only some people are given support to progress here.
How we know this
In the last year, 50% of people report not being given an opportunity to get better at their job, learn a new skill, learn to manage a team or get more responsibility in their role.Based on data from 10 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between June 2021 and April 2023.
Why this matters
A good job should help you progress at work, if you want to. That might be supporting you to get better at the job you currently have, learn something new, manage a team or take on more responsibilities.
This means you’ll be able to build on your skills and experience, and earn more money.
Good
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Head office understands the what’s happening
Do people think Barbican head office understands what's happening where they work?
Most people think head office understands what’s happening where they work.
How we know this
50% of people think that this employer’s head office or owners have a good understanding of what’s really happening where they work.Based on data from 10 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between September 2021 and April 2023.
Why this matters
At a good job, the role of head office should be to support the people on the frontline serving customers.
To do that properly, the company’s owners or head office need to have a good understanding of what’s really happening on the frontline. This is especially important when a company owns multiple locations.
Okay
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Only some people feel well informed by head office
Do workers feel well informed about how Barbican is doing?
Only some people feel well informed about how the company is doing.
How we know this
60% of people feel that they aren’t kept well informed about how the company is doing as a whole.Based on data from 10 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between June 2021 and April 2023.
Why this matters
At a good job, there should be a supportive relationship between the people working on the frontline serving customers and the people who own the company or work in head office.
You should be kept informed about how the company is doing as a whole, both in good times and when things get tough for the business.
How Barbican ranks
Barbican ranks joint 34th to work for out of entertainment companies.
- 34= Paultons Park
- 34= Barbican
- 34= Mansfield Town Football Club
Rankings are based on Breakroom Ratings for employers with 5 or more quiz responses, accurate as of 28 May 2023.
Barbican job reviews
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Best thing
Staff. Managing the building
Worst thing
Too much work. Not enough people. NO management. Nepotism. Not paid enough.
Barbican Operations manager, January 2023
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Best thing
Everyone I work with is friendly and everyone works really well as a team.
Worst thing
Customers can be rude at times but it's usually easy to deal with.
Barbican Bar staff, March 2022