quality assurance technician

utility worker

forklift operator

sanitation worker

shift manager

SUJA Juice

The good 
The product is excellent, the juice does taste good, and it's healthy, I did feel good about putting my time and energy into a product that won't kill you over time, like soda or candy, The juice plant is very well maintained and is kept very clean and organized, they don’t background check, so if your someone with criminal history and need work to get back on your feet, the work is there.

the bad 
to sum up - low wages, no advancement, forced overtime, no workplace culture, the place is dull as can be like working in a communist regime. 

If you like to be freezing cold and low wages this is the place for you, that is of course if you’re in building 1, not so bad if you’re in building 2 (the non-refrigerated building), but for a company that expects there workers to be working in temperatures below 40F, they don’t even provide adequate clothing to keep you warm, I was given a uncomfortable thin jacket that did not keep me warm at all, so it’s on you to stay warm. 

There is workplace Inclusion, to give one example, for the time I was there, the workers in building 1 didn’t even have a break room, all they had was a popup tent and some microwaves in the parking lot. There is a brake room in building 2 with a 60 inch TV, couches, coffee machine, and a fridge that was occasionally stocked with juice, but in order to get into building 2 your key card needed to be programed for it. 

The biggest issue I had was the fact that there is no leadership. I really could not take my boss serious when they would work from home and expect me to be there 5 days a week on time, when they themselves would show up 9:30, 10:00, but when I showed up 20 minutes late it was a problem. Part of being a manager is being a leader, part of being a leader is setting the example, if you can’t set the example, no one will take you seriously. Same goes for the CEO and founders, I Didn’t even know who the founder was until I looked him up after I quit, this Eric Ethans, whoever he is? I question how often the guy visits the juice plant, maybe he’s too busy off living his Instagram life and playing poker to stop buy? not sure? meanwhile I had to quit and move away from oceanside because I could not afford the high rent cost with the minimum wage Suja provided me.

I think that Suja has the potential to be a great place to work; they have the product, and the facilities necessary, but they need work on creating some workplace culture, leadership, and eliminate the Inclusion. set the example, come out on the juice plant floor, talk to the bottom of the rung workers!!!


Pros:
-Management is decent, and usually helpful when I need something.
-Permanent staff members are friendly and easy to get along with.
-There is ALWAYS overtime available if you want it.

Cons:
-It's mostly temp workers, who don't show up for work half the time.
-Temp workers also disappear for 30mins - 1hour with no repercussions from management. 
-VERY high turnover, new people every week.
-The work is labor intensive, tiring, and VERY repetitive.
-You work in a cold environment, which isn't bad if you like the cold, but sometimes you get splashed and have to work in damp cold clothes for the rest of your shift. 
-Shifts are ALWAYS short-staffed, so you are usually struggling to play catch-up.
-Pay is slightly below average for amount of work done.
-Doesn't seem to be much room for advancement.
-No orientation or introduction, you are just thrown into a spot and have to learn as you go. (I think because they have such high turnover with temps, they don't bother with orientations).
-Many of the staff is Spanish speaking ONLY. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but communication can be difficult among the team if you are not bilingual (like me).

Overall, It seems like a decent job for college students who go to school during the day and need a job at night.

As a growing company there was nothing consistent about the company except the culture. A typical day at work would consist of me getting the list of numbers to do, ie., 140,000 lbs of Granny Smith apples and 70,000 lbs of Fiji apples and 5,000 of carrots. Then having to accomplish said numbers by filling giant boxes with the produce that the list dictated. All the while driving the forklift and stacking the produce boxes in the truck where it could be shipped to the factory to be turned into juice. I learned to drive forklifts and document produce. The managers who worked with us were really something special. They got in there and dirty with us and they made life in the factory simple and easy. After working 12-16 hour shifts, my coworkers turned to family and so the culture in there was as comfortable as it was competitive. The hardest part of working there was being able to handle life outside of the factory and being able to hold down your job. As a lead, my managers saw potential in me until the end of my career there. The most enjoyable part would have to be my coworkers. They made going to work worth it. It was fun while it lasted.

My role was shipping warehouse worker.  After clocking in, putting on PPE which includes white long lab coat style long shirt, hairnet, and face-beard net,  you would meet up with the shift lead and gather up a stack of packing slips with product items that needed to be palletized, shrink-wrapped and labeled. Prepped and prepared for shipment into transportation trucks. On average, I walked 9 miles a day and lifted over hundred of boxes of various weights in a extremely cold environment( 35 degrees fahrenheit). Overall, very competitive environment and lacked teamwork. Somedays hands would be so cold that frustration and aggravation would be a challenge to overcome. i did not expect the management and type of leadership or work environment to be so completely opposite of the companies Mission Statement. Since my primary task was lifting heavy boxes throughout my shift, I asked for a safety back brace but was never provided with one. 

Day to day routine show up, wash up and sit up. Fast pace.
At least 4, the position I was in grabbing the big bottles.
Off the line and packing them and/or taping them up and/or paletizing for the most part days went by fast. I learned how the production line works culture there was good for the short time I was there. Hardest part
Bending over
The bins Filled relabling and/or wrong expiration date. And that's where most of the overtime came from most enjoyable. The people I worked with, they were a good group of men and women. And the overtime i didn't mind it got me into the vehicle. I'm still in today.

Generally very pleasant place to work.. 
A few pros: 
- no body is really on a power trip 
- they try to show they care in small ways
- they encourage and appreciate overtime.. and maybe require it? It’s a grey area 
- management is very down to earth (atleast for the my shift/department)
A few cons: 
- cold 
- biggest con for me was the training. Or lack of. Very frustrating trying to figure out what you’re supposed to do. A couple factors that cause this.. a) language barrier b) covid requiring mask + loud environment = very hard to hear and understand directions when they are given. Bilingual would help a lot in this work environment. 
-cold
- it’s cold. warehouse sized refrigerator 
Final Thoughts: they do try but it’s a tough environment to communicate in. Coworkers are a bit cliquey. It’s cold. It’s work. If the cold doesn’t break you you’ll be fine. 
***FTP***

What is the best part of working at the company?
Coworkers are nice. Everything else needs major improvement. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Everything is so unorganized. Lots of under trained employees. Terrible use of space. Don't know why osha has not fined this place. Very unsafe work practices. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Work environment seems "chill" everyone is super relaxed which is probably why everything else is disorderly

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Clock in. On the dot and be in work area or else. Very odd point system. No one knows how to get anything done or they just pass on the buck. Makes for a stressful work environment. Wait to clock out.

A typical day at work was generated after thrusting into overtime, scheduling, learning all aspects of food safety and production lines. The combination of team work and professional care, generating an enviroment for education in operating technology in machinery. Hard work is a fluent language. When you crafted your position and mastered the paper work, its time to utilize UKG to commit to performance growth and learn necessary training engaging into the development of advance methods to ensure time management. Embracing the culture and optimizing your personal benefits to improve your experiences. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
I learned how to be a team leader, work well, with others, disassembling and assembling of machine products. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
I feel more successful, knowing that I have grown with the company and achieved mini accomplishments, while surpassing many goals. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The environment is calm the culture is friendly. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
A typical day consist of eight hours of work and two hours of overtime with the possibility four.

Suja was my all time favorite job.. ever. If you have the opportunity to work for them, do it! The culture is so supportive and fun. I loved many of my fellow employees and it was a great way to learn more about my city, networking, and the organic juice industry. Unfortunately our team disbanded last year but it was a great year and a half with them. If you are lucky enough to work full time you can probably make a decent living, otherwise it’s great supplemental income. Despite not working for the company I still support them 100% and buy the juices and drinking vinegars regularly.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Quality assurance technician 26 salaries reported	$20.12 per hour
Utility worker 34 salaries reported	$17.69 per hour
Forklift operator 18 salaries reported	$18.94 per hour
Sanitation worker 17 salaries reported	$17.94 per hour
Shift manager 6 salaries reported	$85,000 per year

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