Virgin Active reviews

3.4

53% would recommend to a friend

(1,226 total reviews)

Dean Kowarski

55% approve of CEO

40% positive business outlook

Virgin Active has an employee rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars, based on 1,226 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Virgin Active employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Servizi personali per i consumatori industry (3.3 stars).

Reviews by job title

1K reviews
3.0
Apr 3, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Free membership for you and a friend, decent pay per hour

Cons

Management were often inflexible (considering I was part-time and a student) and I was made to work more than contracted hours during exams.

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Virgin Active Response
9y
Thank you for posting your review. It’s great to hear that you enjoyed the pay & benefits! We do try to provide flexibility with shifts, but this isn’t always possible due to the nature of our business, being in the leisure industry and operating 7 days a week. We will definitely take your comments on board for the future. All the best, Jeanette
2.0
Mar 28, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great working environment and a company you used to be proud to work for.

Cons

The company has recently agreed a sale of a selection of clubs to David Lloyds. Although this is just business, I am disappointed with how the company which is synonymous with a great working environment can just cut its employees off. The sale was agreed on 8th of Feb and the hand over date isn't till June however there is very little structure or availability of regional direction within the business. All incentives ran in the company seem to exclude the clubs that have been agreed to be sold. This company has been a great employer to me for 6 years but it's disgusting how it's can cut all ties with the selected clubs even though the transfer date isn't till summer. It's almost as if on the outside Virgin ACTIVE is all singing all dancing but scratch the surface and it's just a bog standard business with very little morals and workplace ethics.

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Virgin Active Response
9y
Thank you for your review. It’s great to hear that you enjoy the working environment; it’s something we get a lot of great feedback about. We have made some changes in the last year and this has meant a reduction in the size of the business. This has been a strategical decision and an important step in our strategy to focus on developing and operating sites in metropolitan and commuter hubs in the UK. It’s really sad to see great people leave the Virgin Active family, but all club staff will transfer over and we believe they will find a good home with David Lloyd Clubs. We’re working really hard with the teams at David Lloyd to ensure a smooth transition and to get it right can mean a lengthy process. I’m really glad you’ve enjoyed the 6 years you’ve had with us and I’m sorry to hear your current feelings. We hope that once everything goes through in the coming months, you’ll find a great home at David Lloyd and we at Virgin Active will continue to thrive. All the best, Jeanette.
3.0
Mar 26, 2017

Was a great company but lost it with poor leadership

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great industry with lots of people genuine about wanting to make people healthier The Virgin brand rubs off on almost everyone Some great people in both HQ and the Clubs Positive, healthy work life balance is encouraged Some of the best health clubs in the world Opportunities (some times) for people to work in other countries

Cons

Some poor leadership for the last couple of years in the UK UK is now a third the size it once was (and no indication of how much smaller it will become) Management that pays lip service to the people Head Office not invested in - it could have been a very cool space Lack of long term strategy means most people don't know what the next 6 months holds let alone next 3 years

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Virgin Active Response
9y
Thank you for taking the time to post your review. It’s great to hear all the positive things you have to say; the people really do make this company! As you mentioned the brand and industry are fantastic and do make for an exciting work challenge. We have made some changes in the last year and this has meant a reduction in the size of the business. This has been an important step in our international strategy to focus on developing and operating sites in metropolitan and commuter hubs in key geographies. We have considerable opportunities for investment & growth in the UK and a great future for our existing and new clubs. With any change, there have been some uncertain times for our people which we hope is now resolved, and our Senior Leadership team is fully on board with this strategy and committed to driving the business forward with our people and members at the forefront. We’ll take on your advice to ensure our communication internally is strong so our brilliant people can continue to thrive in the business and are as existed as us with what’s to come! Thank you again for your review. All the best, Jeanette
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