production assistant

engineer

warehouse worker

process operator

health and safety instructor

James-Cropper-PLC

Worked here for several years in the paper side. I'll start off with the positives:
1.The money is fairly decent. Depending on what you do within the plant, overtime is pretty much available regularly. If you compare it with other companies in the area, it's amongst the best pay.
2. Unless you're tied down to a paper slitting machine, you're pretty much free to have breaks when you want. Or browse your phone. Or mess about.
3. Large car park to park your motor.

Then there's the negatives:
1. Cronyism. If you have family/friends who work here and who already have a good position in the company, you're guaranteed to get a good number here. And you'll get it at the expense of more worthy candidates. Seen it happen time and time again. It doesn't matter how inept you are or your overall work ethic If you happen to be a Unite rep you get bonus points: rapid rise to the top guaranteed!
2. Cliques. This place really is a place where if your face doesn't fit, you'll be ostracized. Most people who work on the factory floor know each other. Anyone who isn't on the local footy/cricket team needn't bother applying.
3. Backstabbing and snitches. Lots of backstabbers and snitches work here. Some nice people too, when you can find them. If you have opinions about anyone, it will travel.
4. Dusty, dirty environment. If you have asthma or other chest complaints, this isn't the job for you. On the flip side, because there are no extraction facilities around the machines there's good potential for you to breathe in all that lovely paper fibre and assorted dust. Bring on the COPD/asthma/emphysema!
5. Pointless management/improvement meetings extorting the virtues of working here.
6. The old buildings. Asbestos rooves crumbling, freezing cold in winter and unbelievably hot in summer.
7. The old paper machinery. Constantly breaking down, and less people who understand how they work due to the old engineers retiring.
8. Poor management. Team leaders are like secretaries and have just as much power. 

Pretty sure that this is a balanced comprehensive review.


Worked here for a fair few years, doing a variety of jobs on papermaking and finishing. Made redundant in 2020.
Very cliquey as most people who work here know each other outside of work. Very few "outsiders". To get a job here you need to know someone. To get a really good job here, same again. Meritocracy it sure ain't.
Seems to be a lot of backstabbers that work here, so if you get work here best advice is to keep yourself to yourself. Don't trust anybody, seriously! Lots of people that will grass you up for any minor infraction in order to make themselves look good.
The atmosphere is very hot and dusty with paper fibres, so if you haven't got asthma you probably will have it after a few years. Twelve hour shifts are the norm, although you will only work a half day on Saturday and Sunday is paid at double time.
Management are pretty clueless and spend most of the time patting each other on the back. The team leaders are basically paper tigers who have zero power. Training is actually pretty decent. 

A typical day involves getting here for an early start at 6am. Or 6pm for night shift. 

First job is looking through order lists and working out what cores will be needed for each job. Then I spend a good chunk of my shift looking for alternative employment.
I came here with several years experience in factories and learnt about toxic environments. This workplace has a huge cloud over it, bullying and backstabbing is commonplace.
Hardest part of the job is working with an increasingly aging workforce who tend to leave things messy for when you arrive. There is also a culture of back scratching so you know that certain people have "protection". Most enjoyable part is seeing a decent product being made. Best part is going home.









Croppers is one of the best companies I've worked for, providing me with all the training and care needed to excel at my specific job role. Full of fantastic work relations, I've learnt a lot about the making, distribution and warehouse environments to work within. The hardest part of the job is that it can be quite tedious at times but everyone does their best to keep moral up and make it differentiate on a day to day basis, most enjoyable part of the job is that its a very friendly work environment to work within and you will be looked after!

I was rather taken aback to discover that this paper company in Cumbria is rather forward-thinking and open-minded. They're quite proactive in branching out into new ventures, such as advanced materials, so they're not merely your typical paper company. They are quite accommodating when it comes to the scope of your role, meaning your job isn't strictly confined to your job title. The folks here are amiable and keen on teamwork.

On the flip side, there seem to be a few challenges in the paper business, and it appears that some individuals might be feeling somewhat disheartened.

Very familiar and family orientated, good rates of pay,no management on your back on the factory floor, easy to get on with some training in the right direction, lots of job opportunities and challenges too , unite union in the building ,can't help you if you have been there less than 6 months , best to ask for a dead duck to represent you.

Place used to have a good reputation as being the best place to work, now fast becoming the worst place to work in the area. Revolving door of people joining then quickly leaving for better jobs. Management dysfunctional and "look after their own ". Backstabbing is common and very cliquey place to work.  Wouldn't recommend. 

Management are literally killing there stsff.

3 weeks days, three weeks nights, 3 week latest.


Just let people pick what they want to do.

So many good members of staff have left because of managements idiotic rota systems.

Good place to work, frustrating at times like any workplace but paid fairly and fairly simple jobs.
Training can be a bit rushed and certain individuals can be difficult but staff on the whole are friendly.


The cleaning job is hard work, and you are encouraged to work as a lone worker.
 Workload far too high for one person. 
Workplace culture needs massively improving. 

 



Top Job Titles	Average salary
Production assistant 3 salaries reported	£30,182 per year
Engineer 2 salaries reported	£37,601 per year
Warehouse worker 3 salaries reported	£30,345 per year
Process operator 5 salaries reported	£25,448 per year
Health and safety instructor 4 salaries reported	£52,500 per year

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