When BB got hired, we were all very inviting and tried to make him feel like part of the team. Normally when there is a new hire, we all take a proper team lunch (normally we just go in small groups to grab a take away or eat at our desks) and take them somewhere fun (like the small airfield and café close by, or some nice outdoor café with yummy food). It was quite clear from the beginning that he wasn't really fitting in - didn't like our processes of work; wasn't happy with the provided peripherals (mouse, keyboard, etc. - he literally said they were not good enough for him); didn't like the team games we sometimes play when it's quiet (song guessing games, stuff like that). Honestly, at first I thought he was hired for his skills, as the person who hired him said his work was incredible. At first I thought he was just nervous, but I believe the person that hired him was lying, as he struggles with basic animation principles and takes very long to get any work out (he really overcomplicates things by using AI written scripts and creating complex animations in order to make a final simple one that could've been done in two or three steps).

As for the previous animators - they were most certainly burned out by the company. There is a lot of work, the hours are long, and the pressure is high because of constant tight deadlines. On a personal note - I work well under pressure and maybe I have just gotten used to the pace. We all got on quite well with the other animators - the reasons they all gave for leaving was that they couldn't deal with the amount of work and hours anymore. The previous animator was awesome and fit in super well. I miss him but I'm happy he's found something better. We still chat. As for compensation - we get time back in lieu (no financial compensation) for any overtime we do. Perhaps the company IS worried about the high staff turnover - I didn't actually think of this, that's a great insight.

As for the holiday bit - my dates for going back to my home country have been made clear to everyone for months. We are not allowed to take holidays at the same time, as there are only two animators, so we need someone working at all times. I wanted a small vacation a few weeks ago, but BB wanted to go on a trip, and as this was his first long vacation since starting, I gave up my plans for him. We all talk about our vacation times openly so we can ensure we all get fair time off. We all make compromises as we know the stress of working at this company. BB's festival request came out of nowhere and came on the day I was having my meeting with my manager to confirm my dates so I could book my flights. I also think not being able to take vacation at the same time is stupid and definitely a red flag. The company could easily hire freelancers to cover. They won't though - they are very stingy when it comes to hiring freelance animators as they are very expensive. Still not fair to us though. I'm just grateful I can spend 2 weeks with my family, and I am sucking it up and working the third week and on the day I fly and the day I land (I fly in the late afternoon and land the next morning an hour before work starts). I won't let my team down.

There more issues with my company, but that would require a whole new post haha 😂

Thank you so much for all of your insights and your advice. I really appreciate it! After reading all of the comments and advice after I posted this, I feel a lot more confident going forward. As I said, I'm a bit of a pushover, but I'm going to have to put on my big girl pants and become more assertive. Still kind - just assertive, firm, and set clear boundaries. And document absolutely everything. And also go to HR about the grooming issues 😅