Do not join - werkgeversreview Software Engineer bij Programus

Working directly with clients provides excellent exposure and fast learning. Some of the senior leadership—especially the COO—bring exceptional clarity and problem-solving skills. He is tough but has a brilliant mind and consistently finds a way to navigate complex situations. I learned a lot from him and a few other senior team members who genuinely elevate the organisation. Same with CTO.

Not all team members are up to the expected standard, which often impacts delivery timelines. The QA function in particular requires stronger talent; the current setup makes it difficult to maintain quality and avoid issues late in the cycle. Delivery timelines can be tight, and there are periods of weekend or extra-hours work that could have been avoided with higher overall quality in development and QA. Productive times

The salary is paid in foreign currency, but it’s not competitive—and to make matters worse, your compensation isn’t kept confidential; everyone knows how much you earn.

This is a project-based company that operates more like a grind shop. As soon as you’re done with training, you’re thrown into a project—usually one that’s already midway and left hanging because someone else has quit due to the same toxic environment. From day one, you’re expected to work from 7 AM to 10 PM, with little to no breaks. Most of your day is spent on endless calls, and you’ll barely get time to even eat one proper meal. Forget about having a balanced workday. If you’re hoping to catch a break on weekends—don’t. Saturday and Sunday are filled with surprise messages: “Can you test this?”, “Can you complete that?”, “Just one small task.” Your time is never respected. And don’t expect Sri Lankan holidays off either—this place runs on a UK calendar, but only when it suits them. You’ll work Sri Lankan holidays, but won’t get a break on UK holidays either because “you’re at home anyway.” And if by some miracle you manage to become efficient—finishing your brutal 12–14 hour day faster—they’ll punish you for it by assigning you to another project. It’s a never-ending cycle of burnout masked as “project urgency.”