Since the former president of the company was displaced by the new CEO Bob Smith about two years ago, the culture has gradually but radically shifted to become increasingly opaque, authoritarian, and toxic. When Blue Origin was smaller, there was a strong culture of healthy work/life balance, and it was rare to see people in the office late into the evening. Now, employees are pressured by management to work 50-60 hours a week without additional pay or recognition. Employees are told that it is a privilege to work for Blue Origin, so we're expected to not only accept working more for less, but we're chastised if we are not perceived as grateful enough to the company and Jeff Bezos. Expression of discontentment over salary in annual compensation reviews is now dismissed as "entitlement to our founder's investments."
Shifts in culture should be expected for a company working to transition from a development-focused startup into a profitable production-centered business. However, there is no justification for it to become toxic.