Oh, where to begin…
When I started we had unlimited PTO, reassurances that we would stay remote, reassurances that they were doing everything in their power to avoid layoffs.
It all started going south when they took away Unlimited PTO (honestly, people would take 3-4 weeks a year. It was not abused) Mental health days were taken away. They mandated a return to office claiming data showed better “connection and innovation” - They could not provide any of this data, just a “Trust us Bro”.
Then for THAT privilege, they force employees to pay $200-$400 a month to PARK at their offices (Denver & San Francisco)
A lot of employees countered with solid facts and actual data as to why this was a bad idea but it fell on deaf years. They spoke to us like we were stupid, little kids and spewed the same pre-scripted rhetoric.
Then there WAS a boost in morale when they held their CKO in Vegas. We were pumped and it was a great time! At this point, despite the many upsides turn downsides, I still cared very much about this company.
Then 32% of the staff are blindsided by layoffs. Seriously. We came in, got an email that the offices were closed and then 32% were told their jobs were cut. They were removed and deactivated within a half an hour.
Why would a company spend millions of dollars on a connection event when they were planning to lay off a third of the staff anyway? It’s unreal. And now they’re about to spend even MORE money they don’t have on an anniversary party and it’s just…
It’s so unstable and uneasy here now, I’m looking for a way out. Ever since Lindsey Scrase came in (and I knew she was bad news from the first time I met her) the company started really going downhill. And NO surprise she took responsibility for the layoffs. And THEN, she gets promoted a few days later. I can’t make this up. This is the kind of lady who clearly lacks a soul and to be fair, I guess you have to be soulless to be in her position.
Not only did they layoff 32% of the staff but it’s easy to tell why and how they made their selections. Outside of a handful of favorites, most people were cut because they were TOO GOOD at their jobs and got compensated as much. Imagine that. Punished for actually doing good work, all the meanwhile, I know of several “Needs Improvement” agents that stayed. Absolute sloppy shop and it’s clear they don’t care about their customers or employees.
Their core values are-
Transparency- They sugar coated and walked around the money issues. They always bragged about being conservative with their funds and that was a lie. They said remote work would stay. That was a lie. And they just lied and walked around the reason for RTO.
Ownership - There is no ownership. It’s deflect and deter. Or fire all of the good employees and do nothing about the bad ones.
Grit - I spoke with some ex Checkrs who professed they would have taken a pay cut if it meant keeping their jobs. This company has no grit. They couldn’t attempt to have these conversations. The layoffs were like a break up by text and immediately blocked.
Humility - Change this one to “humiliating” and I’ll give it to them. They let people go who were on medical and maternity leave. I heard one try to come back for a different AND OPEN role, and they were auto-rejected. And yes, this was employee that went above all expectations.
But now, the current state. We have to feign excitement when it feels like we’re left in a ravaged war zone. No one feels safe. If you want to work for Checkr, it is best to walk a tightrope between doing the bare minimum and barely meeting performance standards. You won’t get any raises or promotions but you will have better job security.
