When I (along with probably half the corporate office) was let go last year due to covid cutbacks, I was upset. Now a year later, I realize how that was the best thing to ever happen to me. I didn't realize the level at which the toxic workplace was affecting my mental health.
There was constant pressure to work quickly while maintaining great work. I was scared to take my lunch break at the risk of being judged, and I was always worried when asking to use my PTO. The higher-ups only care about results so many (mostly mid-level and higher) don't necessarily get a work-life balance. Also, I always felt like my career growth was full of mind games. One day my manager would tell me a promotion was very close, the next week I was being gaslighted into believing my work was terrible and I was months away from a promotion. Now, add to all of that the non-competitive salary I was earning, and the terrible health benefits, the place was just not worth it.
They're also really stuck in their ways. They use outdated technology which makes everything harder, but because of the terrible structure of the company and the tensions between departments, it's near impossible to implement anything new to improve processes.
Any of you current employees who find yourselves reading this:
The grass is greener on the other side. Make finding a new job a priority or you will never find the time to get your applications out. The company has proven time and time again that they don't care about you, so why should you care about them. You know I'm right.
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TL;DR: Non-competitive pay, mind games, micromanaging, and workplace toxicity
