This company hands management roles to people barely 2–3 years out of college with no idea how to lead or develop others. Instead of coaching, they default to micromanagement, and relational aggression— behavior actively encouraged by senior leadership. It feels less like professional leadership and more like being back in high school in a mean-girl clique (except these aren’t the cool mean girls, they’re the weird ones with their first taste of power).
I once asked a clarifying question and came prepared with my reasoning. My manager called my answer “a mistake caught early,” and then used it to justify threatening a PIP. This is typical- questions are reframed as incompetence, and feedback isn’t about growth, it’s about control.
The 100% WFH setup only intensifies the toxicity. Managers act like keyboard warriors, firing off passive-aggressive critiques from behind a screen. They won’t even turn their cameras on while belittling you, making the experience feel hostile, and demeaning.
Standards are constantly changing, feedback is inconsistent, and you’re set up to fail no matter how hard you work. HR is fully aware of the culture and does nothing. Talented, ethical, and hardworking people either burn out or leave- often needing therapy to deal with the anxiety, self-doubt, and hostility this place creates.
On top of that, 80-hour weeks are disguised as 40, you’re on call 24/7, and PTO is a sham-every request gets denied.
