Pros
It was a tight-knit team, and bonding with colleagues came easily—but only because we shared the collective trauma of enduring such a toxic workplace. Ironically, this camaraderie was one of the reasons people stuck around longer than they probably should have.
Cons
Overworking was the norm. I still remember my first day in the office—I started packing up around 5 PM, only for the founders to make a comment like, “Have you worked enough today?” This created an unspoken pressure where no one wanted to be the first to leave, leaving everyone feeling guilty for heading out at a reasonable hour. Then there were the so-called Friday team drinks. These weren’t optional social gatherings—they were mandatory. Every Friday, we were forced to stay late, drink alcohol, and "bond." If you opted out, the founders would openly shame you in front of the team. The pay disparity was another major issue. Colleagues at the same level of seniority were earning wildly different salaries, but discussing it was strictly off-limits. The company made it clear they didn’t want people talking about their salaries—probably because they knew it would spark outrage when you realized you were being paid significantly less than others. As for leadership, the founders and managers lacked experience, micromanaged constantly, and, worst of all, engaged in bullying. On multiple occasions, I expressed that certain comments made me uncomfortable, but my concerns were dismissed, and the behaviour only got worse. Instead of addressing the problem, it felt like they doubled down on the bullying. Forget about prioritizing your mental health at this job—it’s not going to happen. Progression? Don’t count on that either. Honestly, I’m surprised this company hasn’t gone bankrupt yet, considering their business model is nothing short of a complete joke..
