Toxic, Constant Sinking Ship - Media Relations Specialist Ripley PR Employee Review

My experience at Ripley PR was the most toxic environment I've ever worked in. There are multiple "gimmicks" in the office that are used to entice employees to stay, but they are simply cover-ups for the toxicity of the office. There are Wii games, massages, prosecco Fridays, etc. The CEO also likes to plan mandatory social events which are super awkward and uncomfortable; however, they are required. Employees are not allowed to to miss a "company social event." There is also no flexibility in work schedule/location. Remote is highly forbidden. There are no opportunities to flex time (take a 2 hour lunch, make it up throughout the week). The PTO is all but nonexistent, and personal PTO must be taken for doctor appointments, which can only be taken in 2-hour increments. You cannot take a long lunch or flex time anywhere which is laughable considering it is a salaried position. Work is highly scrutinized and time is highly micromanaged. Time is tracked in 15-minute increments which includes bathroom breaks. Outdoor walks are encouraged by management, however, this time must be logged, too. There is an unspoken rule to not go over a certain time for walks, coffee breaks, etc. but management will not give a clear answer on this. Employees are required to submit a set number of "billable hours" each week; however, there are not enough hours to go around at the end of the month which leaves employees scrambling to fill fake time. The time tracking is ineffective and makes employees feel closed in a box and micromanaged. This is a complaint across the office. Employees are also encouraged to submit fake Indeed/Glassdoor reviews to bump up ratings. This is highly unethical and made employees feel extremely uncomfortable. Many 5-star reviews are fake and submitted by upper management. Upon resignation, the CEO resorted to unprofessional and tacky means of attempting to make employees feel remorseful about leaving. I was sent multiple text messages saying things like "I wish you wouldn't leave, we're going to miss you, I wish things worked out," etc. I have heard that this happened to numerous employees who left. In my tenure at Ripley, there were 9 hires, and only 3 of them stayed longer than 3 months - including myself. There is a constant feeling of "going under" in the office. The CEO has spoken about layoffs due to recession multiple times. There is an inability to grow in your role and management constantly changes requirements for promotion. You will likely never grow from the role you're hired for.