Great Role, Poor Leadership Culture
Pros
The role itself was genuinely fulfilling, and the onboarding process was one of the best I’ve experienced – clear, structured, and supportive. There were some incredibly talented and passionate colleagues who really cared about making an impact and it was an honour to work with them. The package and benefits I had were great and i felt like I could really make a difference. But money doesn't mean those in power could or should be as abusive as they were.
Cons
Unfortunately, my team was (at the time) led by an individual who created a toxic and fear-driven culture. I was blindsided with a manufactured investigation and given just two hours to decide whether to challenge it or take a one-month payout to walk away – despite having had no prior warnings, concerns raised about my performance, or issues flagged. Having been bullied in a previous company I knew my mental health could not cope with another witch hunt. I was locked out of the systems after the 2hour deadline, though still was receiving calls and messages from colleagues asking where I was as was missing meetings. I later discovered I was not the only one subjected to this kind of treatment; others also experienced bullying and manipulation from this person who has since been reported for similar behaviour.