In my first six weeks at G2, I filed a serious harassment complaint with my manager and HR. The individual I filed against (I now know) had numerous reports filed against him prior to me joining the company ranging from physically intimidating and harassing building employees so that the building management had issued a warning to the company regarding him, to other employees (all female) issuing complaints regarding his unprofessionalism and risk to the business, to a top client prospect (also female) issuing a complaint against him for harassing her by calling her over a dozen times in a day and physically confronting her while in a bar outside of work. Despite all this, I was told that I needed to handle it myself. And I was then forced to continue to closely work with him and continue to have to file complaints about him for the rest of my employment. One of the reasons given to me was that, no one else can handle him.... My VP would not speak to me about any of the complaints I had filed and instead told me that I was paid enough money to not have the option of having management step in, and that I would need to continue to handle it myself.
This individual was able to move on from the company with a positive referral from management.
While at G2, I was exposed to incredibly toxic management styles.
My colleagues who went on maternity and paternity leave were trash talked by senior leadership to HR and to other members of the team, such as myself. And in some instances, these colleagues were forced to return earlier than they requested in-line with state maternity and paternity leave policy, at risk of completely losing their jobs. These individuals also returned to demoted job titles. One such individual who ended up fighting it and taking the additional leave owed to them, was used as an example of how not to act when asking for time off in front of the rest of the department while on leave by the team director.
I was consistently throughout my entire time at G2 harassed and bullied by my colleagues and clients. Every time I raised the issue to my direct leadership, I was told that it was my job to handle these situations. And that I was paid enough money to not need managerial assistance.
One of my colleagues bullied me into covering for a vacation they took to Asia without the company knowing. This individual then flew from Asia sick to the United States. I contracted Covid from this individual and was severely sick, but took only a week off work. When I returned to work, I was put on a performance plan for gossip based on a false claim made by this same individual to my VP while I was out. I had been nominated by the same member of senior leadership (my VP) 3 weeks prior for exemplary work that was described as a model of what others should be doing in their jobs, yet this VP sited in the report that I had clearly not been meeting expectations for months. I was never given the opportunity to combat these false claims. The colleague who had bullied me, then infected me, then went to management and made up claims about me, had no repercussions and is still at the company. (This individual is known across departments as a bully. Yelling at individuals in professional settings, sending mean text messages, emails and slacks. But has not had any repercussions.) What resulted was that while I was sick with Covid I was forced to submit my resignation without ever having the chance to defend myself. I then had to look for a new job in a pandemic using an inhaler for the first time in my life in between breaks to make sure I could breathe. I was told my certain members of leadership that they would be a reference for me. When they were called, I was told by each company that they never answered the phone nor returned their calls.
The senior leadership member (my VP) who took these actions to get rid of me never spoke to me again for the remainder of my two months with the company and has never spoken to me since. I worked 14-16 hour days my entire time at the company. I was known by the janitorial staff since I was always the first one in and the last one out. The janitorial staff were the only ones who left me a note on my desk while i was out wishing me a speedy recovery.
I was told by other members of leadership (who I did not directly report into) that they "saw me" and that "it's clear you are the glue keeping all this together. Please hold tight," since I had repeatedly gone to them for help with the toxic work environment. But when push came to shove, no one protected me, or stood up for me.
There was at one point in the beginning of my time at G2 a "Women of G2" Slack channel. This channel was shut down by HR because the women in it had been accused of "man-hating" by other members of the company.
In combination with how:
- I was treated,
- How bullies and harassers were treated/not punished,
- How colleagues taking legal maternity and paternity leave were intimidated into returning to work despite legally being allowed to take more time with their babies and ultimately demoted,
- How women who wanted to speak to other women in the company were treated,
and the lack of female representation in senior leadership,
this is not a company I would recommend anyone join.
