This is not a family-friendly workplace. A colleague returning from maternity leave as a single mother requested to work four days a week from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM so she could pick up her infant from daycare. Despite the role being salaried at 37.6 hours per week and her request being entirely reasonable, the business denied any flexibility, ultimately forcing her to resign.
The company culture is rigid and unsupportive, with long hours and no room for flexibility—unless you were one of the “favourites.” If you were well-liked by certain managers, you could get away with more leniency and opportunities. If not, the experience was vastly different. Fairness and consistency were lacking across the board.
My own experience was marked by prolonged bullying and sexual harassment. HR repeatedly failed to take meaningful action. In one instance, I was advised to confront my harasser—who was my direct manager—as a “solution.” On another occasion, a manager physically pushed a desk toward me during a fit of anger. His excuse was that he was “stressed from quitting smoking.” Again, no real consequences followed.
When I reported a serious sexual assault by a senior manager, no acknowledgment or action was taken. I later learned I wasn’t the only victim.
The HR department lacked professionalism and often appeared more focused on socialising or “dating” within the company than addressing serious issues. Management overall was either toxic, micromanaging, or entirely disengaged.