#toxicenvironment

I have been there and have never seen a more political work place in my life. The least talented get promoted. The most talented are set up for failure, termination and layoffs.
I am pretty sure I am the next to go in the next round coming soon I suspect end of year.

Optum wants so desperately to be a leader in consumer health, but is COMPLETELY out of touch with consumers. The consumer executives: Rita Kahn, Katie Schumacher, Robbi (ROBERTA) Thatcher have NO idea how to run a best-in-class product org. From process, to roles, to strategy, to roadmaps, etc. It’s a performative executive DEI club. Also recently added: Benson Chan, a waxy-looking self-indulgent Canadian who is a a big phoney and previously fired from Amazon Alexa. These people don’t lead, are not motivating and aren’t close to the work at all. They just repeat the same talking points at town halls. In 2026 they are injecting $55M of new capital into…. wait for it.., a chatbot called “Optum Companion” that doesn’t actually do anything better than before. Do consumers want this? No! But they will stick it everywhere. It’s more tech determinism cr-p being shoveled at consumers, also led by other executive a--hats like Sandeep Dadlani and Julie Durham who are constantly cheerleading on LinkedIn about AI and “100x” to boost their own personal brands/egos. As for the employee experience and culture, it has become a toxic culture of fear and loathing. Constant rounds of layoffs, and ever increasing return-to-office mandates that can be expected to continue until everyone works in MN or India. The market also agrees, and the stock price has lost practically all gains over the last 5 years. “Healthy Optum-ism” is a hilarious new attempt to revive a failing brand, but is so cringe, it’s unbearable. If you survived this latest round of layoffs (read: firing squad), then I wish you luck, but honestly, do you want to work at a soul-su-king place where you’re always looking over your shoulder wondering if your number will be called next. F this place. Let it burn to the ground.

Received my get out of jail card this week and I'm over the top delighted. Over the last 10 years, this place has become so toxic, it's sickening. Pay for performance is a joke. Senior managers, who don't know the staff or what they do, are forcing lower ratings to get their 25% (used to be 10). If you don't have enough, they force more. Bonus amounts, given by direct managers, are changed by higher ups. It's unethical but don't bother reporting it. HR works for them, not us.
Save as much money as you can. Print all your employment records. Use their training portal to take resume building classes (after your AI training to replace yourselfof course). Go into the office, stay all day, and keep your head down. I wish you all the best of luck.

I have landed a new job after being laid off at Optum (so there is hope and rest assured there is life after Optum). As I meet new colleagues and mention my background the recurring theme is “I have a few buddies over there and all of them are desperately trying to jump ship” or similar. On the other side, I have had job seeking friends and even a recruiter I used in past reach out and say “I am looking at a posting there but I hear it’s just terrible” etc. it seems anecdotally that word has hit the street and if when this offshoring fails and they try to refill in US it might not even be possible to get anyone good.

100% the worst company you'll ever work for?

To me, it's not the worst company I have worked for, but it is one of the most Dishonest, Toxic work environment , and Low Moral Cr-p shoot of a company.

"Everybody has their own opinion"

My manager has this way of talking that makes you question your own work constantly. He acts like we are lucky to even get a paycheck here. I see my teammates come in every morning looking completely defeated. It is really hard to watch good people get treated this way. I wish I could quit.

Seems like Quest Software’s management has completely lost the plot. Leadership keeps talking about “AI” like it’s some magic fix, but it’s obvious most of them don’t even understand what the products actually do. It’s all buzzwords and no direction.

The work environment has become toxic — people are walking on eggshells, afraid of being the next one on a PIP. Feels like they’re trying to push people out instead of doing proper layoffs so they can avoid paying severance.

There’s a lot of backstabbing going on now, too. Everyone’s in survival mode, trying to protect themselves because no one trusts leadership anymore.

Used to be a great company with solid products and good people. Now it’s chaos and confusion from the top down. Sad to watch what it’s turned into.

Purpose: To enforce mandatory physical presence and ensure measurable, minimum value generation during all assigned work periods to maximize shareholder return.

1. Mandatory Physical Presence and Monitoring

All workstations are equipped with a Certified Occupancy Sensor and a visible Presence Timer linked to the employee's system. Departure from the seat before the Work Cycle reaches "Complete" status (Green) is strictly prohibited.

1. Value Creation and AI Productivity Metrics
   All digital activity is subject to continuous monitoring by Proprietary AI Productivity Tools (PAPT). These tools track and quantify:
   Activity Volume: The prerequisite amount of digital activity (e.g., keystrokes, application usage, meeting participation) required for the cycle.

Created Value: The prerequisite amount of measurable output (e.g., ticket closures, code commits, report finalization) deemed necessary for value generation.

1. Incomplete Work Cycle Protocol for Salaried Employees

If an employee fails to achieve both the Activity Volume and the Created Value prerequisites, the Work Cycle will be designated Incomplete (Red Status).

Salaried employees with an Incomplete Work Cycle will be required to immediately extend their workday until all prerequisite metrics are met and the timer reaches "Complete" (Green Status), regardless of scheduled end time. This constitutes uncompensated time necessary to meet core job requirements.

1. Mandatory Adherence Tier and Workstation Restraint

Any employee registering three or more Incomplete or prematurely terminated Work Cycles in a 30-day period will be automatically placed in the Mandatory Adherence Tier.

These employees must formally consent to the installation of an Electronic Workstation Restraint System (Seatbelt), which will remain locked throughout the work period.

Failure to consent to the terms of the Mandatory Adherence Tier and the installation of the restraint system will be viewed as a refusal to comply with mandatory operational policy and will result in immediate termination.

Authorized Release will only occur during assigned scheduled breaks, lunch periods, and one (1) pre-approved, ad hoc restroom break per half-day shift.

Let’s start with the heart of it: their employees. Chevron loves to slap “safety first” on their ads, but the reality? It’s a revolving door of near-misses turning into nightmares. Just this year, in June 2025, their own CEO, Mike Wirth, had to send out an internal video basically admitting safety’s going to he-l in a handbasket—rising injuries, close calls piling up, and he’s begging staff to “reinforce standards.” Like, dude, that’s your job! But here’s the gut punch: This isn’t new. Back in 2013, a massive explosion at their Richmond, California refinery ki-led a 46-year-old worker because Chevron straight-up failed to train him properly on the hazards.  And in 2014? A gas well blowout in Pennsylvania fried 27-year-old contract worker Ian McKee alive—OSHA slapped them with a $940K fine, but who cares when profits are rolling in?  Fast-forward to now: Their El Segundo refinery racked up 46 environmental safety violations in just the last five years, and over a decade? It’s a laundry list of leaks, fires, and fines totaling millions.  They even coughed up $160 million in 2018 to settle claims over refinery accidents that could’ve been prevented with basic oversight.  If you’re clocking in at Chevron, you’re not valued—you’re expendable. One wrong valve, one skipped safety check, and poof, you’re a statistic. They preach “people before profits,” but the bodies say otherwise.
And don’t get me started on the communities they’re “blessing” with their operations. Chevron’s track record is a horror show… Take Ecuador: For decades, they dumped billions of gallons of toxic waste into the Amazon rainforest, wiping out Indigenous communities and leaving a cancer cluster the size of a small country. A court hit them with a $9.5 billion judgment in 2011, but Chevron dragged it out for years, accusing everyone else of fraud while dodging payment.   They finally “won” an appeal in 2018 by crying foul, but the damage? Irreversible—kids born with birth defects, rivers that glow at night, entire villages relocated.  Or look at California: They’re fueling Israel’s gas ops, propping up what critics call apartheid and war crimes while communities back home deal with refinery flares belching carcinogens into the air.  A 2021 report clocked dozens of unresolved environmental lawsuits against them, with Chevron ghosting fines and cleanup costs like it’s optional.  These aren’t accidents; it’s a pattern. They swoop in, extract, pollute, and bounce—leaving locals to foot the health bills. Communities aren’t partners; they’re collateral damage.
Oh, and the lies? Chevron’s greenwashing game is Olympic-level. They’ve been caught peddling this “climate-friendly” BS while funding denial campaigns for 50 years. California AG sued them in 2023 for decades of deception—hiding how their fossil fuels torch the planet while smiling for ads about “net-zero” dreams that are pure smoke.   In 2021, watchdogs filed an unprecedented FTC complaint: Chevron’s ads claim they’re slashing emissions, but their plans? A measly 5-10% cut that’s basically a rounding error while they drill like tomorrow’s canceled.  And just last month, October 2025, they’re in court again, falsely smearing a lawyer in a $51B climate fraud case as the bad guy—Oregon county called it out as baseless BS.  Even in New Mexico, they got busted allegedly faking remediation reports on oil wells, lying about cleanup to keep fracking unchecked.  Shady? This is criminal. They lie to regulators, to you at the pump, to Wall Street—anything to keep the cash flowing.
Look, if you’re a Chevron employee watching this—I’ve seen the X posts, the layoffs hitting 8,000 of you this year alone, the burnout stories from rigs to refineries—you’re not “essential.” You’re a number on a spreadsheet, squeezed for overtime, exposed to hazards, then pink-slipped when oil prices dip.  They use you daily, wear you down, and when you’re broken? Next applicant. It’s not a job; it’s exploitation wrapped in a uniform.

This is going to explode at some point, the level of exclusion in this company is just unbearable, I had to say it, there's just so much toxicity I just hope this message reaches someone thinking of joining this company.. be careful

Before joining this place 5 years ago I used to be told that I look 5-10 years younger than my actual age. The other day when I was looking at pictures only 6 months into working here, it was night and day compared to photos pre-ELV. The fear, anxiety and constant chaos of this environment will do it to you. Not to mention more health issues. I hope I can get some of that lightness of spirit back when I leave here.

there isnt any fairness here.

lower managers are incompetent and self serving.

divisional, office, and regional folks back them... barely less incompetent, and they double down on bad calls. period...

the same troublemakers get protected all the time - that's the culture.

ive watched awful managers, bullies and bad at the job, stick around for years.

nothing changes, just more of the same.

this place is a lost cause.

I would have liked someone to warn me when I was considering joining Pearson, so here we go: this is the most toxic company ever, you will regret joining

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. The goal is to get many of us to the point where we can’t take the stress anymore and walk out on our own. That saves them money on severance. That’s why they’ll drag this out into several rounds. That’s why the culture keeps getting more toxic by the day. They want us gone, and they don’t want to pay us to leave.

Yet I’m praying not to get laid off. I despise this place and most of my team. My manager is straight from he-l. Clueless, except when it comes to pitting us against each other. People at the top fuel the toxicity, it seeps into everything we do. And yet, I can’t afford to lose this job. God knows I’ve been trying to find something else, but all I see are fake postings or companies announcing layoffs. I don’t know about you, but I feel completely cornered and hopeless.

I was laid off within the last 2 years. My experience thus far, has been one of immense relief. If you're lucky to have a good cultural pocket at Nike, I envy you. I was unfortunate enough to be in a toxic one for several years, and it weighed on me heavily. Very glad to be out for that reason alone. The job market is sh-t, and I don't have a ton of leads but I have been trying like he-l. And it's really baffling, because everyone on the inside was so friendly with the "we all have each other's back" sport team analogy vibes....except we really didn't.

The lack of any outward communication from 99% of people I used to work with has been validating, disappointing, and consistent with what everyone's saying on this site.

Nike's culture is so phoney baloney in this regard. It's not a good sign for your company's culture when you rave on and on about people's performance on the job (e.g., "this person's a rock star!", "they're so great", etc.), spend time over countless lunch outings, barbecues, and happy hours outside work, have spent years of hearing about each other's personal lives, families, and weekends, only to completely ghost the ones at work you supposedly "care" about now you don't see them anymore.

If you read the above, and scoff at it for being too "naive", or "soft"....you're part of the problem. We all gave/are giving the company so much of our time and mental energy. For what? To treat each other like Nike treats us all? Aren't we better than that? Despite what Mitt Romney once said, corporations aren't people. We can do better than treating each other the way Nike treats us.

To people who reach out - please continue to do so. Your words have been so helpful. To those who don't / haven't reached out....consider your team members who are now in isolation. They could use a familiar face or a check in from time to time.

Does any other company have the sh-tshow Wells Fargo has on this site?

We haven’t heard much from PG&A lately besides the new intranet “improvement”. Everyone I have met from that organization seems like they are 21 and have no idea what they’re doing. Have also heard how toxic and backstabbing the culture can be. Can someone help and tell me what they do all day besides gossip on campus all day?

I don't have a lot of context and I can't go too into detail without giving myself away. I recently overheard a discussion. One party in the discussion was in a leadership meeting and an anonymous site "full of toxic complaining" was brought up. I'm assuming it is this one. They probably won't change anything but at least they may see it when we tell them what awful people they are. haha

The tech’s impressive, I won't lie, but the culture’s another story. So much internal drama and empire-building, it was exhausting. I still can’t decide if I should be grateful for the experience or angry I stuck around for as long as I did.

Things are so bad that people who used to care now just do the bare minimum to get through the day. And management is somehow shocked that productivity is dropping. Who would have thought that a toxic work environment goes hand in hand with mentally exhausted employees who barely give a damn.

Worst BU. Toxic environment, petty politics, fossil senior leadership in same position for decades, no decision making power or accountability (even at svp level). Confusion, delay in arriving at a conclusion, chinese whisper are synonymous to this BU.

I have great empathy for victims being let go. Ageism is alive and well. No one will claim to have lost a good job though. You lost a job with high stress, little chance of success, zero training, impossible deadlines, plenty of unhappiness all around. A management team who hates their own jobs and all their subordinates. A kiss a-s culture wrapped in total incompetency.

So true, @gy+1k7g0fqf8. I was let go today, and strangely, I feel relieved. Even with the uncertainty ahead and the sting of being discarded after ten years as if I’m worthless, the overwhelming feeling is one of finally being free of this place.

To produce to the full capacity I’m capable of with all the noise going on here. Why doesn’t management recognize that the environment they have created is toxic? I hate getting up in the morning to come here and that was never the case.

It’s 535am where I am. I woke up in a good mood and a friend asked me about a work get together that is happening in Feb. I’m somewhat newer at the company. The gathering would require staying with co-workers in a winter cabin for 2-3 days. Having been burned, mistreated, abused, dumped on and sabotaged for so many years at Oracle, social situations for lengthy time, esp if alcohol is involved, it gives me anxiety. All of this comes from so many years at oracle around people I couldn’t trust or people who were just flat out terrible people to work with. Liars, frauds, fake. Do we have these at every company? Probably…..but man….it’s sad what a place like Oracle does to people for the rest of their lives. I realize more and more as I get older that it was the worst experience of my life and one I regret every day. I am so thankful I will never ever have to go back.

Chevron is full of toxic people who are lazy and if you’re a hard worker and go against the grain you get fired. Toxic a-s employees and employer

I’m currently in a very toxic work environment, and it’s starting to take a toll on my mental health. I’ve even begun experiencing some physical symptoms. I’d like to take a leave of absence, but I’m not sure how to begin the process. Where should I start, and has anyone here gone through something similar? I’m located in California.

They always have "no budget"

No one goes to conferences, no one does anything to really push their career.

This company is just full of excuses for one thing another.

Im tired and done stagnating my career here.

Im getting off the titanic; everyone else should too but lets be honest if you are here for more than 5 years, you are already at the dead end of your career and everyone knows it

The HR managers target specific managers and employees due to personal reasons. They are not unbiased. It’s sick.
Remember HR is suppose to protect the company, but the employee-yet the HR managers are literally walking liabilities.
Wake up Hertz. Clean house of your RAC HR managers. More specifically your top 30. Walking lawsuits day in and day out.

How much longer are we expected to wait in this toxic environment

Toxic environment, no promotions, outdated payscale by years,periodic layoffs, fake survey results, barely any a-s grinding work, clown reality show midweek. Life at TU.

Used until I’m worn down, then easily discarded. I no longer feel like a human being or a professional with over 30 years of specialized experience. It’s as if none of it ever mattered. As someone who once took real pride in my work, it’s been disheartening to watch what companies like ours have gradually become. The shift has been subtle but steady - eroding purpose, value, and basic respect for employees. The way people are treated now feels like near-complete disregard. At this stage, it’s probably too late for me to change careers, or even companies, because of my age. But I hope younger colleagues start to look at their careers with a different lens. Unless something gives, the culture will only continue to decline.

Wondering what people are doing to try and keep some mental sanity in tact amid the chaotic culture and toxicity, particularly when the market outside doesn’t look like a good alternative right now. I’ve been trying to get into some ‘zen’ type outlets like Yoga and journaling, and it really does help. Doesn’t seem like there’s any other way out of a spiraling mental cluster but would love to hear how others are coping.

It’s hard to stay positive these days at Visa. This place is such a downer, but we’ee lucky enough to be employed for now. What are healthy coping strategies that have worked for you?

I retired almost 5 years ago after 25 yrs of service in several IT departments. I retired because of how incredibly toxic the work environment had become. I come here and look at several posts, and yes, it's still a toxic toilet of despair. I bugged out at the end of 2020, right when we kicked RS out in July '20, and then here came the Stank. He is why I left. Boy am I glad I cut and ran when I did, I love being retired. I really feel for you guys out there trying to keep your heads above all of Stankeys sewage sloshing about.

Worked in intel in the early 2010s and I get to see the same thing here in QCOM now. Hiring friends of friends ; friends son. Not sharing information, misleading on purpose.

As in intel , the people who did such practices made it out unscathed.

I worked for a reputable temp staffing agency and they contracted my role with FISGlobal saying it was at least 6 month opportunity. On the start date, I join and they onboard me and let me meet my team of 3 onshore persons. Less than a week later, 1 person is let go; without any announcement. I meet my broader project team of 4 persons, 3 of which are offshore in india. 2 weeks later, my small team is absorbed in a larger existing team of 10+ persons; where sprints are managed by an offshore person asking me for an project update on a sh-t project that has 0% of success. 1 month later, I get a call from my staffing agency that the contract was cut and all their existing staffing resources were let go including my own position. This is no way to work and is a terrible company and client.

“Occurs when an employer makes an employee's working conditions so intolerable that the employee feels compelled to resign.” I’m a senior manager whose role was changed to essentially degrading admin work this year, through no fault of my own — politics rule in toxic workplaces. Anyone else hanging on by a thread with how they are being treated and hoping for a severance package by EOY?

I’m working in a very toxic team and it is affecting my mental health. I’m even developing physical symptoms. What should I do to get a leave of absence? Where should I start from? Does anyone have similar experience? I’m in CA
#cisco