This is the most toxic workplace I have experienced in my career.
If you value your self-worth, mental health, or professional respect, I strongly advise against working here. Senior leadership (SVP level and above) routinely treats employees with lower titles with open disrespect. To assert control and create the appearance of value, leadership imposes arbitrary deadlines, requires excessive and redundant reviews, and dismisses or mocks professional experience when it conflicts with their preferred narrative or approach.
The culture is deeply hierarchical and punitive. Employees are publicly spoken down to, and leadership communication often reflects a belief that basic workplace norms are privileges rather than standards—for example, framing early holiday closures as a “gracious allowance” despite being standard practice in banking when the Federal Reserve is closed.
The expectation for salaried employees is to forgo breaks and lunches entirely. Those who take them are subtly or overtly mocked. Every minute of the workday is monitored—badge swipes, keystrokes, and activity tracking are used to reinforce a culture of fear rather than performance or outcomes.
There is an unhealthy obsession with hours worked rather than results. Employees are expected to work 50+ hours a week, often not because of efficiency or impact, but because workloads are unrealistic and understaffed. Long hours are treated as a badge of honor rather than a sign of systemic issues.
After-hours calls are common and can last for hours, frequently devolving into leadership venting sessions about other employees. These calls feel less like collaboration and more like coercion—if you don’t respond with agreement, the conversation continues until you do.
Overall, the environment appears designed to break people down and remold them through intimidation rather than develop talent through leadership, trust, or respect. Turnover is not surprising in a culture like this.
