The company has adopted an increasingly hostile approach towards employees, prioritising cost-cutting measures in several ways.
- The return-to-office (RTO) policy was implemented in a particularly unpleasant manner, with a punitive tone and covert tracking of our entry swipes.
- Despite meeting 100% of their goals and requirements for promotion, employees are not receiving promotions or meaningful salary increases. This year, for the first time, the executive team decided that there should be a "need" for more senior employees for each department and decided by themselves (which are not in the day to day of each department), effectively stalling career progression for even high performers. This decision was only communicated a week before the promotion results, rather than at the start of the performance cycle, leaving many feeling frustrated and undervalued.
- At the end of the year, a discretionary ~25% bonus cut was imposed, citing failure to meet one of three targets. This target, which was clearly met (a KPI in the low to mid-single digits, achieved at 3%), was used as a rationale for the cut.
- Just one day before the performance review outcomes, the company announced that promoted employees would no longer receive stock options. This decision, communicated at the last minute, removed yet another incentive for high performers.
Overall, management has systematically removed incentives for employees to perform well and remain with the company long-term. It seems like a conscious effort to encourage voluntary departures, potentially to avoid further layoffs. Unfortunately, this strategy is causing the best employees to leave first, which is a serious concern given the recent wave of resignations from top talent.