Given the recent spate of high-profile harassment allegations and the multitude of ensuing think pieces lamenting a lack of action, I find myself feeling almost duty bound to warn potential new hires, especially women and underrepresented minorities, that they could be walking in to a very hostile work environment. While I was fortunate enough to avoid the types of major incidents that are currently making headlines, my experience at Egnyte tended to follow the almost as insidious “war of attrition“ model, whereby every day was another indignity piled on to the slog that became my daily existence.
Yes, that may seem like a melodramatic statement to make on a platform like this, but I feel that the description is warranted given the near constant state of anxiety this job induced in me.
What began with very public humiliation about perceived imperfections in my work quickly devolved into offensive and degrading comments about both my race and gender, coupled with a pervasive drinking culture that directed profound derision and shame at anyone who "deigned" not to partake.
There is dark humor to be found in the realization that the company is effectively a parody of itself - the Silicon Valley startup too socially clueless to realize how destructive its culture truly is, with a toothless HR department to boot.
But the real world consequence on its already vulnerable employees is anything but humorous.
It is a work environment that I truly would not wish on anyone, and I hope that in writing this, I will have spared at least one person the immense emotional labor it takes to survive there.
