Are you ready for the list?
1) Poor pay. In 2022, I was hired at $15/hr, which was what new hires had been given for years, as if inflation didn't exist. I stayed at $15/hr for nearly 2 years, despite rapidly rising inflation, learning new skills, and my commitment to the company. I wasn't offered a raise until I told my team lead that I had to consider a second job for financial reasons. The writing team was given an additional pay increase shortly after, but still not enough to keep up with the constant required upskilling and inflation.
2) Understaffed. The writing team was almost always understaffed. They would hire people one month and then let other people go 2 months later. Management clearly hoped the artificial intelligence implementation would solve this, but it didn't.
3) Forced AI implementation. Although I was hired to WRITE, upper management forced us to test and then implement AI later. I became an AI prompter, not a writer. Even though my job title was still "content writer," I had to justify whenever I chose to write a piece without AI. Multiple writers complained about the AI, but upper management didn't listen.
4) Upper management. They made decisions based on what they thought was best without listening to the people their decisions impacted. Not only did they force AI when the actual writers didn't want it, they split writing teams up when the writers and leaders BEGGED to stay together. I tried to have a meeting with upper management when I had concerns and they used polite corporate jargon to tell me that I should either get on board or get out. They later found out that some writers were forming a group to discuss pay and concerns, so they went through those people's messages and fired anyone that disagreed with them for "creating an unprofessional working environment."
5) Remote restrictions. You have to report whenever you work from a location other than your "primary location," which is probably your home. That's right, no coffee shop up the street or quick stop to visit friends without prior approval. And if upper management forgets to approve your temporary relocation? Then you have to use the PTO days you accrued, even though it's not your fault.
6) Bad PTO policy. All your PTO accrues, except for the 1 floating holiday you get after your first year at the company. You can only accrue up to 10 days a year and that will be everything: sick, vacation, family emergency, etc. Once you decide to leave (which you will), they will not pay out your accrued PTO if your state law doesn't require them to do so, which means they basically steal from you. But they also won't let you use any PTO after you've submitted your notice-- even if you have a family emergency like I did and only want a few hours.
