The New York Times conducted interviews with other 30 current and former Uber employees after a tell-all blog by a former Uber engineer ignited the Internet. The Times investigation uncovered a pervasive environment that encourages workers to harass and backstab one another. Managers routinely harassed their employees and discriminated against them based on orientation, sex, and more.
Silicon Valley is famous for its relentless drive for profit, to change the world or any other metric. Regardless, these companies are defined by their ability to squeeze every bit of productivity out of their employees. Uber is no exception. Before employees join the company, they are asked to subscribe to 14 “core company values” which range from “always be hustling” to being “obsessed” with the customer.
Many employees argue that these values, which stem from the CEO Travis Kalanick, tacitly approve or even encourage the toxic work environment. One employee reported that a female employee was groped by a manager at a company retreat and the manager’s face no repercussions. Another employee was screamed at and threatened with a baseball mat when he didn’t meet targets. And yet another manager yelled homophobic remarks at an employee after a heated debate over a project.
Are your rights to a safe work environment routinely violated by your employer? If they are, you may want to contact a lawyer for legal advice. You are entitled to a work environment that is free from harassment. An attorney can go over each incident with you and determine the best legal strategies to address them. You don’t need to fight this on your own; an attorney can watch your back.
Source: The New York Times, “Inside Uber’s Aggressive, Unrestrained Workplace Culture,” Mike Isaac, February 22, 2017
