Most Awful, Toxic Place I've Ever Worked - Anonymous employee Workhuman Employee Review

1.0
Apr 12, 2019
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

There are some good people at this company- fun, talented, decent people that are good co-workers There is flexibility with hours/time off

Cons

This is a toxic place. There are a group of people in leadership who insist on making this little software company a place full of drama and politics and backbiting. This group has been consistently promoted. The CEO has admitted to setting goals that he knows are not stretch goals, but completely impossible to reach, because he thinks people will not work as hard if they don't have impossible targets. As a result, someone is always being berated for failing against goals that are completely absurd. It is well known that bringing up new ideas or suggesting that anyone in leadership might want to look at something in a different way is a recipe to be completely ostracized, if not ousted. The worst thing about the company is all the "make work more human" stuff they spout, because it is a marketing ploy. This is not a place where people are treated with respect and given paths to grow.

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Workhuman Response
7y
I take your feedback very seriously and ask that you contact me directly to discuss your concerns. What you are describing is not the company I know. The company I know prides itself on respect and treating one another fairly. Our employees consistently report that our culture is extremely positive and unlike any other they have worked in. If you are seeing something I am not, I encourage you to talk with me or a member of the HR team. Without open dialogue we cannot address your concerns. Talking with a member of HR can be done in complete trust, without fear of retaliation, as that is not tolerated. Building a great culture takes constant work, perseverance, and a level of vulnerability. This starts with living our values and supporting one another with behavior that is respectful and unifying. I sincerely hope that you will accept this invitation to meet with me. - Steve Pemberton

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5.0
Feb 6, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
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Pros

Flexibility Good pay and benefits On a good path for the future

Cons

Main offices in Ireland and Framingham can be hard for communications, but we make it work.

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Workhuman Response
3mo
Thanks for sharing your feedback and we're glad your working experience is a positive one.
2.0
Jun 5, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

If office experience is a priority to you, Workhuman will be a great fit. You can enjoy free lunch, premium espresso, and a golf simulator in between checking Slack to see if more of your colleagues have been laid off.

Cons

Sarcasm aside, the outward face of Workhuman and the inner workings are two very different things. Go to Workhuman Live and you will hear all about building a great employee culture and valuing your employees. None of this is practiced at the company itself. It’s a complete lie. And after a while, living that lie starts to wear on you as an employee. There is a culture of bullying that comes straight from the top. You are either in the inner circle or you are not. You constantly feel like you are under a microscope and with one wrong move, you could be gone. But then ironically, others are allowed to glide for years with no accountability. They keep having layoffs, both large scale and silent, when they could make practical cuts and implement basic cost savings. For example, they still serve hot buffet lunches in the office every week and spend thousands on employee events, while then cutting bonuses and freezing hiring for much needed positions. They built an over the top, extravagant, way too large office in between two huge layoffs. Free food and a cool space is nice, but it gets old when you haven’t had a meaningful raise in 5 years and don’t have the people or tools to do your job. The message this sends to employees is that leadership does not care about employees, only their own egos and outward image. There is a completely toxic environment where there is no trust. Leaders of different departments are clearly at odds and protecting their own teams, which kills any real collaboration or progress. This is probably most prevalent between the Product and Engineering teams, who should be in lock step. Instead, it’s a huge battle to get even the smallest piece of functionality shipped and the quality suffers. It doesn’t help that senior leadership is constantly redirecting the road map to their latest whim. Ironically, for a company that preaches about psychological safety, there is none at Workhuman. Those who speak up or dissent with senior-most leadership are gone immediately. People simply trying to stand up and do the right thing by customers and their colleagues. That fear is noted and people stay silent. It’s a shame because it used to be a very special place where people truly cared about each other, but now it’s just a bunch of leadership infighting and toxicity.

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