Programming

• abuse in the US workplace is (generally) not openly visible in ways you expect
• and yet, sexual abuse is still extremely prevalent in all industries
• US companies can impose a MASSIVE chilling effect just by having your healthcare tied to your employment
• mental abuse can be subtle (a form of psychological warfare) with something as simple as “we’re like a family here” or “you wouldn’t want to let down the team, would you?”
• the first episode of Zom 100 gave a really good example of how far the mental abuse can escalate – between overwork, lack of sleep, verbal abuse, bad diet, you no longer have time to step back and think, you become completely dependent on someone else telling you what to do, you no longer have the strength of will to even contemplate saying “No”

I would consider what my company is doing right now as board line abuse. They've done two rounds of layoffs this year, but the amount of work as not been reduced in the slightest. So everyone is overworked and scared of saying anything in case there is another round of layoffs. Of course this is also having a ripple affect where long-term hardworking employees are jumping ship.

I currently have a backlog that is four years long. That was when I had a team working for me. Now I'm the only person on the team and not a week goes by when I don't get ask what the status of XYZ is. Or have 2-3 more "high priority" things added to my backlog.

Harassment from toxic managers who abuse employees verbally (insults, etc.) It happens a lot sadly.

I was an admin at a company that was borderline psychopathic. Yeah, tons of abuse at all levels. No progression unless you were a member of the executive teams family or married to one of them. Completely dysfunctional workplace.