Checkout.com

• Good people on my team
• Free lunch
• Office has showers

When I joined almost a year ago, the company was expanding rapidly and there was an energy about the place. In short, it felt like we were winning.

A few months ago there was a screeching U-turn and the focus switched to aggressive cost cutting (in spite of a very recent capital raise). I actually don't think that this is the cause of the issues outlined, but it has certainly laid them more starkly (when the tide is out, you can see who's been swimming naked - think that works here).

The response to this will undoubtedly be "blah blah blah market conditions", but much of the below has always been true and many other companies aren't doing the same.

Specific issues:

• The management team has fostered the sort of 'us' and 'them' culture you see in large companies, with little in the way of benefits.
• Pay feels well short of industry standards. In assessing the market, I would say that up to a 50% increase would be possible, and a number of my team have experienced the same.
• When discussing progression, I have had (and heard of) conversations along the lines of "I think you should get it and you deserve it but leadership are capping this atm". Computer says no!!
• Unsurprisingly, there is now open talk of interviewing and exit strategies within my team - even in front of the managers. Based on my experience during after-work conversations, my team is not unique in this front. Not ideal for morale!
• There has been very little in the way of recent pay rises in spite of the existing underpay and inflation levels.
• Only 24 days holiday per year.
• Equity options are a bit of a joke. Strike price is at the value of the last raise (hugely overvalued), and even getting this felt like drawing blood out of a stone. Most startups offer actual equity (or options with a negligible strike price), and even FTSE100 companies do the £125 per month with them matching thing...

Much of the above would be bad, but possibly tolerable. However, we have to endure periodic calls with the leadership team where they stand on a stage and dish out a lovely little dose of patronisation just to rub it all in. The CEO says things like "peace and strength", and the people team person nods in a way that she probably thinks looks concerned and empathetic. If they literally said, "We're paying you as little as we think we can get away with and offering hardly any equity because it will make us more money," I'd at least have some respect for them!

Don't be so stingy. If you can't do that, at least stop being so patronizing about it.