Qualys

I don’t see any as of current situation and office politics going on.

The direct manager frequently speaks to employees in a rude and dismissive manner, with little regard for basic professional courtesy. At the same time, that same manager visibly changes tone and becomes anxious or deferential the moment senior leadership (CTOs, VPs) is involved — using fear of upper management as a lever to pressure the team rather than shielding or advocating for them. This creates a culture where pressure just gets passed downward instead of managed.

Compensation and hikes don’t reflect the actual hours or effort put in — appraisals feel disconnected from workload. There’s no breathing room between tasks, which leads to burnout and low morale.

Introduce actual sprint/task planning so priorities are realistic. Managers should be trained on basic professional communication — talking down to employees shouldn’t be normalized. Leadership should look at how pressure from the top is being relayed downward; a manager who is deferential upward and harsh downward is a red flag worth addressing directly. Align compensation and hikes with actual workload and contribution.