Pros
Free coffee and snacks. Literally nothing else.
Cons
If I could use one word to describe my time in the strategic planning department, it would be: unconscionable. But I have some time, so I will elaborate. If you are considering working in the this department, I would highly advise you to look elsewhere. The treatment I received while working here was nothing short of harassment. I was verbally abused and threatened at least weekly, if not multiple times each week. Management constantly found “problems” with my work, when in reality there were no problems. It was just a different way of doing things. They were nitpicking in an attempt to force me out, like so many before me. I did everything that was asked of me and even offered to help colleagues when I had down time, but it was never enough. The verbal abuse never ceased. In public settings such as team meetings, everyone puts on a smiley face and acts like nothing is wrong. Your work is even sometimes praised in public settings. On a one-on-one basis, however, is when the abuse starts. I was put down constantly and told I was not right for this work. During one team meeting, management asked the team what we are doing to prioritize having fun. Unconscionable. People are suffering, being threatened with their jobs and verbally abused, and we are being asked to have fun? Unconscionable. It is clear that management of this department has never supervised anyone, because they have no idea what they are doing. Team outings would be scheduled after working hours, such as baseball games or happy hours, and there would be an unspoken requirement to attend. If you did not, you were shamed the next day with a visit from management. After a day of verbal abuse, the last thing I want to do is spend my evening with them. I would get headaches weekly from the stress. Outside help was brought in to try to straighten out the situation, but it is business as usual. I also experienced several double standards, such as only management being allowed to work from home. PTO is very inflexible – you have to give two weeks notice for a half or full day off – and PTO is always frowned upon and is sometimes denied. The turnover I witnessed during my time here was nothing short of breathtaking. People at all levels would be there on Friday and gone on Monday without a trace. People with no management experience were given upper-level jobs, then turned out to be bullies or child predators. Nobody was promoted during my time there. The department received abysmal employee engagement scores, but from what I can see no changes have taken effect. There are no consequences, and it is clear that management is immune from any repercussions. I spoke with HR prior to quitting to get help, but their only advice was to leave. It is sad that Duke senior leadership has no idea what goes on in this department. Other employees of this department told me they often cried in their cars on the way to work, thinking about having to work another day on the job. In conclusion, let me be clear: this is a hostile working environment.
