Unhealthy - Manager Gelato Employee Review

I left Gelato a while ago and it took me some time to decide to write a review. I’m doing this now mainly due to the volume of new job offers and all the press coverage they recently generated. Future hires need to be aware of what they are signing up for. When I reflect on my time in Gelato, I feel that losing control over my life and not being able to express myself freely was my biggest pain. The work is insane. I like working hard, but this is just another level of it. Gelato does not take responsibility for the mental well-being of its employees. You need to constantly be fine, energised, capable, responsive, agile and always on. You always have a feeling that you are not good enough, you feel guilty when closing your laptop at 17, when not checking your emails over the weekends, Christmas, your annual leave, your work is never enough. No mentorship, no mature leadership, management based on “what the CEO thinks”. Forget about your own judgment, you will be told what to do, what to say, and (even) how to feel about things. Your expression and behavior during meetings will be judged and you will get feedback about being not positive enough, moving too much, being tired etc. Gelato leaves no space for creativity, you are being micromanaged and you are expected to micromanage. The friendliness and being casual with your colleagues is not encouraged, you are here to work. Compassion is perceived as a weakness. No one is interested in what sort of knowledge and experience we have, you need to fit in and follow the “vision”. “Gelato culture” doesn’t exist, it is there to cover the crazy turnover: he/she left because he/she was not a "culture fit". Gelato is not interested in who you are as a person, no one has time for this. Don’t expect any sort of celebration of hard work or dedication, an occasional tap on the shoulder should be enough. Why have I stayed so long? There is such a sophisticated mental manipulation happening in Gelato, especially when you are an overachiever, or a foreigner, or someone just starting your career. The salary, the growth, and the waves of good and bad make Gelato a toxic partner in your work development. Think twice before you join.