Great Middle Management, Toxic Upper Management & Retaliation - Staff Manager Gilson Daub Employee Review

1.0
Apr 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

At the lower and middle management levels, the staff is excellent. My direct manager was supportive and professional, which made my early tenure very positive. ​Growth Opportunities (Initially). There is a clear path for promotion if you are a high performer. I was promoted from Team Lead, to Team Captain, to Assistant Manager, to Staff Manager based on my technical skills and work ethic.

Cons

Once promoted to management, the environment shifts dramatically. The current CFO (formerly the Controller) creates a hostile work environment. She is known to be verbally abusive, dismissive, and manipulative (documented for over 7 years). ​Despite my creating the automated systems for our data, the CFO would frequently make baseless claims about "not understanding the numbers," often expecting data to show things that are logically impossible (such as tracking email response behavior via incoming metrics). ​There is no "open door" policy here. When I formally complained to the CEO regarding the CFO’s abusive behavior and requested a witness or recordings for our meetings to ensure professional conduct, I was demoted two hours later. ​Rather than addressing the conflict or allowing me to self-demote (which I requested two weeks prior), leadership chose to strip away years of promotions—moving me from Staff Manager all the way back to Legal Assistant—simply for requesting a safe, professional workspace. ​The environment at the top is so high-stress and dysfunctional that it necessitated seeking professional therapy.

Explore other reviews about Gilson Daub

5.0
Jan 9, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Gilson Daub is a great place to work. Leadership is hands-on, communication and transparency are great.

Cons

Compared to other firms who do similar work, there really aren't any cons to working at Gilson Daub.

3.0
Apr 11, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Relaxed dress code Relaxed attitude as long as you do your work

Cons

Low starting pay Yearly Raise can be less than $1

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