Listen to your employees and get rid of the bad actors - Communications Independent Publishers Group Employee Review

- There is a serious lack of diversity within the office, and a culture of racism is spreading. The DC employees, many of whom are Black or Latinx, work harder than anyone else, yet rarely receive the recognition they deserve, and are separated from participating in the company culture. BIPOC employees have faced harassment to the point where they feel unsafe and ultimately leave the company (eg. supervisors using racial slurs without consequences and blatant tokenism) . On top of all of that, IPG openly aligns itself with ultra-conservative publishers that produce anti-Semitic, anti-Black, and anti-women books. When you work with the publisher that literally published "If I Did It" by OJ Simpson, it's time to reevaluate your business. - On the topic of race, Chicago Review Press needs cultural sensitivity training. It constantly publishes books on Black history and culture written by predominantly white men. The literary blackface is real and does not go unnoticed. If you want to call yourself a social justice-oriented publisher, learn how to be a proper ally first. - As a whole, Chicago Review Press is a mess. The leadership doesn't lead and the acquisitions are so out of touch with the industry, yet any concerns by employees are dismissed, questioned, or ignored. Despite protestations from employees who know these books will be problematic or won't sell, CRP continues to print titles with poor covers, no selling-points, and unvetted authors. - Women are treated unequal to their male colleagues, despite making up the majority of the company. They face daily sexual harassment (by repeat-abusers who for some reason, continue to remain employed), lower pay for equal work, and a lack of upward mobility in their positions. Women make up a majority of the company, and yet the handful of men regularly speak over the women, dismiss their opinions, and haves even yelled at them during meetings for not doing their jobs to the satisfaction of the men who don't even work in the same departments. When the company restructured a few years ago, IPG deliberately promoted several women to managerial roles in an attempt to be seen as gender-inclusive, yet provided them with poor pay, no resources, and ultimately hired men to supervise above them. - Even for publishing, the pay is despicable. This is a major metropolitan city and yet many of your employees can barely afford to pay rent each month. Just because you offer benefits doesn't mean you can skimp on paying a livable wage. There is no excuse for the abysmal salaries. - Despite all the complaints, employees continue to feel dismissed and disrespected. I spent years having my spirit broken and my self-worth destroyed. It is clear that the younger voices in the company are not taken seriously despite having their fingers on the pulse of a changing time and industry. If IPG wants to survive, it must adapt sooner rather than later.