I guess I was part of this before it became a thing as I moved on from a great company in May of 2021 - and you nailed a big part of the reason.

Wait - moved on from a great company? How great could it be?

At the beginning of Covid, a survival plan was shared that included items like: layoffs, forced vacation (paid and unpaid), and (obviously) cancellation of our monthly bonus plan. Guess what the first item on the list was? Cut CEO pay to zero. Yup - the decision was made to stop paying the CEO before cancelling our monthly bonuses. 2020 turned out to be a record year for the company and we actually grew by 10%.

During the power outages in Texas last year, that same CEO loaded up his truck with firewood and went around his neighborhood handing it out to folks who needed heat during the sub-zero temperatures. (People also got paid during those times w/o the time being subtracted from their PTO. I guess having to melt snow in your bathtub for drinking water isn't considered "vacation time")

However - a director who was loved by upper management made life hell for everyone below her. Turnover was 100% in our little group and I came to the realization that I would never receive a raise or promotion while she was there. (yeah - she was dealing with her own sht on top of the dumpster fire that was 2020, but she was unable to ask for help and burned every bridge with every person who could have helped her)

I knew that I could never win the perception battle that would have ensued had I spoken up, so I took a 25% raise from another company in the same field and haven't (much) looked back.

Your piece resonated with me as I went through a lot of the same experiences while interviewing and saw the same behaviors in those potential suitors. Some of the worst interviewing practices, the lowball offers and huge levels of entitlement displayed by upper management - no thanks! If I ever "get" to go through this again, I'll make a list drawn from this post and pin it on the wall next to my workspace so I am constantly reminded of those "gotcha" behaviors to avoid.