Poor culture of micromanagement and favouritism that blocks progression - Policy Advisor Which? Employee Review

In my experience, the culture in my area was damaging and the organisation did not feel like a supportive place to develop. • Micromanagement: Day-to-day work was heavily controlled with excessive checking and a lack of trust, which made it difficult to work autonomously or confidently. • Views disregarded: I regularly felt that my professional judgement and contributions were dismissed rather than debated, even when I came prepared with evidence and options. • Blocked opportunities: Development opportunities and higher-profile work were repeatedly directed to more senior colleagues, with limited transparency on reasoning and little meaningful support to build the skills required to progress. • Bullying and harassment: I experienced behaviour that I would describe as bullying, including undermining communication and an intimidating tone. This created stress and made the team environment feel unsafe. • Poor handling of concerns: When issues were raised, the response felt performative rather than practical, with insufficient action to address conduct or improve ways of working. Overall, it was an environment where you are expected to deliver without being trusted and where challenge is not welcomed unless it aligns with pre-set views.