My experience at Booking.com's Athens office was nothing short of a nightmare, turning what could have been a great opportunity into a toxic and demoralizing ordeal. From the start, everything appeared perfect, but it quickly unraveled due to deep-rooted issues in management and company culture.
One of the most shocking aspects is how easily the company can dismiss employees without any real justification. With the full backing of area managers, regional managers, and HR, they can fire you before you've even had a chance to demonstrate results. The reasons provided are either vague, contradictory, or nonexistent, leaving you feeling blindsided and undervalued. It creates an atmosphere of constant insecurity where performance doesn't seem to matter as much as arbitrary decisions from higher-ups.
The workplace toxicity is on another level. Some colleagues are so aggressive and unprofessional that they openly insult and humiliate you during meetings—even with the area manager present. You hesitate to push back because the cliques and friendships within the team are so entrenched that speaking up feels like inviting bullying or retaliation. It's a culture of favoritism where personal alliances trump professionalism, fostering an environment of intimidation that makes daily work unbearable.
Worse still, HR is completely unresponsive. I submitted formal complaints about multiple incidents of harassment and unprofessional behavior, but they were entirely ignored. No follow-up, no investigation—nothing. It sends a clear message that employee well-being isn't a priority, and issues like bullying are swept under the rug to protect the status quo.
It's a real shame because the job starts off looking like a dream, but the reality is a dysfunctional system that prioritizes politics over people and productivity.
Advice to Management:
Address the toxic culture head-on by enforcing zero-tolerance policies for bullying and ensuring HR actually investigates complaints. Stop arbitrary firings and focus on fair evaluations based on performance. Without changes, you'll continue losing talented employees to this hostile environment.
