Thinx has become synonymous with feminism since it launched its period underwear two years ago. The start-up became an instant success and generated millions of dollars in revenue, but it seems to have neglected its most crucial asset—it’s people.
It was reported that some employees left Thinx last month, and several current and past employees spoke with Racked, saying that the toxic work culture, substandard pay, meager benefits and few perks have resulted in frustration and dissatisfaction among workers.
One former employee said that working at Thinx was akin to being in a “middle school environment.” The worker, who asked not to be named by the site, said that the company pitted people against each other and that they were called petty and immature “millennials that don’t know anything.”
In addition to all of these, the worker claimed that they were all being paid about $30,000 below industry standard salaries. The employee said that working at Thinx was like being in an abusive relationship wherein you never know what awaits you on any given day.
“One day they could be in a super great mood and everything’s fine and dandy and you’re being praised left and right, or else you walk in and you’re treated like dirt,” said the former employee. “To wake up every day and not know how you’re going to be treated that day is really quite awful.”
Some employees took to Glassdoor to post scathing reviews about Thinx, with one reviewer saying that CEO Miki Agrawal is “a time bomb and a liability.” But it appears that a war of sorts has broken out on the site, with some singing their praises for Thinx, while others had nothing but negative things to say about the company.
A current employee gave Thinx five stars on the company review site, saying that Agrawal has an open door policy and “will cheer the loudest for you over every small win.” However, a former employee told readers to “sprint away from this abusive, tyrannical company,” adding that the positive reviews on Glassdoor were ordered by the CEO herself while she stood over employees’ shoulders.
Racked’s sources claimed that Agrawal approached three employees and instructed them to write glowing reviews of the company, and when one failed to accomplish this, she was allegedly told that there was “no other option.”
Another former employee claimed that the CEO is “extremely ageist” and hires top talent millennials because they’re “young and cheap.” It was also said that Agrawal makes inappropriate remarks about employees’ weight, body shape, and race, and will take credit for every single aspect of Thinx’s success.
“It broke my heart to leave [the company], but at the end of the day quitting was the feminist decision,” said the worker.
For more, check out Jobs & Hire’s report on how to deal with ageism in the workplace.
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