Progressive pol’s ‘toxic’ workplace
BAD ‘REP’:
More than a dozen former staffers of Rep. Pramila Jayapal have accused the Democrat of creating a “toxic and abusive” workplace — calling her actions “contrary to the public expectations she has set for others,” according to a new report.
Jayapal, who has been a vocal proponent of progressive policies for workers across the country such as raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, was accused of running a “dysfunctional and volatile” workplace in a scathing report by BuzzFeed News. The report, which was the result of a three-month investigation by the outlet, cited 14 former staffers who all spoke anonymously due to fears of retaliation.
“I’ve worked in bad environments before, and I have worked in some awful environments before for some awful people. I’ve been colleagues with some awful people,” one former staffer said.
“I have never worked in a place that has made me so miserable and so not excited for public service as Pramila Jayapal’s office.”
The former staffers claimed Jayapal berated staff in front of others, constantly changed expectations and demanded grueling hours. Per the report, Jayapal’s office has had one of the highest staff turnover rates in the House since she was sworn in. Out of the 16 current members of her personal staff, only five have worked in the roles for more than two years while nine started less than a year ago.
“It’s not sustainable to be able to stay for too long,” one former staffer said.
While another former staff member described Jayapal as an “effective public advocate for workers,” they added that “she just doesn’t recognize that the staff are also humans.”
The Washington state progressive has been accused of yelling at a staffer during a House Budget Committee hearing in 2019, reportedly bringing the employee to tears.
Jayapal’s office did not deny the incident to BuzzFeed News and said, “The anecdote is in no way representative of what it is like to work
for someone who has spent decades being a champion of the rights of all workers.”
Multiple sources also alleged that Jayapal once blamed a staffer for her own personal weight gain, claiming there wasn’t enough gym time on her schedule.
Many of the staffers cited in the report allegedly had to seek therapy while working for the Democrat, noting an unbalanced work-life schedule. One staffer called the office environment “so toxic and abusive that I felt like the only way I could continue to function both in my professional and personal life was to seek therapy and counseling.” That staffer later said that “leaving was the only choice.”
The staffers alleged their personal lives were affected by long hours, specifically regularly working 12hour-plus days without significant breaks. While those hours are not uncommon in the nation’s capital, one former staffer broke down their salary with the hours worked.
“If you were to divide it into an hourly wage, it would probably be like $12 to $15 an hour,” the staffer said. “Which is not ideal when considering, like, we are advocating for a $15 minimum wage.”
Lilah Pomerance, Jayapal’s chief of staff, accused BuzzFeed News of “cherry-picking” anecdotes that lacked context and showed “ugly stereotypes.”