GLG has the most toxic corporate culture I've ever experienced in my professional life. They expect you to take lunch at your desk, they expect you to be on call all hours of the day, and on weekends and holidays. They put no value in a healthy work-life balance, and will work you to the bone with no regard for your mental health. The culture is truly so horrible that you'll lose your sense of self and if you're anything like me, you might develop some degree of depression related to workplace burnout and mental exhaustion. Vacation is unlimited but don't you dare take more than 2 weeks. Want to take a short walk outside for a breath of fresh air? No sir, not on GLG's watch. Also make sure you don't stand out, or bring a different point of view, or act like anything other than a New York socialite, because there's no place for people like you in the eyes of GLG's middle and upper management circles. After 2 years I had enough and mustered up my last ounce of confidence to leave, and it was the best professional decision I've ever made. To all current GLG employees: you don't have to stay, and you can leave whenever you want. It's okay to put yourself and your mental health above your employer, because I promise you from the bottom of my heart that GLG truly doesn't care about you even if you're the highest performing person on your team. They care about your results, and the second those results waver, you're toast. They care about your attitude, and if you're not able to feign extreme enthusiasm and dedication to GLG, you'll be cast aside in a heartbeat. This could potentially fall in the "pros" column - you'll probably make a few good friends, but that's only because you will find people to commiserate with about how horrible your work lives are. They'll be your saving grace, the people who keep you going and remind you that there's more to life than GLG. I wish I was kidding about putting my therapist on speed dial, but it's not a lie and it's something that I never thought I would need before GLG. I sort of devolved into a nervous wreck, never feeling like I was good enough or doing enough, and those feelings were reinforced, daily, by the language my manager used. Despite what I thought was pretty good performance and attitude, GLG just kept beating me down to the point where I found myself crying on the train or in the bathroom at least once every week or so. It's not a normal workplace, it's not a healthy workplace, and it's simply not where you want to be. Don't work here - put yourself first.
