My manager tried to make us spy on each other for "loyalty" and it backfired spectacularly
I worked as a senior dev for this mid sized tech firm for about three years. Everything was fine until we got a new department head who apparently watched too many spy thrillers. He started this "Internal Excellence Initiative" which was basically just a fancy name for snitching. He pulled a few of us into private meetings and hinted that if we reported "negative attitudes" or anyone looking for other jobs , it would reflect very well on our annual reviews.
I ignored it at first thinking it was just some weird management fad. But then he started sending these cryptic emails asking for "pulse checks" on specific team members. He literally wanted me to document if my coworkers were talking about the recent budget cuts in the breakroom. It was disgusting and honestly tanked the morale faster than any pay cut could. The vibe in the office went from collaborative to completely paranoid in like two weeks.
Last Tuesday he sent me a direct message asking why "Dave" had been on LinkedIn twice that day and if I could "keep an ear out" for any mention of interviews. That was the final straw for me. I didnt reply to him. Instead I took screenshots of every single request he made for us to spy on each other and forwarded the entire chain to HR and the CEO with a very brief resignation letter attached. I told them I was hired to write code , not to be an unpaid informant for a manager who is clearly insecure in his position.
I already had a standing offer from a former client so I wasnt worried about the landing. But the fallout at the old place has been glorious. Apparently HR realized that having a manager actively encouraging a hostile work environment is a massive legal liability. From what I heard through the grapevine , the CEO was livid because three other seniors quit the same day they found out about the "loyalty checks." The manager is currently on "administrative leave" while they investigate the whole department and they lost a key project deadline because the entire dev team spent more time worrying about snitches than actually working. He thought he was building a loyal army but all he did was burn the whole house down.