Our Story

It was a cold, grey Monday morning in December. I was aimlessly staring out the window when Sarah came into my cube and asked me if I had heard from Sean that morning.

"No. Want me to try and text him?" Sarah replied, "Nope," and she would call his emergency contact if she didn't hear from him soon.

In less than an hour, Carol, the COO of the organization, came over and asked my team to gather in the walkway.

She simply said "Sean is dead."

In a second's time the weather became bitterly cold. Words sounded like mumbles. Aimless staring was replaced with questions. How? What? Why? What? When? What?

When interviews with friends and family were complete, it was confirmed that Sean died by suicide. On a Sunday evening, he decided to put a gun to his head and pull the trigger rather than going to work the next day.

The reality was harsh. And the truth was overwhelming. I knew my workplace was toxic. Success and loyalty were measured in hours clocked, and pills popped. Management was tyrannical and violent. Power was intentionally used to threaten everyone in the organization, resulting in psychological harm, maldevelopment, and deprivation.

Everyone.

Verbal abuse such as name-calling, shouting, and yelling was present in nearly all meetings. Late, one Sunday night, violent workplace behavior contributed to the death of a friend and coworker.