For those who have worked at multiple banks, are the office politics at Wells Fargo the worst of all the banks? Are any other banks worse?
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You want a toxic work place come on over to Truist aka Wells Fargo lite. Many of your former execs are there now helping to make it worse. Leshner is a named exec now and seeding your former colleagues everywhere.
Previous HR manager outside WF here, now retired, doing research, and this thread is a wake-up call. I search [site:https://www.thelayoff.com wells fargo office politics] for the gritty details, but I’ll cut to the chase: WF’s workplace is a masterclass in toxicity, and your posts show why it’s stuck in the mud.
@dz+1jtm06sv, your advice to “stop worrying about what others think,” “work hard,” and shrug off office politics is a dangerous dodge. Telling folks to ignore gossip, unfair promotions, or being labeled “horrible” isn’t grit—it’s moral disengagement that fuels WF’s rot. With WF’s track record (fake accounts scandal, anyone?), closing your eyes to toxic politics props up the same C&C managers who “have no idea what they’re doing” and spark “burnout and anxiety” with shifting KPIs. Your “don’t care” mantra pushes people to ditch their values and bow to dictatorial bosses, betraying teams and letting psychological abuse fester. That’s not a win—it’s selling your soul to a broken machine. WF’s “rank and yank” reviews and shady “efficiency program” thrive when people like you stay quiet, leaving employees as roadkill. This advice doesn’t just miss the mark; it keeps the “snake pit” alive and biting.
Don’t check out—step up. WF’s not a lost cause, but change needs you. Here’s how to fight back:
Expose Toxicity: Don’t brush off lies or backstabbing. Log every instance of unprofessional behavior—vague roles, chaotic KPIs —and send it to HR with receipts. Psychological safety, per Amy Edmundson’s research, starts with speaking out, not zoning out.
Champion Team Values: Agile’s flopping at WF, but its team-first ethos trumps C&C’s bullying. Push for shared goals over solo “wins” that feed politics. Demand clear, fair metrics from your manager, not arbitrary ones.
Stay Ethical: You don’t have to compromise to survive. If a C&C boss pushes unethical moves, say no firmly and escalate to HR. Your integrity outshines a quick promotion.
HR’s Role and Your Mission:
WF’s culture—fake accounts, layoffs, “rank and yank”—screams for an HR reckoning. The “efficiency program” looks like a cost-cutting scam, not a strategy, and its secrecy breeds distrust. “Rank and yank” turns colleagues into rivals, ki-ling teamwork and fairness. HR must:
Axe Rank and Yank: Swap it for transparent, team-focused evaluations that reward real impact, not cutthroat games. GE ditched stack-ranking for a reason—it tanks morale and innovation.
Open Up Efficiency Programs: Publish restructuring goals, criteria, and timelines. No more “capricious” layoffs that shred talent.
Build Psychological Safety: Train C&C managers to coach, not control, and set up anonymous feedback channels to root out abuse.
Your Action Plan:
Flood HR: Bombard HR with reports of toxic politics, unclear roles, and unfair reviews. Use internal portals or ethics hotlines. One voice gets ignored; a chorus gets heard.
Back Agile’s Fight: Support agile efforts -- even the new BE initiatives. Push for pilot projects that prove teams beat C&C chaos.
Drive Ethical Reform: Form employee groups to demand transparency and safety. If HR drags its feet, leak to the press—WF can’t ignore bad headlines.
WF’s politics aren’t unique, but its C&C stranglehold and scandal-stained past make it a standout disaster. Don’t buy @dz+1jtm06svf 's apathy—that’s how toxicity festers. Get involved, expose the mess, and force HR to act. You deserve a workplace that doesn’t grind your soul to dust.
Nature of the beast when you don't run the company. Things/people are gonna change. You don't have any real control over it, so why worry about it? I just focus on what I need to do and what I can control, which is pretty simple.
@ dz+1jtm06svf I mean, yeah, but it many times it isn’t this simple to avoid.
What about when the scope of your role/work changes often because upper management doesn’t understand what is your team actually does and they keep adding and shifting the responsibilities of your team, leading to confusion and mixed messages from your lower management, and uncertainty in the rank and file around what the KPI’s actually are, creating burnout and anxiety for everyone involved? This is where the real toxicity manifests from corporate politics. Many such cases at WF.
If you think WF (or any bank) has office politics, try healthcare next. Good luck.
U.S. Bank was one of the best in terms of culture but went to being one of the absolute worst pretty quickly. I hear it’s since gotten even worse since my time.
Step 1: stop worrying about what other people think / say. It really doesn't matter most of the time.
Step 2: work hard.
Step 3: win.
People can say whatever they want and try whatever politicking they want. I couldn't care less and it won't change what I do. If they kiss A and get a promotion or a bigger raise then me? Don't care. Think I'm horrible? So what? Gossip and tell lies about me? You do you, man, I have work to do.
Wells Fargo is the worst. Primarily because the managing and executive directors have no idea what they are doing. Most have no real expertise in the areas they manage.
If you read the comments in other boards, they complain about similar things. So I don't think it is much better than Wells.
I haven't seen anything like Wells Fargo Financial. They would sell their mothers and sisters for a donut.
The worst. Lie to your face, stab you in the back. Rinse and repeat.
Wells Fargo is a toxic snake pit.
AIG was beyond the worst.
@ag+1jtm06svf, speaking of Wachovia east coast, I think the Charlotte area is the worst.
TD Bank is absolutely the worst bank to work for in the US. It’s the American side vs. Toronto 24/7. Horrible…
BNY Mellon looks pretty bad. Open google.com and in the search enter in the search [site:https://www.thelayoff.com Mellon Bridget]politics Laid off people are surprisingly frank about the conditions they come from. Writing about it is part of the grief process.
Wachovia east coast people worst, legacy wf best - there’s a reason Wachovia failed.
I’ve seen worse, most people I’ve met at Wells wouldn’t survive elsewhere
Enron?
It's every where. Office politics is part of life.
Similar to other companies, but Wells is the worst of the worst so far.
Similar to other banks.