People say, after someone shares their story of exploitation, to leave and just get a new job. I see it in every post. I get it, set a boundary and protect yourself.
But consider the fact that there are not enough jobs with healthy environments to go around. It's just this pool of positions and some of these HR people are great actors and salespeople. It's hard to know how bad it will be until you're in it. Most people do not have a safety net to hold off and make a really good choice.
Evil, nasty, untalented, and cruel people exist in every industry. It seems like no matter where you turn, you have to be in constant battle mode with others. There is no soft place to land; it's just battle after exhausting battle until it's all over.
I wish I had a solution or even knew exactly why humans on the whole are like this. I wish we could all just find a good fit for our needs and personalities. Maybe I'm broken and just bitter at this point, but it's all just…unrealistic. Not to say we should give in to bad situations and not defend ourselves…just saying “find a new job” is a simplistic way to look at things given human nature.