A prominent Swedish businesswoman has been accused of creating an atmosphere of “psychological terror” in her workplace, after several staff accused her of bullying.
Matilda Djerf, Forbes 30 under 30 honoree And founder of the comprehensive fashion brand Dijerf Avenue, He is alleged to have regularly shouted at his employees, forced someone to clean his personal toilet, and made lewd comments.
Employees say that despite the company’s inclusive branding, staff members from diverse backgrounds were exploited for use on social media channels.
Degeroff, 27, was said to be a “comforter” for the team, who enforced social hierarchy through “favours”, including access to her private bathroom.
Although influential said free“I don’t recognize myself in these claims,” she said, apologizing if anyone felt hurt or ill as a result of her actions. She said, “I want to emphasize that I take responsibility and see this as an opportunity to reflect, develop and contribute to a better culture for all employees at Dejerf Avenue. I look forward to my leadership.” Will work proactively, including continuing to seek support from the coach.
“She can yell at someone if there’s not enough coffee, if they’re sitting in the wrong seat, if their food isn’t heated,” an anonymous The person said Aftonbladet. “If there was a spot that wasn’t cleaned, she would completely lose her temper.”
Another added, “The office was psychological terror every day”, with staff deprived of sleep, unable to eat, and forced to seek psychiatric help for their alleged ordeal.
At one point, Degeroff reportedly lined up employees and told them how bad they were at their jobs, to the point that one staff member broke down in tears and asked to resign.
“She could scream at you in front of the whole office, I was afraid every day I was going to get scolded,” said one of the eleven staff members who came forward.
Another said, “I’ve probably never been so scared of a person in my life,” as staff reported “crying every day,” “panic attacks” and “hyperventilating.”
“A recurring tension is what many people describe as a culture of favoritism, where you move up and down the hierarchy,” the report says.
It also included a piece of paper on the door to his personal bathroom, which was only allowed to be used by Jeroff’s “favorite” employees. When the paper fell, and another member of staff accidentally used the room, another employee was forced to clean the toilet before he could use it again.
Another example, according to one person, was, “If you couldn’t work overtime, you were automatically demoted, and then he didn’t even say hello to you”.
“She was condescending, she might be disgusted by the fact that you took public transport,” one person said.
At one point, DeJerf is said to have asked a plus-size model to retake the photos, saying “we need to retake these photos because she looks too fat in those clothes”.
Another employee said, “She would often comment on people’s bodies and looks.
Although HR and the company’s CEO were said to be aware of the issues, staff were reportedly told “that’s just the way it is”.
One man said, “The day I resigned, I felt so free, like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and like I had been released from prison.”
In a statement, Djerf said: “I take very seriously the criticism that has been raised and want to make it clear that a safe and respectful work environment is important to me, as an individual and as the founder of Djerf Avenue. is very important.
“If any employee has felt mistreated or impaired by my actions, I am truly sorry and sincerely apologetic. It was never my intention to contribute to a work environment that negatively affects anyone, and I am sorry that there are employees who have had such experiences.
“However, I do not identify myself with all of the claims that have been made and choose not to comment on individual cases. That said, I believe it is worthwhile that these issues are being addressed. , because it gives both me and Dijerf Avenue an opportunity to grow and improve.
COO Pernella Boni confirmed that Dijerf had her own toilet for “hygiene” reasons, but agreed that it was “not reasonable” for a staff member to clean it. “We recognize that there are challenges in our workplace environment, and we have taken responsible and systematic steps to address these issues,” Bonney told The Independent.
Boney said the company is “taking a comprehensive approach to improving the workplace environment,” including monthly anonymous employee surveys since April, an external and independent whistleblower function, strengthening the management team, and “includes conducting an independent and comprehensive evaluation of the workplace. The assistance of an external organizational psychologist”.
He said, “This report has identified key challenges and provided valuable insights into areas where we need to improve. Based on these findings, we have already taken several concrete steps and are currently Developing a plan to improve your workplace environment and organizational culture.