Working for Uber is jeopardising people’s careers

More bad news for Uber. In Hong Kong, where the company recently opened up a new Causeway Bay office, driving an Uber can now officially get you in trouble with the law. On Friday, five local Uber drivers were found guilty of using their cars for commercial hire illegally. They were fined HK$10,000 each and, pending approval, could lose their driver’s licences for 12 months.

Uber employees in Hong Kong aren't the only ones having a hard time. According to the Guardian, employees looking to leave Uber are finding it difficult to secure a new job.

After a month of negative publicity centered around allegations of a sexist working culture, a failing HR department, stealing trade secrets, and a CEO who can’t keep his cool, Uber’s reputation has taken a hit. As a result, employees looking to leave are having a hard time finding new employment, a former Uber employee told the Guardian.

As more details about Uber’s hyper-competitive, "hustle-oriented" company values emerge, recruiters are becoming more wary of people who have the company on their CV. According to the former employee, people are having to defend themselves and explain they’re not a bad person, simply for having worked there.

Speaking to the Guardian, a hiring manager confirmed that he wouldn’t want to work with someone who did well in an environment like the one at Uber.

It could be argued that the company’s aggressive, competitive culture that’s currently getting it in trouble, is the same culture that helped the company reach its current success. The question is at what price.

Last week, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick announced the company is looking to hire a COO, most likely to help steer the company into calmer waters.

"This morning I told the Uber team that we’re actively looking for a Chief Operating Officer: a peer who can partner with me to write the next chapter in our journey," Kalanick announced in a blog post on the company website.

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