Toxic culture and gender bias overshadow project exposure - Anonymous employee AECOM Employee Review

This is a very traditional, male‑dominated workplace where women are clearly not set up to thrive or stay long term. Female turnover is noticeably higher, while men often remain for decades and dominate senior roles. Their reported gender pay gap in Ireland has been among the highest across all sectors and there is no visible appetite amongst male management to close it. Women who raise concerns about bullying behavior, workload, or treatment risk being labelled “difficult” rather than being listened to. Bullying, undermining, and dismissive attitudes towards women are normalised, and reporting issues is discouraged. HR is weak and largely focused on protecting the organisation rather than addressing harassment, inequity, or toxic team dynamics. Pay is below market and progression opportunities lack transparency, which especially affects women and newer staff. Culture is geared towards a “lads lads” environment: long hours, pressure, and token rewards instead of fair recognition or support. Engineering‑led mindset with minimal genuine interest in environmental or social responsibility; sustainability is mostly a greenwashing box‑ticking exercise.