Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop Accused Of Underpaying, Overworking Employees
Topline
Over 140 employees of Gwyneth Paltrow’s wellness content and e-commerce company Goop have exited since 2019, citing low pay, burnout and difficult leadership as some of their reasons for leaving, according to Insider.
Gwyneth Paltrow attends the in goop Health Summit on January 27, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by … [+]
Key Facts
While many staffers departed because of pandemic-related layoffs, others told Insider that a handful of executives left or were forced out because of Paltrow’s tendency to “sour” on people who had once been her favorites.
Former employees, who all spoke anonymously to Insider out of fear of retaliation, said the pandemic heightened pressures on the team, causing many staffers to stretch their duties to include the workloads of those who were furloughed or laid off.
Ex-staffers said there was little transparency about executive departures, and that there is a conflict-avoidant culture at Goop “because they don’t want to hurt people’s feelings.”
One former employee claimed they realized they were being at least 40% less than industry standard at Goop when they started interviewing for similar positions at other companies.
Both Goop and Paltrow did not respond to Forbes requests for comment before publication.
Crucial Quote
“More than once, people during our stand-up [meeting] would ask, ‘How would you deal with an employee that’s unhappy?’ and someone in leadership would just say, ‘Well, maybe this just isn’t the right company for them,” one former Goop employee told Insider.
Key Background
Paltrow started Goop in 2008 as a newsletter. It’s since bloomed into a full lifestyle brand known for selling $75 candles that smell like vaginas (that allegedly explode), trendy supplements and clothing. Netflix partnered with the company in 2020 for The Goop Lab, a Paltrow-hosted series in which she and her staffers experimented with energy work and other wellness topics. On October 21 they’ll launch Sex, Love, and Goop, another Palrtow-led miniseries. In 2018, the company raised $50 million in series C funding.
Further Reading
Inside Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop: An exec exodus, complaints of low salaries, and pandemic burnout (Insider)
Goop Has No Plans Of Slowing Down Research Into Controversial Topics (Forbes)
Did Gwyneth Paltrow Claim A Diet Helped Recovery From Long Covid-19 (Forbes)
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