Netflix has been branded “malicious” by a former employee in a new lawsuit
In a new lawsuit, a former Senior Manager of Risk Management at Netflix has filed allegations of several types, including sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliatory termination and Covid-19 vaccine mandates.
The crux of Combs’ dismissal allegedly lies in her decision to speak out against the company’s questionable approaches. “Combs alleges that the real reason for her termination was retaliation for her outspokenness and multiple complaints regarding the oppressive sexually driven ‘curiosity’ culture of Netflix,” the file, which features ten complaints, reads.
The filing surfaced during a hearing at Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, July 29th. “Her willingness to speak up marked her as an employee not acting in the best interest of Netflix,” the document added of Combs, “an employee that was not a good team player nor a great fit.”
Combs worked at Netflix for four years, from May 2017 to December 2021. Throughout this period of employment, Combs detailed a “lack of care” from the Netflix HR department. She said she and a fellow female employee were “emotionally scarred” after an incident that was “a direct result of the culture of sexuality promoted” by the company.
The filing seeks damage on several points, some of which remain undisclosed. The allegations include the derision of a “drag queen dancing sexually” in the main Netflix LA HQ cafeteria during Pride celebrations and an unhealthy culture of alcohol consumption in the workplace. Combs noted that the “sexually oriented culture at Netflix caters to male predators.”
Besides these points, Combs also filed for damages regarding Netflix’s response to Covid-19. On these grounds, she attained a Right to Sue notice from the California Civil Rights Department in August 2023.
In October 2021, Combs asked Netflix to accept negative Covid-19 test results instead of requiring vaccination, as her religious exemption request was denied. Netflix rejected this proposal. Around the same time, she requested to officially change her work location from Los Angeles to London, where she had already coordinated some projects for Netflix, but this request was also denied.
In November 2021, Combs emailed Netflix executives to challenge the vaccine mandate and criticised the company’s practices regarding diversity and inclusion. She received no response. Later that month, Netflix informed her that because she had moved to Tennessee and was working remotely, she wouldn’t qualify for a location-based pay increase. However, if she had remained in Los Angeles, her salary would have increased by 20%.
On November 15th, 2021, Netflix’s HR department sent Combs a termination letter, citing her failure to comply with the company’s Covid-19 vaccination requirement as the reason for her dismissal. She declined to sign a termination letter with four months of severance pay, instead seeking substantial damages. By November 2021, Combs claims to have been working as a defacto director for over three years without being paid as such. She claims that directors receive six months of severance, which she should be entitled to.
The filing, composed by attorney Michael CP Clark, continued to note Netflix’s problematic treatment of staff, which values profit above a harmonious working environment. The report claims Combs’ experience “further demonstrates the intentional and malicious nature of Netflix when dealing with employees who dare to challenge the sacred, albeit inappropriate, core values of Netflix, notwithstanding her loyal, devoted, and exemplary years of service as indicated by the repeated praise in her annual reviews, her promotions, and pay increases. Combs performed her duties competently and met or exceeded Netflix’s legitimate expectations throughout her tenure at Netflix.”
The case could prevail for some time as both sides seek an amicable solution. At present, Netflix has yet to comment on the case.