A prominent Swedish businesswoman has been accused of creating a climate of “psychological terror” in her workplace, as several staff have come forward to accuse her of bullying.
Matilda Djerf, a Forbes 30 under 30 honouree and founder of inclusive fashion brand Djerf Avenue, is alleged to have regularly yelled at her employees, forced one to scrub her personal toilet, and made fatphobic comments.
Employees say that despite the company’s inclusive branding, staff members from diverse backgrounds were exploited for use on social media channels.
Djerf, 27, is said to have been “condescending” to the team, enforcing a social hierarchy through “favouritism”, which included access to her personal bathroom.
Although the influencer told The Independent, “I do not recognise myself in these claims”, she apologised if anyone felt upset or unwell as a result of her actions. She said, “I want to emphasise that I take responsibility and see this as an opportunity to reflect, develop, and contribute to a better culture for all employees at Djerf Avenue. I will actively work on my leadership, including continuing to seek support from a coach.”
“She could yell at someone if there was no coffee, if they were sitting in the wrong seat, if her food hadn’t been heated up,” one anonymous person told Aftonbladet. “If there was anywhere that hadn’t been cleaned, she would completely lose her temper.”
Another added, “Every day there was psychological terror in that office”, with staff left sleepless, unable to eat, and forced to access psychological support for their alleged ordeal.
On one occasion, Djerf is reported to have lined up employees and told them how bad they were at their jobs, to the extent that one member of staff broke down in tears and asked to resign.
“She could yell at you in front of the whole office, I was scared every day that I would get a scolding,” said one of the eleven staff members who came forward.
“I’ve probably never been so scared of a person in my life,” said another, as staff reported “crying every day”, having “panic attacks” and “hyperventilating”.
“A recurring stress is what many describe as a favouritism culture, where you are moved up and down in the hierarchy,” said the report.
This included a piece of paper on the door of her personal bathroom, which only Djerf’s “favourite” employees were allowed to use. When the paper fell off, and another staff member used the room by mistake, another employee was forced to scrub the toilet clean before Djerf could use it again.
Another example according to one person was, “If you couldn’t work overtime, you automatically fell into a lower rank, and then she didn’t even say hello to you”.
“She was condescending, she could be disgusted by the fact that you took public transportation,” said one person.
On one occasion Djerf is said to have asked a plus-size model to retake photos commenting, “We need to retake these photos because she looks so damn fat in these clothes”.
“She often commented on people’s bodies and appearance,” said another employee.
Although HR and the company’s CEO are said to have been aware of the issues, staff were allegedly told “That’s just the way it is”.
“The day I resigned, I felt so free, like a weight was being released from my shoulders, and like I had been released from prison,” said one person.
In a statement, Djerf said: “I take the criticism that has been raised very seriously and want to make it clear that a safe and respectful work environment is crucial to me, both as an individual and as the founder of Djerf Avenue.
“If any employee has felt mistreated or unwell in their role due to my actions, that is something I am truly sorry for and sincerely apologise for. It has never been my intention to contribute to a work environment that negatively affects anyone, and I regret that there are employees who have had such experiences.
“However, I do not recognise myself in all the claims that have been made and choose not to comment on individual cases. That said, I believe it is valuable that these issues are being addressed, as it provides both me and Djerf Avenue with an opportunity to grow and improve.”
COO Pernilla Bonny confirmed Djerf had her own personal toilet for “health” reasons, but agreed it was “not reasonable” for a staff member to clean it. Bonny told The Independent, “We are aware that there have been challenges in our workplace environment, and we have taken responsible and structured steps to address these issues.”
Bonny said that the company is taking “a comprehensive approach to improving the workplace environment”, which includes monthly anonymous employee surveys since April, an external and independent whistleblower function, strengthening the management team, and conducting an “independent and comprehensive workplace assessment with the help of an external organisational psychologist”.
She 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 actions and are currently developing a plan to continue improving our workplace environment and organisational culture.”
