Uber's workplace culture first became an issue in February 2017 when a former engineer, Susan Fowler, detailed how her complaints about sexual harassment at the company were brushed aside because the man who had harassed her was considered a high performer. Ms. Fowler now works as an editor at The New York Times.

The "Uber Culture Scandal" refers to a series of explosive revelations in 2017 that exposed a deeply toxic, "bro-culture" work environment at the company's headquarters. It was triggered by a viral blog post by former engineer Susan Fowler, who detailed systemic sexual harassment and a human resources department that protected high-performing "rockstar" managers despite multiple complaints. This led to an independent investigation by former Attorney General Eric Holder, which uncovered over 215 claims of harassment and discrimination. The scandal eventually forced the resignation of co-founder and CEO Travis Kalanick. Beyond harassment, the scandal included "Greyball" software used to deceive law enforcement, the theft of self-driving car trade secrets from Waymo, and a general "growth at all costs" mentality that ignored ethical boundaries. In the years since, under new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber has undergone a massive "cultural transformation" to rebuild its reputation, moving from a culture of "super-pumpedness" and conflict toward one focused on safety, inclusion, and accountability, though the 2017 crisis remains a definitive case study in corporate toxicity.