Rivian Employee Says, “I Was Brought to Tears By My Frothing Red-Faced Angry Boss In Front of My Coworkers, I Reported It to HR But They Did Nothing

Rivian, the EV automaker, is in the spotlight again. This time, employees have sued Rivian, claiming top execs, including the chief designer and former chief operating officer, harassed them. Here are Elizabeth, Nathan, and Jeremiah's troubling stories. 

Rivian, the EV automaker, is once again under intense scrutiny.

This time, the company is facing serious allegations from its own employees. Top executives, including the chief designer and former chief operating officer, are being sued for harassment. The stories of Elizabeth, Nathan, and Jeremiah paint a disturbing picture of the workplace culture at Rivian.

"During a meeting, my boss, in a frothing rage, red-faced with anger, veins on his head, and neck bulging, berated me." 

That's what Elizabeth Curran, who worked at the Rivian's Irvine, California headquarters, alleges that Rivian chief designer Jeff Hammoud did. He is accused of confronting her during a March 2023 meeting in front of her coworkers.

A report from TechCrunch (TC) says that Elizabeth had trouble accessing a computer presentation she gave to coworkers when her boss went off on her in a fit of anger and berated her. She says the incident brought her to tears.

Curran filed a lawsuit against Rivian. 

Elizabeth Curran, former color, material, and finish team director for Rivian, filed the lawsuit against the EV automaker. In February 2024, she accused Hammoud of being "prone to irrational outbursts of anger," incidents she describes as being "often directed at the women in leadership." 

According to the complaint, the next day, Curran told a Rivian HR representative that she wanted to discuss the incident. However, the HR rep allegedly never followed up with Curran and didn't offer her the opportunity to file a formal complaint. 

In the following weeks, Hammoud allegedly put Curran on a performance improvement plan based on what Curran's lawyers say were "false" reasons. 

During this "reset plan," Curran claims Hammoud commented about how much she was or wasn't smiling. Curran's lawyers note in the complaint that Hammoud's comments were "something that other Rivian directors uniformly agreed was not normal."

In September 2023, Curran was called into a meeting with Hammoud and an HR rep and was fired on the spot for failing to make "sufficient improvements during the 'reset plan,'" according to the complaint.

This was not the first time Hammoud had been accused of harassing employees. 

A second lawsuit is filed because of Hammoud. 

Another lawsuit was filed against Rivian by Nathan Facciolla in October 2024. Nathan, who also worked for Rivian as a sculptor, alleges Hammoud created a hostile work environment and called Facciolla's wife "a hooker" because she worked a night shift at a hospital.

The report says that when Nathan told Hammoud he needed to go home because his wife was working a night shift at the hospital, Hammoud allegedly asked: "Is she a hooker now?" 

The TechCrunch report says that Facciolla, who has worked at Rivian since 2017, claims in his lawsuit that Hammoud would regularly "angrily humiliate" employees. This created a toxic culture that led to employees overworking themselves out of fear of Hammoud's reprisals, according to Facciolla's complaint.

Both Elizabeth Curran and Nathan Facciolla say they reported Jeff Hammoud to Rivian's HR Department and that he was not disciplined for any of the misconduct toward employees.

Lawsuit number three is filed against Rivian. 

A third lawsuit, filed in federal court in November by line worker Jeremiah Powe, accuses recently departed chief operating officer Frank Klein of assault and battery after he allegedly pulled Powe to the ground for violating the company's dress code. 

Powe told local law enforcement that he believed Rivian didn't properly investigate the alleged incident, according to a police report obtained by TechCrunch.

Rivian lawsuit number four.

TC says Rivian was also sued by a production worker at its Normal, Illinois factory in February 2024. Nicole Hawkins filed a lawsuit in the Eleventh Judicial Court in McLean County, Illinois, claiming she was physically harassed and threatened by a coworker. 

When she reported this to Rivian's human resources department, she claimed "nothing was done." The case is potentially being settled, as the docket now shows Hawkins' attorney is asking for a dismissal. Her attorney declined to comment.

Rivian declined to comment on the claims made by each employee, citing the fact that the lawsuits are ongoing.

However, Marina Hoffmann, Rivian's Vice President of global communications, responded to the allegations in an emailed statement.

Hoffmann said, "Rivian is committed to providing an outstanding workplace free of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. As with any organization with thousands of employees, situations do arise that prompt us to take action. When we become aware of conduct that may violate our corporate policies or the law, we investigate thoroughly and take appropriate action."

Elizabeth, Nathan, and Jeremiah all claim Rivian did little to address their concerns.

Ryan Bostick, CVO Finding Fasteners Inc. and Co-Founder of Battery Sealing Solutions, says this in a Linkedin post. 

"I've got a lot of friends that work there (Rivian), and it's a fast-paced environment, Tesla-like even with all the transplants, but I've never heard of stuff like this. That said, all my friends are male with the exception of one female, so I'm not exactly in the know." 

"It's a positive culture in my own experiences, but it's a big place with scary deadlines and immense pressure not to go bankrupt, so hopefully, they're mending the fences from these incidents."

Wait, there's more. 

This report follows on the heels of another Rivian plant employee who says she vomited bile with a "Rivian Blue" hue after painting Rivian R1T pickup trucks its new Storm Blue color without a respirator.

My recent report says that Addison Zwanzig, 20, joined Rivian in July 2023, thrilled at the opportunity to get into high-tech manufacturing and earn enough money to move out of the family home and into her own space. 

At Rivian, she was assigned to the paint room for about $23 an hour plus benefits, spraying the vehicles eight hours a day, six days a week.

Addison says her protection consisted of a polyester suit, rubber gloves, and plastic goggles. Within weeks, she complained of dizziness to a line leader. 

Soon, she was also experiencing nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea that led to weight loss and frequently having to leave her workstation to go to the bathroom.

Addison suspected that the paint fumes she was breathing in were to blame for her symptoms and asked a supervisor for a respirator after she saw coworkers wearing them. Her request was denied, she said.

Check out Addison's troubling story about the Rivian EV factory in my report here.

What should you do if your boss constantly undermines your abilities and belittles you?

Pauline Butterfield from the BAC Group of Companies gives this advice. 

"Dealing with a boss who undermines and belittles you can be tough. It's essential to communicate your feelings assertively, provide examples of the behavior that concerns you, and request a private meeting to discuss how to improve the situation. If the behavior persists, consider escalating the issue to HR or seek support from a trusted mentor or colleague. Your well-being and professional growth are important, so don't hesitate to take action to address the situation."

The Rivian employees did the right thing by taking the issue to the HR department. From there, Rivian is responsible for addressing the situation with the executives accused of the problems and taking appropriate action. It doesn't appear that this was done.

Are you a Rivian employee, and what are your experiences with the electric vehicle automaker? Click the red Add New Comment link below and let us know.

I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Reporter since 2012. My 30+ year tenure in the automotive industry, initially in a consulting role with every major car brand and later as a freelance journalist test-driving new vehicles, has equipped me with a wealth of knowledge. I specialize in reporting the latest automotive news and providing expert analysis on Subaru, which you'll find here, ensuring that you, as a reader, are always well-informed and up-to-date. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.

Photo credit: Denis Flierl via Rivian