[duochrome]

I witnessed a lot similar stories in software companies.

[rwallace]

The story in software companies is utterly different. The software industry is a healthy market where if your boss is an asshole, you can say "bugger you, your loss," and go get a job someplace where the standards are better. Academia is a deformed industry where funding is inadequate, too many people are encouraged to try to crowd into the field, and the setup puts all the bargaining power into the hands of employers at the expense of employees, so if your boss is an asshole, there's very little you can do about it.

[humanrebar]

Agreed. OP's story is terrible, but I see that sort of thing happening in the private sector all the time as well.

We need to have a broader discussion about closing the labor law loopholes that have been carved out over the years by special interests.