Archive · 29 Sep 2026
Uber CEO defends demanding culture and weekend emails to employees
Uber’s CEO says the company expects employees to work very hard.
He says people who do not perform well may be asked to leave.
He sometimes sends work emails during the weekend and expects responses.
He believes this demanding approach helped Uber improve its finances.
At the same time, he says employees can have freedom and flexibility.
He protects two hours for dinner with his family when he is in town.
He checks emails again at night and early in the morning.
His main lesson is that working hard can help people succeed, but work and personal life require compromises.
Dara Khosrowshahi says Uber is a “really demanding” workplace where underperformance can lead to dismissal.
He tells prospective employees not to join Uber if they want to “coast.”
Khosrowshahi said he sometimes emails employees on Saturdays and follows up on Sundays if they do not respond.
He linked the company’s demanding culture to its improved financial performance, including $9.8 billion in free cash flow last year.
Khosrowshahi said employees can have flexibility, but balancing hard work with personal time requires tradeoffs.
- Who
- Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and employees at Uber.
- What
- Khosrowshahi explained Uber’s demanding workplace culture, including weekend emails and high performance expectations.
- When
- He discussed the culture in an interview on the Diary of a CEO podcast; he said he checks email around 9:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m.
- Where
- At Uber and in Khosrowshahi’s interview on the Diary of a CEO podcast.
- Why
- Khosrowshahi said Uber needed a tougher approach after financial losses and becoming too comfortable with its earlier success.
Demanding performance culture
Flexibility and personal time
Weekend work
Demanding performance culture
Khosrowshahi says working hard can include sending and answering emails on weekends, and he expects employees to take their responsibilities seriously.
Flexibility and personal time
The article highlights that weekend emails make Uber a demanding workplace, while Khosrowshahi says flexibility can coexist with hard work.
Employee expectations
Demanding performance culture
Khosrowshahi says Uber will notify underperforming employees and may push them out if they do not improve.
Flexibility and personal time
People seeking an easier-going workplace with weekends completely off may conclude that Uber is not the right fit.
Work-life balance
Demanding performance culture
Khosrowshahi argues that hard work is an important life skill and that its benefits compound over time.
Flexibility and personal time
He also acknowledges tradeoffs, protects family dinner time when possible, and says employees can have freedom and flexibility.
- CEO
- Dara Khosrowshahi
- Company
- Uber
- Workplace message
- Prospective employees should not join if they want to coast.
- Weekend expectations
- Khosrowshahi said he may email employees on Saturday and follow up Sunday if they do not respond.
- Earlier annual losses
- Uber was losing between $2.5 billion and $3 billion annually when Khosrowshahi became CEO in 2017.
- Reported free cash flow
- Khosrowshahi said Uber generated $9.8 billion in free cash flow last year.
- Personal boundary
- He said he protects two hours for dinner with his family when he is in town.