I've worked at a private fortune 100 company and a publicly traded company and both had their ups and downs. I get compensated substantially more at the public one, but as a consultant of sorts, the work ethic and vacation expectations are a bit more... Documented. Either way, I must have been lucky to have 10 of 12 years with entirely competent and hard working managers, good vacation and so on. I liked almost every coworker I've had and pre COVID, we would get lunch or coffee together every day and chat about work and life.

If anything, I've lost some sense of purpose and direction, partially due to societal upheaval and partially due to depression and burnout. But I have never hated my job or been afraid of losing it.