The “keeper test.” “Sunshined” employees. A “culture of fear.”

Welcome to the “Netflix way,” a method of establishing a corporate culture of almost unlimited transparency in which freedom, individual responsibility and high salaries reign alongside near-constant criticism and a daily fear of being fired for anything from incompetence to just not being liked by your boss.

That’s the gist of an exposé from the Wall Street Journal, which seems to be the most detailed account so far of what it’s like to work for the streaming-video giant as it grows and continues to upend the TV industry. While there have been other glimpses into the work culture at Netflix, the Journal said it spoke to more than 70 current and former Netflix employees and executives for the report.

Among the highlights of the so-called “Netflix way” is the ability for nearly any employee to criticize nearly anyone else at any time about their job performance. One of the key tenets of the company’s philosophy is the “keeper test,” in which managers are told to decide if they would be willing to fight for an employee’s job. If not, that employee can be earmarked for the firing line.

In response to the Journal’s story, a Netflix spokesman said the company disagreed with some of the Journal’s report, but admitted that it is always trying to create a better workplace environment for its employees.

“We believe strongly in maintaining a high performance culture and giving people the freedom to do their best work,” said the spokesman in a statement given to this news organization Friday. “Fewer controls and greater accountability enable our employees to thrive, making smarter, more creative decisions, which means even better entertainment for our members. While we believe parts of this piece do not reflect how most employees experience Netflix, we’re constantly working to learn and improve.”

The article also gives details about a Netflix retreat that was held in the wake of the firing of chief communications officer Jonathan Friedland. Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings let him go after Friedland used the “N-word” in a company meeting. According to the Journal, Friedland used the term to make a point about the use of “offensive words in comedy programming and said the slur wasn’t directed at anyone.”

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sign royal Netflix deal The Journal said Friedland “sunshined” the topic — a Netflix term for apologizing for an action in front of one’s colleagues — but was still relieved of his duties in June.

However, at the retreat, which was held in July, the Journal said Hastings apologized for taking too long to act on the Friedland matter. And to show how serious he was, Hastings cut a lemon in half, squeezed some juice into a cup, drank it, and gave the old adage, “When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.”