I've had a year of productive work thrown away by a clueless and arrogant founder that didn't understand the product he was trying to build and the market and was blaming everyone but himself. So you can have the crazy overtime and the bad management that waste it all.
It's not really a question of big and small. Most companies are badly managed (or I am very unlucky). I found in big companies they at least know that making basic efforts to keep employees happy is profitable long-term.
My point is you have self selected into a group that doesn't expect career progression at work in the typical sense.
Surely that influences what you consider a "better" workplace?
> It's what I saw how employees were treated.
A big company can be "nice" and yet incredibly soul crushing.
I've had years of productive work thrown away over politics.
That's far more damaging, personally, than having to work some overtime or being under a bit more day to day stress.