> hear a lot of stories like that, and I’m happy to listen because I like stories, but I don’t know that there’s anything actionable here. Avoid managers who prefer doling out punishments to helping their employees? Obvious but not actionable.

Actually, the advice to avoid managers who are not helping employees is eminently actionable. It's just that the actions are either tedious or radical.

Tedious steps to take, before you are in the situation: find other current and former team members on linked in and do backchannel references on the position.

Radical steps to take, after you are in the situation: quit your job and find another one.