Overworked and Underpaid and Management Are Clueless
Pros
Good people worked here. My safety was always a priority. Workaholics will love it here. Staff tried to make the best of a bad situation by getting together outside of work - but it was usually just to vent about the workplace.
Cons
This company changed ownership 3 times in the past 8 years and is now owned by a fund company that is extremely cheap and only cares about being profitable to shareholders. The majority of workers were junior with little or no experience. Offices were grossly understaffed. People worked here to gain experience, then they left for somewhere with better benefits that paid more. Employee turnover was very high. Management cut most support positions and often did not replace people who quit or went on maternity leave. You were expected to routinely manage the workload of two people. Staff were so overworked that no one could cover for you during your vacation - so you always came back to a pile of work. Salary reviews were a joke - everyone got the same crappy raise, regardless of performance. There was no incentive to perform at a high level. Opportunities for advancement meant doing three times as much work for a minimal raise, if any. Excessive work hours were common and there was no consideration for work/life balance. Everyone was stressed out and exhausted from being overworked. Staff took a lot of sick days. Supervisors were Senior Engineers with no people skills or Management experience who only cared about the number of hours that you could charge to a project, unless that project was over budget, then it was the staff’s fault for charging all that time. Non-chargeable time was discouraged so offices, tools and equipment and vehicles were often dirty or damaged and in need of repair. Don’t expect a bonus or any perks like a golf tournament or even being able to bring your partner or spouse to the Christmas party. You will help this company to make millions, but that stuff won’t be in their budget.