Upper management shows absolutely zero value for the low level employee, beyond a simple headcount. Department policies have only gotten more and more strict over the years. When I started, the employee was valued as a contributing part of the organization. Our ideas had value, and we felt like our voices were being heard. Shortly into my employment, a program was implemented to monitor employee activity down to the minute, and any deviation from your daily schedule was grounds for an interrogation about your activity. We now have no agency or autonomy to determine our own work priorities. Turnover is astronomical as employees burn out and get frustrated with restrictive policies. Customers have noticed the backlash as we continue to bring on low-quality contractors and the long-time pros pick up and leave for better opportunities. We're losing revenue and the solution is to crack down on any activity that doesn't have a contractual SLA attached. The employees that remain are expected to pick up the work of 2-3 people each, instead of filling the gap when someone leaves.
Pay is below industry standard. Raises this year were deferred 5 months. Advancement is nonexistent. Management just hires managers from other departments, and hire technical roles from outside. Employees are frustrated, customers are frustrated, and management has its head in the sand, offering the same excuses about budget and revenue in lieu of actually engaging with the real problems.
New employees try to voice the same complaints that we've had for years, and by now we just shrug and say "deal with it" because we know the argument is not going anywhere. The apathy at the employee level stifles any possible productivity or creativity.
