Calpine reviews

4.0

82% would recommend to a friend

(445 total reviews)

Andrew Novotny/Thad Hill

91% approve of CEO

75% positive business outlook

Calpine has an employee rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars, based on 445 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Calpine employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Energy, Mining & Utilities industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

445 reviews
1.0
Jan 28, 2018

Total joke and extremely toxic!

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

You get paid every two weeks. The medical, dental, vision, 401k, and PTO benefits are good. You also get 12 paid holidays. Solid bonus program.

Cons

This place will suck the life out of you! Overworked and underpaid is putting it nicely. Modern-day slavery is more accurate. The majority of leadership rules by fear and exploits their employees beyond measure. Your are expected to work like a robot and devote your life to Calpine. The company is under staffed in most departments - especially in IT and HR. They RIF employees and do not backfill positions because they are too focused on the bottom line instead of their hardworking employees’ health, work-life balance, or morale. Folks are let go, and you are given more work, but no pay increase. Executive Leadership promotes their favorite cronies into roles these individuals have no business managing, and they get the pay increase. It’s insulting to say the least. Calpine’s so called “ASPIRE” values are a fallacy and should be discarded in their entirety. There are some great people in the various departments. However, the majority of the HR leadership team is the most pathetic! Major “rule by fear mentality! You are expected to keep your mouth shut, take the abuse, and get the tasks done at all costs. Forget your family! Many tenured employees (of all levels) say “Calpine used to be a great place to work.” I wouldn’t know. What I do know is this is the most toxic work environment I have EVER encountered. They DO NOT care about their employees! It’s vile! Also, there is no room for advancement unless someone dies, retires, or leaves for a better career opportunity. Career progression plans are a non-existent unless you work at a plant or are an executive’s “chosen one.” If you are unemployed, destitute, and have no other employment option at the time, work here until something better comes along.

1.0
Jan 3, 2018

Dying Company...Not What it Once Was...

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The people you work with. The challenges you'll face trying to meet project goals.

Cons

They did several rounds of layoff's in an 18 month period in order to make their bottom-line more attractive for potential sale. While that's not unheard of, it still stings a bit when cuts are made not with a mindset of "Let's look at value added by each individual" but instead is done with a mindset of "So who's getting paid the most in this role? Ok, let's cut them!" They brought in "efficiency" consultants, and that's when everyone should have seen the writing on the wall. Unfortunately, most didn't and it left many good people in the lurch.

3.0
Dec 13, 2017

Good Pay, Not Very Good Company Culture

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The pay is good relative to the market, benefits are solid.

Cons

It's really not a terrible place to work, but company culture I think could use some CPR. I came here from a small company, 30ish people, and the culture here is very stiff. I get that it's a big energy company, but when you walk around and no one says hello, it's an issue. Of course that's not everyone. But I was once in the elevator with a director, and when I told him good morning, he completely ignored me... and I wasn't even slightly surprised by that interaction.

Viewing 301 - 303 of 445 Reviews

Glassdoor has 523 Calpine reviews submitted anonymously by Calpine employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Calpine is right for you.