Great Pay, too much paperwork - Instrument Technician Dow Employee Review

2.0
May 3, 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Fantastic pay & benefits. Bonuses are great, definitely not chump change. Vacation time is excellent. You can even borrow from next year because you'll be burnt out.

Cons

As a ground level, in the field employee they also expect you to be a full time secretary. It can & will burn you out. More people have gotten hurt under their "safe work practices" than ever before, not that anyone reports it because it would be your fault. Your mind is not on the job in front of you, it's on the paperwork because if it isn't perfect you'll lose your job. They put people in charge that have zero idea what you actually do, furthermore will give you clearly, on paper 26 hours of work for an 8 hour day - but don't cut corners! -Get your permit -And your electrical permit -Write procedures -Fill out a 5 page survey of the job, time it took you, do you need more people? Etc not that it matters because it's still going to be just you on a 2 person job -Check your emails (on shared computers) & get ready to sift like a goldminer for important things because Jim's birthday is today & you need to acknowledge an MOC you don't have time to read, though you're responsible for it now -Your modules are overdue! -Schedule your training on equipment but we're not telling you who to contact & we're not making time in your schedule for it either -Write notifications on jobs that need done -So we can schedule them for you to do later -Include all the info the planners will need to order parts because that's all they do -Why aren't you done with all your jobs??? Finally, an Associates Degree will get you classified as "non-degreed", diversity & inclusion....yeah okay. You're going to be worked to death, so they can hire more people at a cheaper rate. Or you're going to die because the bottom dollar is way more important than your safety. The entire corporation is built around covering their behinds & making anything that happens the employee's fault. You'll sign your name more times in one day than you will buying a house. Don't forget because they're placing all blame on employees & it will turn one craft against another & fast.

Explore other reviews about Dow

5.0
Jul 23, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good work life balance and was very positive

Cons

always on call for any plant

2.0
Mar 22, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Safety culture, flexibility (although less and less over time). Good health insurance and 401k match

Cons

Dow’s recent years illustrate the challenges of trying to simultaneously satisfy Wall Street’s demands for strong financial performance and aggressive DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) priorities. The company has heavily emphasized inclusion initiatives, including its openly gay CEO publicly sharing that coming out was one of the best days of his life in an internal communication, along with a notable increase in women appointed to senior leadership roles. Hiring practices reportedly require diverse candidate slates—including female candidates—and diverse interview panels before filling positions. These efforts, while well-intentioned, appear to have contributed to a series of questionable strategic decisions. Employees have borne the brunt through repeated rounds of layoffs (including significant cuts announced in recent years), minimal merit increases often in the 2-3% range, stalled promotions, and little turnover at the top levels of leadership. Senior executives seem insulated from the consequences, potentially overlooking how these factors—including their own leadership—may be central to the company’s ongoing struggles.

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