Pros
I've been working at Gateway for almost a decade and have to say by and large it's a really wonderful place to be. It's very flexible in terms of start and end times of your day as well as having a generous work from home policy. Most people are permitted two days a week from home as a general rule, but exceptions around children, feeling under the weather, appointments are almost always honored. As with any place, as long as the employee is productive and adding value, things are pretty sweet. There are also very smart people here; creative problem solving is appreciated and even lunch time conversation can be incredibly stimulating. There is a lot of laughing in the hallways and people generally seem to enjoy being there. There are free drinks available via a soda fountain, a stocked fridge and monthly company happy hours to celebrate employees' birthdays complete with cake and beer and soda. The company is also quite transparent about their financials, sharing all information in a monthly company meeting. Efforts are made to keep the company apprised of what is happening in each of the departments. There are some interesting benefits, the most unique of which is a 50% reimbursement program on the purchase of technical equipment. If I buy a new laptop at home, Gateway reimburses me 50% of its cost. The people, the people, the people. Smart, funny, caring and great people to be around.
Cons
There are some problems here like anywhere else. There seems to be a hesitance to share ideas with executive management because they are not always met with an open attitude. There also seems to be a problem with really getting information shared inter-departmentally as everyone is working so hard that luxuries like communication and documentation can sometimes fall by the wayside. There is also a clique-ish-ness that has cropped over the past few years that does feel great. If you're not one of the 'cool kids', it can feel like a middle school environment. Career paths are often not available for many positions, although that's getting a bit better as the company grows.