UP has gone downhill quickly - Carman Union Pacific Employee Review

1.0
Oct 6, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The pay is good and despite the slow erosion of benefits they are still good.

Cons

The company attempts to implement various new safety, productivity, efficiency, and disciplinary standards with little to no success with too much frequency. Too many programs have been tried without addressing the root cause of issues faced by labor. Management turn over has gone from bad to worse with each successive change becoming a new nightmare. Utilizing employees creativity in finding solutions has completely stopped and innovation is stifled. Too many protections for problem employees (often with higher seniority) have led to significant losses of skilled trade knowledge. The company has drifted far from the days when family values extended into the workplace. Workplace harassment is swiftly brushed aside or ignored altogether. There are so many unaddressed complaints about bad processes, safety in the yard, contractor immunity, and government regulation violations it is innumerable. I fear for my health and safety by continuing to work for this company. The measure by which certain departments are deemed productive uses false and inapplicable points of productivity.

Explore other reviews about Union Pacific

5.0
Apr 20, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great flexibility and opportunity to move around within the company

Cons

You travel a good amount for the role depending on your work location.

3.0
Jul 6, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good benefits Work about every other day Pay has potential to be good

Cons

New hires do 100% of the work for 80% of the pay and won’t get fully compensated for the first 4 years. They are also expected to know every transportation job on site rather than focusing on one area like guys who have been here longer so 20% less pay but required to know more, do more, have to wear orange hats for a full year allowing management to easily identify them on camera or in person so they can watch them more closely hoping to catch them breaking a rule. So less pay but a more stressful work place requiring you to know more and get singled out hoping to catch them in a mistake. There is absolutely zero work life balance. Coming from a place where I had 20 plus years and able to hold a decent amount of PTO to getting a single day of paid vacation the first year and trying to balance a family life while also trying to provide for them is impossible. You sacrifice seeing your children grow up, play sports, go on vacations with them so you can provide for them. By the time you have enough years in to take a vacation with them they are grown and you missed the most important years of their lives. I know this as a child of a railroader and now as a parent who’s children barely get to see him.

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