Pros
Work/life balance can be good depending on who you work with. People have genuinely stopped caring so everyone works at home which is a nice perk. Variety of work can be great and allow you to get your feet wet in lots of different areas. Westat tends to train very well, but can't hold on to any of their employees for very long. There are some really decent junior staff and a few great senior staff, but this is becoming harder to find given everyone is leaving.
Cons
Everything. Westat HR doesn't take into account anything that employees report. There is blatant favoritism and no rhyme or reason behind it. Some people are groomed from the beginning and provided opportunities that aren't provided to others who have worked just as hard if not harder. They will tell you there are caps on raises or that things are up to your supervisor. This is just code for if you are one of the favorites, there is less of a "cap" and if you are not, you get what is left over. Supervisors don't care about the concerns of junior staff. You can go most anywhere else and find more competent and supportive management. Most of the decent senior staff have also left the company and gone to better opportunities. Westat was great initially because there was a large focus on professional development, culture, and improving processes. New corporate leadership has completely slashed the ability to do anything related to professional development and culture is no longer prioritized. The change in culture has become so drastic that most people no longer come into the office or engage with one another. Work is becoming more and more scarce while other competitors continue to thrive. Westat has an old way of thinking and isn't moving fast enough into the modern world, ignoring the need for innovation in technology and dissemination. They will continue to lose contracts and good employees until they decide that they need a new way of thinking.