Work life balance is a myth
Pros
Great company that fairly compensates employees and has good benefits. Huge variety of departments and research, which hypothetically should allow you to change departments if desired (doesn't seem to happen). Willing to invest in it's staff through trainings/conferences/workshops. Sick time and vacation time are bundled together allowing for more time off (starts at 4 weeks). Flexibility with working remotely/telecommuting.
Cons
1. Prides itself on work life balance, but most departments I've seen do not have it. Mine expects you to put in massive amounts of overtime consistently to get projects done. 2. Every 6 minutes you work needs a charge code, which means if you go to the bathroom or stop by a coworker's desk, that technically has to be made up at the end of the day. This creates an environment where people don't talk to each other (also because my department is severely over worked). 3. Huge divide between what upper management is saying and supervisors say. Often times in direct contrast. 4. Most departments don't interact with other departments, creating silos. 5. Since a lot of staff is international, in different states, or telecommuting(which is a great perk), much of the conversation occurs via email. However, this also means that when communicating with staff right down the hall, you only email. This creates an environment where you don't actually know anyone. The first year I worked there, I only met one of the people I worked directly with who wasn't in my immediate department.
