Rampant Indecision - Anonymous employee BNSF Railway Employee Review

2.0
Oct 11, 2014
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The industry is very interesting and the company has a rich and storied history.

Cons

It hurts to say this, but BNSF is a company in decline. The culture at corporate headquarters is like a malignant cancer. Initiative and innovation are frowned upon unless it is related to one of the executives' pet projects. Many managers eschew all decisions in order to avoid any possibility of disapproval from their bosses. At times decisions are made by committee, which never works. For a company that so dramatically supports leadership, real leadership is lacking. Political in-fighting between departments is frequent and is often damaging to those on the receiving end. Salary and vacation is below market, the health benefits are now high deductible health plans, alternative work schedules and working from home are frowned upon, and fringe benefits are lacking. Technology is in some cases decades behind other organizations.

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5.0
Jul 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-Great Benefits -People Forward culture -Railroad Retirement

Cons

-Some working policies are as forward as they can be for a railroad but are not as flexible compared to other industries

5.0
Jul 3, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great people and strong coworkers across the organization. The company offers competitive pay, strong benefits, and good overall stability. There are many experienced employees who care about the work and are willing to help others succeed.

Cons

The organization can be very hierarchical, which sometimes makes it difficult to drive change or move quickly. Decisions often require multiple layers of approval, so it can take longer than expected to finalize direction or make progress. There is also limited flexibility compared to what many other companies offer, especially when it comes to working arrangements.

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