Pathological culture from office to the field. - Anonymous employee CPKC Employee Review

1.0
Jul 21, 2017
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Benefits are ok. Not any better or worse then other employers I have worked for in the past. Some perks exist ie. discounts. Remuneration is satisfactory. Pension is good only if you have been in a unionized role (defined benefit).

Cons

As stated, pathological culture, only the top tier make the rules and change them on the fly with little notice, and no acceptable validation of consequences that would be required at any other company I have been at. Hallmarks across company are: - Scapegoating - Shoot the messenger - Mail as official process changes, then scapegoat when not understood. - No management responsibility, fault roles downhill. - Inadequately equipped/competent management, everyone is a director and most adopt the pathological approach. - leadership is a catch phrase - reactionary approach, everything is an emergency - Many groups are cut so deep that there is no room for failure in the schedule - On-call duties are so demanding people are burnt out and are leaving - - Deep knowledge has mostly left the company, with little competency and proper documentation left - Emphasis of importance is very singular (revenue reporting), not on any other areas. - Due to staffing cut to the bone, everyone is stressed, overworked and absolutely no room for movement (career path changes). Final thoughts to those considering a role at CP: If you applying to an office based role, be prepared that they will attempt to move you to a part time field role as well - running trains, car inspections etc. Per the federal guidelines you can reject this role, but not the training. If you are prepared to confront them on this and take on these pressures, go ahead. Many people's personal and family lives are under strain due to the points I have outlined.

Explore other reviews about CPKC

5.0
Apr 21, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Compensation, Opportunities for Growth, interesting projects

Cons

Depending on role, relocation may occur frequently but that goes with the type of business and business needs.

2.0
May 29, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Lots of opportunities to provide value

Cons

Poor leadership at the C-level. CIO has no control over the direction of the IT landscape beyond what is dictated to her by the CEO and other business owners. The IT environment is almost solely controlled by the demands of the business at the cost of being able to manage and adapt to needs. 20 years behind the market in the adoption of cloud technology. Existing cloud strategy was built by engineers pressed into the role of architects and learning as they progressed along. No automation or DevOps presence whatsoever outside what the platform teams use to simplify their own workloads. Remote work is considered a 4-letter word and is extremely frowned upon as anything other than an as-needed and pre-approved option. Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery are still done using backups and shadow copies of key infrastructure, and those key systems are decided upon at the time the tests are planned instead of testing the company's infrastructure in its entirety. Data centers are geographically separated, but are significantly disparate in what is physically hosted and accessible. Recognition and rewards are overtly encouraged, but are covertly handed out based on the level of visibility and impact to the business and stakeholders. Senior leadership constantly touts open-door policy and approachability, but give off vibes and impressions opposite of the overt policy. The company puts on a show of being diverse and inclusive. Case in point, the hiring of a female CIO. The problem is that working within an 'old boys network' leadership, it doesn't matter how inclusive and diverse the company appears because those elements are never given the opportunity to show their value.

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