Pros
Work-life balance enhances employee productivity. Contrary to so many corporations, the emphasis on investing on employees' whole life traits enhances the desire to work better, smarter, more creatively, and longer based on desire not mere requirements. Morale is high also thanks to the great location, stunningly new offices for the digital media division in SoHo (think: Google-style interior design), and the generally bright attitudes of the people SCHL hires. In the corporate headquarters across the street, a stunningly gorgeous roof-top restaurant with a terrace with an even more stunning view of all lower Manhattan provides not only handmade, freshly cooked meals, but an aggressive internal company campaign to live healthier and to socialize more during mealtimes and after-hours. The care the company puts into the rooftop restaurant as well as its related grab-and-go-style café in the upper lobby and super-high-quality catering service, all run internally and not outsourced to an uncaring contractor, speaks volumes about the care for SCHL employees in general. Back to daily work, though: encouragement daily amongst teams (usually 4- to 8- large) are tremendously invigorating and inspires one to give back. The main reason is that the bosses, although enormously powerful, are caring fun people in general and not mere dictators. An honest sense of team exists here as I've never experienced elsewhere, perhaps aided by the modest 4- to 8- max size per such team. Little to no firewalling or stonewalling of information between teams exists because of the general good vibe of workers. I note that most divisions are also very young in age, averaging in the lower 30s, which helps a lot. I've made countless friends in my division and now more elsewhere in the company not just because they're coworkers or have similarities but because they're good, caring, and upstanding people who I'm honored to know, seriously. Training and lunch time bag lunch learning sessions keep employees atop their field. I myself and dozens of coworkers have been actively encouraged and compensated for attending out-of-office training. The wonderful work-life balance allows managers to easily award time-off and the timesheet system is setup to clearly prevent workers from feeling guilty about taking time off and making it easy to request and book time-off for a large range of purposes. I note also that the vacation policies and the general attitude towards time-off of any sort is very very reasonable and understanding, and certainly far more kind than that of any previous employer, period. Employees including at least 4 in the last year along regularly attend professional conference and eagerly shared their lessons learned upon return. Professional industry awards for many divisions of SCHL are not just exciting but a reminder of the relevant, quality work SCHL does as judged by peers and the market. The mission, a plain and simple goal of giving children the best educational experience they can have, is not mere work but an emotional boost. It helps that our products are easily displayed in the office to give a tangible reminder of the work we do. Benefits information comes regularly with bright custom artwork in a consistent style which shows care and attention to not mere administration but doing it with fun, a light heart, and a joyful attitude; life lessons for all the work we do. Pay stubs have a SCHL product logo on them, latest being Word Girl, which makes being paid not just mere money but a reminder of the wonderful spirit which SCHL products SCHL have. Dick's honest and non-biz speak tone in his communications and of all Internal Communications in general are written in laymen's which follows with the generally caring and honest corporate culture. It's impossible to emphasize how much and how importantly corporate culture here aids every aspect of daily work. I'm delighted to work for SCHL.
Cons
The only downside I can think of is that some office locations are in very remote locations, namely manufacturing and printing locations in the midwest, though that won't affect the work of most employees.