I work at ICF International in Martinsville, VA and my job title is Research Technician for the Survey/Research department. I have been at ICF for about a year now and there is honestly no room for growth! There are several agents at our call center that have previous experience as supervisors or leads and also many agents with bachelor degrees but they have yet to be promoted to higher positions. The only people I ever see get a promotion are the ones who are constantly telling on someone else or "kissing tail" So many people have been promoted within the last few months that in many of the employees eyes did not deserve it. I have witnessed a supervisor talk down upon employees, argue with them in front other agents on the floor, and use their position to bully employees several times and nothing has been done about it. There is a huge lack of communication. When something is going on, agents do not receive a memo, email, or announcement. Instead, agents find out what's going on or about changes that are happening by word of mouth usually from another agent. ICF is a company that would rather hire someone from outside their own company than to promote within. Recently the call center in Martinsville, VA brought in hundreds of temporary workers from a temp agency. These temps were put on projects that made them receive higher pay than ICF agents and they also began to outnumber ICF agents. Temps were given holiday pay, always trained on new surveys, and treated better than actual ICF employees. At one time I worked 40 hrs per week for about 6 months and was never considered full time. Many of us have worked here for a year or two and have never been offered health insurance. Also, at the Martinsville center we have split everything into two shifts. Those shifts are day shift (1st shift) and night shift (2nd Shift). Day shift works 9-4:30 Monday-Friday giving them a total of 35 hours per week. However day shift is allowed to work anytime during the nights or weekends to give them their additional 5 hours so that they will have 40 per week. Night shift on the other hand can only work M-F 5pm-11pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-11pm. In order for night shift to be able to reach 40hrs per week they would need to work M-F and 10hrs on the weekend giving them no days off or they could work an 8 hours shift on both Sat & Sun and work their 6 hours M-T with only Friday off. Let me not forget to mention that night shift is not allowed to make up time during day shift or come in and work during day shift for any reason but day shift is allowed to work on nights and weekends. Honestly, if you work night shift there is never anytime for you to do anything. How are you suppose to be able to balance work and your personal life with hours like that? I honestly see the Martinsville call center closing just like the one that was in New York.
