Context for this review is only the SMIT contract. I won't speak for Leidos at large as it is a huge company and work environments vary considerably depending on the customer engagement and location.
Less than ideal environment with team in New Orleans. Micromanagement of employees while paying low salaries with substandard benefits. 5 days of in person attendance is required and getting remote work days is difficult. You are not supposed to leave your desk to take a walk or talk/network with people, while senior leadership is comfortable working from home. Some of this is driven by heavy handed government civilians who dislike the contractors but the management still has responsibility to provide cover for their employees.
Pay and benefits are low and bonuses don't exist. The pay raise received after one year didn’t even cover inflation so I am currently making less in adjusted terms than when I started. If you try to negotiate, they make you talk to an HR person a thousand miles away who is the intermediary between you and the regional manager who makes the actual decision. Even the best healthcare plan offered is a high deductible type that covers very little. Expect to pay hundreds of dollars out of pocket for unexpected physician visits.
It’s a salaried position on paper but functions more like an hourly role with ruthlessly enforced sign ins and outs. They track your time to the minute. None of this is disclosed in the interview process or job description. If you find a way to do your daily work in less time (make processes more efficient), they still demand you sit in the seat until you've fulfilled your "shift." No getting off early Fridays and they still make you come into the office on the days military/Federal civilians are off when there is zero work to do. Most employees are underutilized and sitting at their desks concealing that they are staring at their phones, watching a show, or reading a book.
There is a lack of interest in learning and new tools or working more efficiently is resisted. In 2026 when we are on the cusp of an AI singularity, most lack basic Excel/MS office skills let alone the ability to use of modern tools like AI, Tableau, automation software, etc. Any effort to improve processes is ignored.
