Limited opportunities for advancement due to promotions based on fear of litigation
Pros
Excellent 401(k) match. Convenient location near Union Station that's good for public transportation. Very unlikely ever to have layoffs in economic downturns.
Cons
The first thing you have to know is that the interviewers are like used car salesman who will say anything to get you in the door. I was recruited with promises of advancement, four weeks of leave every year, and stories about what a great place it is to work. The reality is that there are no defined career paths for many positions and, because people stay so long due to the benefits package, you have to wait for someone to die or retire for any chance to get ahead. The other downside is that, because there are so many people who have been there for so long, that many long-time employees have no idea just how dysfunctional the environment there is. It’s incredibly bureaucratic, in the worst possibly way. The result is a bunch of people who’ve been there so long they are unemployable elsewhere and a constant churn of employees under them who get fed up and leave. The four weeks of leave is two weeks of vaction, one week of short-term sick leave, and one week of long-term sick leave (can only be used if you’re out more than week for a serious illness). You never get to use vacation because there’s always some looming deadline, and it’s impossible to get out of the office to ever go to a doctor’s appointment. You’ll be required to bring in proof when your grandmother dies because they won’t believe you. This is a last-chance employer for the worst graduates of mediocre colleges, and it shows.