Pros
The work in Verizon-IT was challenging in that you were dealing with a continually shaping market place. New competitors were coming in all the time. There was a rush to reduce costs to the bone, while trying to mechanize in order to alleviate the departure of so many thousands of employees. The rank and file people were great to work with. There was very much a team atmosphere, but the tightness of resources made it difficult for outside groups to be given the support the employees might want to give. You were given a lot of flexibility to do you job.
Cons
Given the cutback in staff everyone had to do more and more. Sixty hour weeks became the norm for front line technicians. Teleconferences at 10:00 were more the norm than the exception. The action items from those teleconferences were expected to be reported on at 7:00 the next morning. There were more than a few divorces as a result of the demanding work schedule. Verizon like many other corporations has eliminated its pension and retiree health benefits for new workers. Salary increases are small and are often more than offset by the increase in health care premiums. Managers are stretched so thin that real performance reviews aren't possible. More times than not the managers ask the employees to write their own appraisals and pass it on to the manager for editing or additional comments.
