Genentech – “Good place to work as an employee, but not as a contract employee”

Pros

Purpose-driven business. Strong feeling of employees that they are doing something meaningful - developing and selling drugs that cure cancer. People can be nice, depending on the group. Some areas are very haughty and superior.

Cons

Contract employees are treated, for the most part, as second class citizens. The company expects them to behave like employees - e.g., be on site 40+ hours per week, and be a W-2 workers - but the treatment of them is inconsistent with permanent employees. Contractors are frequently referred to simply as "red badges" (employees have blue badges.) "Red Badge" is a term referring to their non-employee status within the organization as contingent workers.

When hired, contract employees are often told that they can be converted to permanent employee status after 6 months, but it rarely happens. It does only if you can find an open position - people don't get "converted." Beware of the agencies, too. Some are very good, but many effectively drop you as soon as you are onboarded, and simply collect a check for their percentage of your earnings.

Advice to Senior Management

Consider that the contract employees are a critical component of your workforce, and treat them as valued resources, rather than easily replaced, undervalued "red badges."