Plains All American Pipeline Reviews

Pros

Good benefits with health and 401K matching but no retirement

Cons

Low pay scale for this type of work

Advice to Senior Management

GOOD jobs

Pros

I am given the freedom to do my job to the best of my ability, without any micromangement. I feel respected by my VP and other senior leaders with whom I interact. My work is challenging and I am very fairly compensated. Great work atmosphere, everyone gets along well. There are always office politics, but it seems to be kept in check here. Senior execs really seem to care about the employees. Quarterly company meetings keep us informed of what is happening. Pay and benefits are very good.

Cons

Seems like a lot of the senior execs have gotten their kids jobs here. Not enough emphasis is placed on employee evaluations, so you have to seek out feedback from your boss.

Pros

Benefits are some of the best. Flexible schedule. Division and district managers are a drivers friend.

Cons

Supervisor is non-existent, never hear from him till something goes wrong. Good O' Boy Circle, your either in or your out. This is important when it comes to keeping your $3K quarterly bonus. Discipline and training is not consistent.

Advice to Senior Management

Get some new blood in lower management, current one is driving away good people.

Pros

Lots of time off. Somewhat relaxed working environment.

Cons

The pay is NOT competitive with industry standards regardless of what the management would lead you to believe. The relaxed environment is becoming less and less relaxed.

Advice to Senior Management

The employees in the control room haven't been happy for a while with the new schedule, raises, and bonuses. The

Pros

great boss, great co-workers, good benefits and 401(k) match, convenient location

Cons

limited opportunities for growth, no performance feedback, raises are minimal, poor communication

Advice to Senior Management

give performance feedback, promote from within

Pros

6% 401k match and good health insurance. Plains commercial group is one of the best around. Operations personel are outstanding professionals.

Cons

Marketing Department has much better compensation and bonus structure than the rest of the company. This happens to be the reason that 6 out of 13 VP's have managed to get their children positions in the marketing/trading department creating issues in itself. Management is saturated with OU and TX A&M grads. When tenured professionals submit thier 2 weeks notice, they are sent home on the spot. Total compensation packages are on the low end of the industry average.

Advice to Senior Management

Focus on what worked when the company was small.

Pros

Other departments were wonderful to work with.

Cons

There are a lot of decisions driven by alumni and friendship networks.

Advice to Senior Management

Seek new management

Pros

good compensation, bonus plan is satisfactory. very intelligent senior management, aggressive acquisition strategy. The company is willing to take risks in order to increase profitability.

Cons

Promotions are difficult to come by. Transfers within departments are possible but relatively rare. Lots of political issues to navigate in the Director level and above.

Advice to Senior Management

Work to more actively grow employees, promote from within in order to keep the knowledge in house, instead of hiring from outside so often. Most departments seem to have too much management level, not enough employees. Departments are too lean so the workload is too heavy, yet the expectations keep increasing.

Pros

If you are not concerned with career opprtinites and money is the only thing that matters to you then Plains is the place for you. Plains purchased our comapny and quickly threw money at us to move to Texas. There were many openings were some of us could have filled and stayed in California. Instead they hired people from the outside filling those vacancies clearly knownig that 95% of us did not want to leave. Many good people left and others went to Texas with the intention to come back. When Plains would find out you were trying to come back they would throw more money at you. When you rip families apart money is not the answer.

Cons

bad management and no career opportunities

Advice to Senior Management

look at talent first before looking at frindships