United Fire & Casualty Reviews

Pros

The ability to (kind of) pay my bills. A major company in the city so (if you get good references,) you have a slightly better chance of finding a job elsewhere.

Cons

Management are condescending, they play favorites. they promote people who don't deserve promotion, refuse to recognize the achievements of employees who do and load work onto employees until they are so burnt out they have to beg for relief -- and are subtly reprimanded for breaking. No real chance for promotion or transfer. If your manager doesn't want you to transfer departments, he or she can deny your right to transfer to a new job within the company. Middle management treats employees condescendingly and does his or her best to keep employees separate from upper management. Any sort of creativity is squashed -- individuality is strictly not allowed.

Advice to Senior Management

Replace middle management and overhaul the way employees are treated and seen by management.

Pros

You will not have to work overtime

Cons

I was let go in 2010. Run.....Please!! Do not come to work for UFG and think that you will be successful. Average size account is only $2000. If you seek challenge, innovation, creativity, and independence, this is not the place for you! Underwriting manager and branch manager have no marketing skills and are highly unprofessional, therefore you won't have support to write business. They are highly insecure, so they will micro-manage you to the MAX! Severe conservative underwriting guidelines and misconstrued insurance philosophies have large agencies canceling their contracts. Ease of doing business is on the bottom of the totem pole. Management will have no problem belittling you and treating you like dirt. If they do not like you, they will bully you into leaving the company or making mistakes so they can fire you. They have no problem embelishing or lying to get their way, and do not care about you personally or if they ruin your reputation in the insurance industry. In the last several years, 12 people have either been fired, or forced to retire out of only 25 employees. That number is growing. Branch manager is H/R rep, and you will have no recourse.

Advice to Senior Management

Another failing regional carrier to be bought out by Liberty or Travelers in the near future. Before you completely ruin the company, get out of management. Do something easy, like starting a business picking up dog doo at the city parks.

Pros

You are only expected to work 8 to 430 so you will not be overworked.

Cons

There are only two people who run this office and they are both really quick to fire people for really petty reasons. You will never be promoted and the underwriting manager has no clue what underwriting is about. In just one year 8 people were fired from the Westminster office at United Fire the turnover is very high. The underwriting manager will not let you writ any business and most of the time you will be telling your agents "no". Agents hate doing business with this company and are terminating their contracts. This office is down $17m over the past 3 years. If you take a job with this company it will be the biggest mistake of your life!!!! Do not work for this company EVER!!!!

Advice to Senior Management

Stop treating your employees like children and don't be so quick to fire good people that work hard. Better yet just do everyone a favor and just go away and live under a rock.

Pros

Obscurity in the industry - I say.

Cons

Bad interior design of offices

Advice to Senior Management

Leave behind anachronistic methods, beliefs and practices