Belcan Employee Reviews about "work schedule"

Cons

Low pay for Engineers, only 2 weeks of vacation per year for your first 6 years, only 6 holidays, OT is only straight time, Stuck in the EDP(Engineering Development Program) program for wayyyyy too long after being promised we'd be in it for ~3 months. Contract Engineering has it's ups and downs and Belcan is very dependent on Caterpillar. They don't put in much effort to keep their 1-4 year experienced engineers that have actual 4 year degrees.

Cons

Toxic work environment unless you’re apart of the inner circle.

Cons

Contract work can mean layoffs especially in uncertain times

Cons

Every quarter you will wonder if you'll be furloughed due to a lack of work

Cons

Although I believe Belcan does have a college course reimbursment benifit, It doesn't seem that Belcan places much of a priority on expanding it's current workforce's skill set. There are no Belcan sponsored training opportunities (that I'm aware of), for example learnng a specific software, like you find with Belcan's competition, i.e. CDI (CDI University), or perhaps with a client/customer company of Belcan. This situation is compensated by Belcans hiring of a great number of retired customer workers (or layed off) to supply very specific and instant skill sets that fit perfect with the customer's requirements. Not really a con, but experience is that business is business; if you can maintain a flow of projects on your own with the customers management (outright solicitation with the ones who farm out the work) you will do ok. Don't expect Belcan to find a potential position for you; you either have the immediate skill set to do the job in a current proposal or you don't which means you are out. To be fair, the fact that personal experience has shown that most customer projects are behind schedule before they start probably has something to do with this.

Cons

-No pay growth (no raises since I've been with the company) -Below average paid holidays (only 6 vs. a more traditional 9 or 10), this can lead to burnout especially if you are on a tough or fast paced project and need some recuperation time. -Can be unstable for long term employment, Belcan provides contract engineers/services to large companies and in the case of a downturn Belcan people will be cut/laid off first.

Cons

-Corporate Management -Limited opportunities for experienced engineers

Cons

The company structure is changing so it feels very disorganized. Different processes that should be streamlined are not and even things like payroll for contractors is often an issue and must be dealt with weekly. The offices are all very small so it is very hard to have a strong company culture. Most team members are not close in comparison to what you would experience with a larger company. Executive management was okay but did micromanage their direct reports who would turn around and micromanage the office. At times, passive aggressive communication was used rather than a respectful conversation which created a very unhealthy environment to work in. I do not do well with a micromanaged environment because I set standards and high goals for myself and do everything in my power to exceed them. The constant monitoring and checking in feels very exhausting and almost insulting, especially when you are performing exceptionally. Work life balance is not valued and it is expected to stay later than scheduled hours. Unfortunately, it was frowned upon to leave at 5 PM. Since recruiters work on commission, it makes sense that you would want to put extra time in to ramp up quicker, however, that should always be to the discretion of the individual. When sick, the option was not allowed to work from home so you were required to use PTO (which was minimal to standard among other organizations that I have seen). Since we can do our job from anywhere as long as we have WiFi, I never understood the issues that Belcan had with being flexible with their employees. It is very apparent, because of metrics, who is doing their job and who is not. To be under constant supervision felt very high-school and I did not feel respected as an adult who was able to successfully manage their own time. There is no flex time, which is okay, except when that rule does not apply to people with children. I understand that there are many issues that come up when you have a family at home, but to not allow the same flexibility with other employees seems very strange and inconsistent. Due to changes in reviews, the official review occurred 6 months later than it should have been. Also, raises were not given to those who were top performers, which was very strange. Conversations about that were scoffed at. If you want a raise, 'put someone to work', which is true to an extent, but showing appreciation goes a long way. Belcan is very old school and does not think progressively. It is just something to keep in mind when choosing a company that is a good fit for you culturally.

Cons

The cons very much so outweigh any pros of Belcan. LOW pay; poor 'benefits', if you want to call them that; no paid holidays; no paid time off...nothing. No opportunity for advancement. I have been with Belcan for a year and a half... been told several times by the company they would like to have me full-time... still have never received an opportunity.

Cons

The salary is lower than average. It is a good job right after college but there is no room for growth and rarely given a pay increase.