Burns & McDonnell Reviews

Pros

Adequate compensation (on paper). Relatively good health benefits (Anthem). Like many companies, there are some good people. Some industry knowledge has been maintained. If you are young or right out of school and are willing to sacrifice/don't have much of a personal life, this employer may be for you.

Cons

I suspect many of the reviews with little to no 'Cons' are dubious as you'll notice the 'Cons' from many reviews are consistent and in my experience, spot on. Very young employee base (including management). High burn rate so it looks like the pool of potential managers has become who's been willing to stick around long enough. Most just don't have the knowledge and experience to run the Company well. Ex: at least one major client has created QA/QC processes because the deliverables have been consistently poor. Very little PTO and holidays. Not even veterans day. PTO accrues two hours per week and amounts to two weeks flex time annually. There are no additional sick days. Going in the PTO red is not allowed even if you intend to make it up. Every week is easily 50-60 hours (not including lunches/meetings). 100% billing rate. Mandatory trainings, meetings, getting background information, providing help, etc. are not included. There are weekly trainings and meetings (including 55+ hours of onboarding videos) so a forty hour work week is never actually possible. Staying active, having time with family, etc. is consistently extremely difficult because of the above. Helping others is a burden and you do what you have to do to get your hours in and go home. The few people who have chosen to stay beyond several years are surviving with most doing what they can to hang on for personal reasons. Their behavior generally reflects it and you're pretty much on your own. The environment can be extremely toxic. This is the type of company where management will 'just let Joe be Joe'. Some are extremely inappropriate, unprofessional, etc. but they produce so expect to take some verbal abuse and potentially look bad adding insult to injury. Hopefully you get put on a team with some good people but it's a roulette wheel and I'm aware of several who have threatened to quit and moved teams as a result. The behavior stays the same. The company has never issued a work from home policy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Corporate messaging 'allowed it' several weeks after people started doing it on their own and only in the form of ' for those that want to' and 'if you choose to'. It suggests even your health is valued very little, if at all. It also suggests that leadership is really out of touch with how it makes them and the company look. And if they are aware but don't care, that in and of itself is very concerning.

Pros

Fast paced and met many great people.

Cons

Start with the obvious annoying talk about ESOP and bonuses promised when you start. The esop will take 6 years to be 100% vested so you will need to take the abuse that long. Bonuses are not guaranteed after the first year. 401k takes 6 years to be 100% vested and you can’t do loans. Vacation time is subpar with no sick or personal days. You need to be 100% billable so meetings and trainings need to be made up since you need to be a good employee owner and put on your EO hat. All the managers care about is budgets not your personal growth. Managers will make threats for you to work for free or else. You will not get paid OT once you get to a certain level so donating to BMcD will be a common theme. They hire new grads to manipulate them early since they don’t know better. Drink the kool aid in this cult or be left out.

Pros

Serious structure innovative clever

Cons

Employee owned. Chargeable hours. Limited direction.