Eastman Employee Reviews about "cost of living"

Pros

Salary vs cost of living

Cons

Bad managers left in place for years Managers prevent team members from moving to other opportunities within the company Upper management is vindictive and childish Obvious favoritism Promotion pathways are only for favorites No real growth opportunities The people screaming and pounding fists on tables are all promoted to the top The worst group leader was promoted after her entire team quit A $3k deductible and $6k max out of pocket for a health plan is ridiculous

Pros

I had no work/ life balance issues, and rarely worked weekends or evenings. Four 9s and a 4 was a nice benefit and unlimited unpaid time off (with support from management, understanding you could be perceived as a slacker, etc.) is definitely a perk...even if it's not frequently used. Cost of living in the area is low and the scenery is pretty. Very little traffic in the area.

Cons

Upper management had a stated goal of changing the culture to make it more inclusive, diverse and high performing. But that was never communicated effectively to the rank-and-file. As a result, anytime someone challenges the status quo, or an experienced hire is onboarded with actual insights from outside the company, the system rejects him or her. The current culture is often classified in other reviews (and internally) as 'nice'. This is generally code for 'super passive aggressive.' If you are upfront, direct or honest as your style, you will have an *extremely hard time* being effective or accepted. Also, if you're a person of color or not the mainstream religion for the area, think really hard about moving to the area. It will be tough. You will see confederate flags on your coworkers' cars, and you will hear disparaging remarks that are ignored (or sometimes uttered) by management.

Pros

Major sites are located in small towns with pretty good schools and low cost of living.

Cons

There’s always the drama and politics that go with any job, maybe more so. You won’t have access to professional sports, fine dining, museums, theater or much live entertainment. You’ll be surrounded by conservatives.

Pros

Good pay for the area being that it is so low cost of living

Cons

The IT department was in the old data center at the time so was pretty depressing- no windows

Pros

The company offers flexible work schedule.

Cons

HR policies are written so vaguely that HR managers interpret them differently and therefore, employees are not held to the same guidelines across the company. Pay for the area is competitive because the pay for this area is very low compared to the cost of living. Income inequality - bonuses used to be great for all employees but only those in management receive decent bonuses now.

Pros

There are a lot of chances to move around in the company. There is a very strong culture and a feeling of loyalty and togetherness with co workers. The salaries are globally competitive with the HQ being located in a place with a very low cost of living. Tons of chances to do things of real honest impact. They are very good to young Analysts. The workers trust the executive team.

Cons

It is a very very large company, and its hard to get the big picture. Bad Employees tend to be shuffled around till they find a good place for them rather than simply let go. Communication between groups needs work.

Pros

Since it is such a large and varied company, there are a great many opportunities for career advancement. The headquarters are in a great city with a low cost of living and the work culture is really great. I don't think I've encountered a single unpleasant person while at Eastman. The pay and benefits are very good as well.

Cons

There are not any downsides to working at Eastman Chemical.

Pros

Eastman historically has been a supportive company for all employees offering good job opportunities and career growth. The pay is competitive and the headquarters are located in an area of the US with a low cost of living. The company in the past has been know for great team interaction.

Cons

Eastman has virtue signaled that it is strong in inclusion and diversity, but the inclusion is selective and is focused on areas where they are afraid that specific groups will vocally respond. Other high performing groups within Eastman are now penalized if you do not go along with their 'selected' values. Diversity of thought and approaches to problem solving have actually diminished which hurts the bottom line. Career growth has shifted more from performance to more along alignment with company selected 'ethics'. Get on board or get out of the way. Management is now using intimidation tactics that have never been seen before. It is a real shame how the morale has plummeted across the board in the last 2 years alone.

Pros

-Friendly co-workers, was comfortable approaching anybody with questions I had. -Good work-life balance. -Assigned interesting/important tasks even as just an intern. -Salary seemed even with or better than internship positions with other companies despite a low cost of living in the TN area.

Cons

-Assigned apartments were ~30 minutes away from the plant

Pros

Ability to grow in a stable corporate environment. East Tennessee is an incredibly nice place to live and raise a family. The cost of living is very low compared to most parts of the United States.

Cons

Eastman relies on its location to protect its workforce. Although the company claims to provide competitive pay for professional and management positions on a national basis, it does not. The same positions ofter pay better at competitors which reside in other geographies. Most people stay at Eastman for their entire careers, and Eastman develops really good people for management roles. Unfortunately, ability to obtain higher level roles is often a function of timing rather than a reflection on the individual's capability in the marketplace.