Unsatisfied and Unappreciated. So I Left (Formerly Cooper Lighting now Eaton lighting division) - Engineer Eaton Employee Review

1.0
Jan 20, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Location-Lighting Division in Peachtree City, GA People-I met genuine friends while I worked there. Lighting technology-I got to work with innovative and future lighting systems. Testing Facilities- For lighting testing this is a place to help you learn more technical aspects about lighting, if you are interested.

Cons

Layoffs MULAs-Mandatory Unpaid Leave of Absence..."You want to take an unpaid week long vacation?-"Yes." "OK then take a MULA." "You want to take an unpaid week long vacation?-"No Thanks, I would like to continue working and performing my job", OK, "then take a MULA." VULAs-Voluntary Unpaid Leave of Absence..."Yeahh as IF" I will Voluntarily look for another Job. Thank You. Unequal weight of business units in terms of their performance and rewards. What used to be Cooper Lighting, now the Eaton Lighting Division, is the shining star of the company, yet layoffs, budget cuts, benefits reduction and delayed annual appraisals are all applied here. This truly is an "equal opportunity, or lack thereof" company. Lack of trust-"Who Moved My Cheese?...No really, who took it, where is it? Was it you?" No sense of career path/career planning-Are you looking for a career or a job? If you are interested in the former keep looking. Lack of standardization and basic work processes.-Not looking for advanced systems here, just a basic and common standards on how to do your work is a minimum requirement to better perform your job. All large corporations have this, except here. You like to be a "gun slinger" you will be a good fit here. Reduction of Benefits-401K contributions were suspended, than started, then changed... Way to manipulate your employees' futures. Retention Plans-As heard from executive leaders. "10%+ (in some areas even higher) turnover is OK. Although we don't like it, we are where the industry standard is." Way to shoot for the stars. There are pockets in time where there are small but significant exoduses of people. HR/Management don't bat an eye. Employee Growth/Grooming for Success- There is not any. In summary, my experience here was pretty mediocre. I am thankful for the opportunity to participate and learn from people that knew and enjoyed lighting systems. However, there are too many things to change to call this a desirable place to work. I purposely wait to submit any kind of reviews. Actually this is my first one, so that I can have a good perspective and not submit a review that reflects recent negative events shortly after I resign. Best of luck to all that remain here.

Explore other reviews about Eaton

5.0
May 27, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Fantastic training environment, with an immersive training facility that helps equip you for your internship.

Cons

No cons to mention, great experience.

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Eaton Response
1w
Thank you for sharing your experience, and we’re glad to hear you found the training environment and facility so valuable during your internship. We appreciate your positive feedback and are happy to know it was such a strong experience for you.
2.0
May 15, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

whelp, their hiring. So if you're looking for an entry level position, they've got them open

Cons

Where do I start? If your goal is to make a tangible impact, change things for the better, or grow a modern career, look elsewhere. Stifling Red Tape: The company is drowning in administrative bloat and ancient, worn-out processes. It is nearly impossible to implement meaningful improvements because every minor change is strangled by bureaucracy. The organization simply lacks the capability to scale effectively. (They still haven't fully implemented Bussman, who they acquired more than a decade ago) Short-Sighted Leadership: Upper management is entirely hyper-focused on hitting short-term quarterly metrics at all costs, completely sacrificing long-term strategy and sustainable operational health. Subpar Compensation & Benefits: The base salary is hardly competitive with the current market. The benefits package is remarkably weak—health insurance options are disappointing, and you start with a meager two weeks of vacation. Zero Performance Incentive: There is no financial upside for regular engineers. Bonus potential is completely locked away until you reach a "manager of managers" level, leaving the actual individual contributors with no skin in the game. If you are a paper-pusher who thrives in a rigid, stagnant environment, you will love it here. If you want to build the future, go somewhere else.

2
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Eaton Response
2w
Thank you for sharing your perspective. We’re sorry to hear about your concerns around bureaucracy, compensation, and incentives. Your feedback is important, and we encourage you to share more with your local HR team so we can continue improving.
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