Pros

Flexible work hours when you are salaried employee & depending on who your manager is. I do not believe that most managers are "clock watchers" especially with salary employees. Pay seems to be in line with other insurers for the most part. Most employees seem happy or at least content with their jobs. Volume of work depends on your department. The office I work in is very friendly and social. Lots of baby showers, happy hour after work, etc...which is nice. Upper management in my office is very approachable; a genuine interest is taken in the employee. Upper management is actually sincere and not the "fake" nice that can occur just because they have to make nice with the huddled masses from time to time just to keep up appearances. When you do your job well, show up for work as required and have no "issues", things will be just fine. Internal job opportunities/transfers are pretty plentiful if you want to move across disciplines or move up in the company.

Cons

Depending on your job, staffing in your department & whether or not you're salaried or not, you could technically work less than 40 hours per week or you could work 60+. Benefits such as health insurance have declined over the years. Company has a "wellness program" and if you don't participate you're essentially penalized by paying a surcharge on your health insurance contribution; in addition, you have to meet certain health related goals such as BMI. Performance evaluations always seem to land at a "3" (scale of 1-5, with 5 being the best) for nearly all employees; regardless of how well (or how poorly) the employee performs. My personal opinion is that your performance evaluation is somewhat of a popularity contest. I have had extremely high, glowing evaluations from one manager/region. However, I've been transferred to work under a different manager for one reason or the other, doing the exact same job, performing at the same high level yet I will receive an average ("3") rating. This is not just isolated to me as I have confirmed with others who have faced the exact same issue. It seems illogical that a high performer would suddenly become just average for no apparent reason. I have seen high performers under one manager go to being fired once his/her direct manager changed. Promotions have taken a turn for the worse. You will sometimes see qualified individuals promoted to let's say manager. On the other hand, individuals gets promotions and it leaves us all dumbfounded how someone with no technical skills and no people skills rises to the next level. Perhaps it is the "Peter Principle" in action. Unfortunately, I find all insurance companies to be financially driven (which makes sense) and really every employee is disposable in the end. Like most other insurance companies, Nationwide is a good place to work when everything is good including your health. However, if you become seriously ill/injured, look out. Everything is ERISA so the employee essentially has few rights and little to no recourse. Corporate (those downtown in The Towers) don't know you, don't care to know you and if you're a liability...the balance sheet must be adjusted. Things are made as difficult and cumbersome as possible. To corporate, you (the employee) are just a drain on resources and a financial liability to be reckoned with.