Soul Crushing Beltway Bandit - Anonymous employee SAIC Employee Review

2.0
Feb 3, 2012
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Health insurance is cheap and OK. Client site is ok when the need arises to go out and see the light of day.

Cons

I've never worked for a company so bent into tormeting employees into submission and compliance than SAIC. Like other Beltway Bandits it is a company deeply mired in a government/military mindset (of operation and profit taking) that just doesn't fit in the twenty first century. You're reminded constantly about ethics not for your sake but for theirs. Immediate supervisors and managers are very removed from you; if you have not been here for more than three years you are an outsider. Time keeping policies are stiffling, obsesive-cumpulsive and oppresive (in the last month I've had mine rejected four times for little things). It quickly becomes a dead-end job and you dread waking up each morning to face your commute, spend eight gruelling hours at your desk and pray for time to go fast so you can leave. You're basically a cog in the machine. Period. Heck, there aren't even supplies in the kitchen or the work area I was in (i.e., basics like napkins, spoons, cups, pencils, pens). I bought my own pens, pencils and cups from the CVS down the street. What does this remind you of? The word you're thinking of starts with a 'P'. You have to use client computers, which are boarded up ('secured') so much, you can't even use SAICs own document management systems correctly. And let's not get started on the quality of the projects you do. If you've been in a government project before you've seen it: milk the government for all the time you can, while you can. No quality, no real management of the issues that the government has, outdated ideas, you get the point. If you get a call from an SAIC recruiter, just politely tell them to go away. The guys at HQ have it good. If you have TS/SCI clearance and I guess if you work at a really exotic location (e.g., research) you're good too. Otherwise, it is hell. Stay away.

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Pros

Exciting work load that is consistently evolving.

Cons

work hour flexibility is limited to a two week period.

2.0
Jun 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
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Pros

Decent learning and development opportunities. Some really passionate and hard working people on your teams. Performance management is relaxed and flexible.

Cons

Benefits are wildly expensive for a company of their size. Was laid off with 1.5 months notice right before Christmas. Months prior to layoff was forced to use my PTO due to gov shutdown, but was still getting my full paycheck during shutdown. I believe this was so that they could diminish our PTO banks so they would have to pay out less when they laid us off. Laid off with zero severance despite being at company for almost 4 years and being in good standing. No efforts from management to make connections for a new internal role despite being strongly encouraged to search internally. New CEO Jim is not personable at all. Gives heavy corporate and cog in a machine vibes. Rumor has it that in the defense contracting industry, SAIC will be faring rather poorly within next 1-4 years.

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