Life as a packer - Mixed reviews. - Utility Technician/Packer PepsiCo Employee Review

3.0
22 Feb 2009
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The best reason to work at Frito Lay is clearly the pay. As a packer inside the plant I make ~16.00 an hour part time. They can be a great help to college students if you are full time, as they will pay for part of your tuition. The benefits for being full time are good, but you must be prepared to put in a full-time work attitude. The work environment is not overly stressful if you are able to keep up with your line, and can even provide some time for socializing. Assuming you are willing to do whatever is asked of you, you will have a decent time while being employed here.

Cons

The downsides, in my opinion, outweigh the upsides of this job. The pay is great, as i said above, however you WILL work for your pay. Some of the lines run outrageously fast and you are expected to keep up without help or turning off your line. If you are full time and a lower senior, you can expect to work at least half a shift each week over what you are scheduled. This raises to even more during the summer months. Employees are able to be forced to work for 2 straight weeks (weekends included) (or 19 days) before they are guranteed their weekend off. Upper level management seems to have their heads in the game, the BULs in my plant know what they are doing, and get the job done. However, some of the lower level management (shift resources) play favorites, often giving the easier jobs to the same people over and over. Being in sanitation is an easy night, however, the same 4-5 people will get to be in sanitation over the rest of the 40 workers. I could understand if it was going by seniority or something, however these people are mid level seniors. The first few weeks of being a packer outside of training is hellacious. You are given 5 weeks of training (which should be enough for some people), however once you are thrown out on your own you are expected to know everything there is to know, and be able to keep up with your line without fail. Some PMOs (Packaging machine operators) are downright mean when it comes to their machines, if they catch you turning one of you will be yelled, possibly cursed, at to turn it back on. As a college job, this is acceptable for me. However, if I were working here as a full-time, family supporting job, it would not be worth the headache. You should not devote your life to your workplace, while killing your body at the same time.

Explore other reviews about PepsiCo

5.0
30 Apr 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Strong compensation and great atmosphere

Cons

No cons to list for PepsiCo!

4.0
6 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Worked for PepsiCo for 10 years across four locations in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Florida. Gained experience in multiple sales and operational roles while supporting account growth, merchandising, and customer relationships. Florida locations were especially well-operated and efficient. PepsiCo provided competitive pay, solid benefits through Keystone, and a good vacation package compared to competitors in the beverage industry. The company also offered strong sales incentive programs, earning rewards such as Orlando Magic floor seats, Pro Bowl tickets, Apple Watches, and Yeti cups for exceeding performance goals and driving sales results.

Cons

While PepsiCo promotes internal growth opportunities, many promotions and leadership opportunities appeared to favor college internship hires over long-term internal employees. In some cases, newer college-based management pushed corporate initiatives without fully understanding local market realities or account volume trends. For example, innovation products were sometimes forced into low-volume accounts where sell-through was unrealistic. Operationally, certain delivery processes could be improved, particularly with Tropicana products being stored in coolers on trucks for extended periods, which could impact product quality and increase waste. Work-life balance could also be challenging, as sales representatives commonly worked 50–60 hour weeks. Expectations from corporate leadership were often unrealistic, especially when customer representatives and drivers were expected to fully stock stores while servicing 15+ accounts per day. Experiences could also vary depending on whether locations were union or non-union operated.

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