Pros
When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for underappreciated employees to voluntarily dissolve the corporate bands which have connected them with another, and to assume the Powers-that-Be, the double standard to which the innumerable, unnamed and incontrovertible laws of nature, decency, and integrity, along with a gratifying disrespect to, and of, the opinions of the oppressed multitude requires, compels and demands they declare the causes which impel them to said dissolution. I am speaking, of course, of the emotionally violent, exceedingly hostile, and anxiety-ridden environment that has been cultivated by middle and upper management at Pilot Freight Services, whose corporate offices reside in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. To begin this redress of grievances, as they certainly are, I am honor-bound to acknowledge that not all about this company resides in the realm of the resoundingly negative. For most of my tenure, I was fortunate enough to work with extremely competent and open legacy employees; their competence stemming from the fact that they were the ones who created their own positions. The day-to-day operations people, in various departments, were almost always gracious and generous with their time and knowledge, eager to assist in any way possible. In increasing times throughout my tenure, it is to these exceptional people that I directed most of my inquiries and issues. They appreciated my desire to solve problems, while simultaneously making some improvements, rather than ask a question via email that would be either ignored or deleted – which can be considered the hallmark of the palpable, pervasive ineptitude and universal inadequacies which I am about to ascribe to both middle and upper management.
Cons
My employment began in the summer of 2017 in what was described as an entry-level position with almost limitless potential for growth and advancement. After all, the majority of employees had tenures ranging into decades and although it would be incredibly naïve of anyone in this day and age to expect that type of job security, such a thing would not be considered a foreign concept if the company would care enough to protect and nurture its most valuable Assets: its employees. And for the first 18 months, this was true: I learned a lot, was gradually given more and more tasks with corresponding increases in responsibility, had questions answered, and ultimately felt justified in my gamble to change careers. In short, Pilot was a good place to work, which not everyone has ever had the benefit of experiencing. That is, until December of 2018. The latter part of 2018 brought many changes and at the risk of clinging to a modicum of optimism, these changes were met with a certain open-mindedness that no one particularly felt. Given that I had the least amount of time invested, I was willing to give the benefit of the doubt where required. December 2018 saw the arrival of three individuals that positively reeked obvious and callous rancor. It also saw the unprofessional removal of one individual and the gradual decline of two others. One of these new individuals quickly saw the error of her ways and, thankfully, never made the migration from Lima, PA, where the company called home for almost half a century, to Glen Mills. The other two, however, the CFO and Controller, with the late addition of a new, replacement Assistant Controller, were and are the sole the architects of what Pilot has become. It is their involvement, along with this move, and everything that came with it, that engendered this malevolent, offensive, and calamitous culture and although I am no longer voluntarily employed by Pilot, my personal integrity demands I speak out. For when a long train of abuses and usurpations pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under what can only be described as absolute despotism, it is our right and our duty to provide new guards for our mental, emotional and occupational health and security. Let the following facts be submitted to a candid world and serve not only as an indictment of corporate hostilities, but as a bulwark against any future atrocities: • Hostile environment toward ALL legacy employees • An aloof, disenfranchised, and deregulated HR department • Lack of overall flexibility toward ALL employees regardless of legitimacy of request, especially when pertaining to childcare • Lack of value in the experience and reliability of legacy employees • Zero management integrity – talking behind employees’ backs and naively thinking no one would find out • Deliberate and unconscionable pushing-out of legacy employees • The propensity to make one train one’s replacement • Inadequate and insulting raise and bonus structure for legacy employees • Multiple standards not relegated to race, sex, or creed. • Lack of adequate communication channels involving management afraid to take any actionable responsibility • More work visited on employees with inadequate training and no opportunity for monetary compensation or managerial gratitude • Too many meetings with no resolution • Impersonal; heavy reliance on the digital medium • No privacy based on an allegedly collaborative, open-air floor plan • Obsolete and inadequate systems, software, and technology despite assurances to the alternative. • Understaffed and underfunded IT Department • Bad hiring or promotion decisions • Preach positivity and embrace change while oblivious to the negative culture they helped foster • Specific grievances related to how invaluable employees are to the company • Misallocation of funds away from employees and in favor of exponentially more expensive consultants and outside entities • Spiteful and vindictive management personnel, should anything be questioned or requested • Personal animus overrides professionalism or meritorious job performance • Zero praise and a subpar review policy and practice • Management writes their own reviews, subsequently providing the impetus for their own monetary increases • Toothless C Level management; rampant absenteeism with zero accountability • Removal of employee and family-friendly perks including 401k match • Gratuitous corporate spending • Employee schedules change without merit, explanation, or option to appeal • Clear favoritism and malicious double-speak
