Pros
Full disclosure---Optum is such a huge organization that YMMV, however, by in large, I think it's mostly consistent. Culture - As large as this company is, leadership makes a priority and huge commitment to culture, inclusivity, and diversity. There are regular culture trainings and it's a very open culture where opinions and voices from all levels of staff are encouraged to speak up. Steady Job Steady Pace - there is always work to do, very hard not to keep busy, but work / life balance is the best I've seen in any organization. It's encouraged to use your PTO and take the well deserved break. Work From Home - I would guess that like 90% of our company is WFH. I started as a telecommuter 5 years ago and when COVID hit, our company already had the infrastructure, technology, and culture setup for a work at home environment, so my company never skipped the beat, we actually got busier because of this since we were processing HHS claims.
Cons
Pay - they are headquartered in Minnesota, so if you're going to tell a commuter coming from a major city expect a major shock and pay, probably 25% to 30% lower. They use a normal distribution pay scale curve, but it's significantly lower than industry standards. Healthcare Costs - it's amazing that this is a Fortune 5 company and the largest health insurance plan in the united states! However out of all the companies I've worked for it is the most expensive plan with the least options. How in the world could this be, how can I work for the biggest health insurance company United States and they offer their employees these plans and prices, it's an insult and it's disrespectful to the staff as well. To give you an idea I'm paying close to $600 a month for a family of 3 and that's not even the more expensive plan, this is the cheapest one I have. Yes there are tiers and the people who make more money pay more. However the tears should be distributed were broadly, specifically for executives, they make tens of millions of dollars a year yet they pay the same as someone who's making $100,000 a year. Employee stock purchase program - This one gets me the most angry. When I first started they had an 85% purchase price and within a 6-month window you pay the lowest price that the stock was at and you could sell it at the highest price that the stock was out was in the 6 months. This is fair as the stock market fluctuates. However they changed it this year and it's no longer offered at a 15% discount, now it's only offered at a 10% discount,. On top of that, this is the real kicker, it's all about luck, because the price you pay is the very last day of the 6 month window. So if the stock price was consistently low for 5 months than dramatically increased at the very last day of the window then you purchased it at the higher price. However, very certain that this doesn't impact executives. Extremely difficult for promotion - I have consistently been a top performer, getting grade 5 for 3 years in a row, however I have not received the promotion that I deserve. It's a confusing message and makes you want to consider your career here. Additionally it's insulting that you get a 1% raise after being a top performer.
