Pros
Actually if you work hard and are unrelenting in accomplishing your job, this place has fairly decent opportunities. Management will at least act like they are listening to you. Management won’t fly of the handle and scream or lose their cool very often, if ever. The company is getting its VPP (variable pay for performance) package to be fairer in rewarding those who work hard and consistently. Hourly people can get a VPP in four different brackets; (a.) under expectations=0% bonus, (b.) meets expectations=7% bonus, (c.) exceeds expectations=17.5% bonus, (d.) exceptional=21% bonus. It is a little more complex than that but, not much and it is pretty fair in a lot of ways. They match 401k at 7%, administered through Fidelity. The overall resources for work /life balance are pretty great considering the size of the company. I get four forty hour weeks paid vacation every year, but I work 84 hour weeks offshore so I really get two offshore weeks off every year. They pay $250 towards fitness equipment for you to buy for your home uses every year, plus $300 for participating in other health initiatives through BPhit program. So, I can have six weeks in a row off every year without missing my base check. Nice. You won’t ever be harassed for taking the time to do the job safely or environmentally friendly. They do have mechanisms in place to report unethical management practices so that you have a form of recourse if they want you to take unnecessary chances or risks. I appreciate the fact that even if they are truly at heart an oil company, they are taking steps to create a greener company. Overall, I am pretty happy with the company, for what it is and what industry it is in.
Cons
It is a big company so they have some trouble with change. You have to really work to get anyone to follow recommendations or listen to advice, but it can be done. More so than many places this one has lots of chiefs, lots of initiatives, lots of programs, and all these lead to lots of paperwork. The hire in process leaves a lot to be desired. There are many programs that the only way you find out about them is by asking your coworkers, and that is what HR expects. Sometimes it seems that the extraneous programs and initiatives are more important to management than being good at your job. The politically correct speech and business politics have taken hold of BP and sometimes you long for the “good ole days” when you could say what you mean and mean what you say. It seems that it is all about CYA (cover you’re a**), there are the expected politics and ole boy club that characterizes the oil field. Sometimes common sense takes a back seat to London or Houston’s whims. Not that they are all bad but sometimes they seem overblown, over engineered, and under thought. Sometimes the company doesn’t have the time or money to do things right the first time, but we will have it either on the second or third time though. ? I have never known any other schedule but I work offshore and my schedule is 14 days on 14 days off and 12 hour days for the 14 days that I am at work, I think that I would like to try something else. Not BP’s fault, but it is one negative about the job for me.
