Working at A.M. Best — Reviews by Employees

Pay is, as far as I can tell from industry publications, a little on the low side. Increases are usually bare minimum to match cost-of-living/inflation. Basically as little as they can get away with without driving an employee away.

Outside of the people I worked directly with on a daily basis, respect (in my experience) was zero. HR memos come across as condescending and suspicious of all employees; even lists of holidays somehow carried an implied "we're watching you to make sure you don't take more than you're entitled to" message. Some company policies (like that for bereavement leave) were or are still explicitly hidden from employees to prevent complaints about their contents. Management, with a few notable exceptions, are slick Stepford Smilers who clearly view employees as disposable, replaceable components.

Benefits: Few and getting fewer. Best eliminated bonuses in 1990, there is no incentive plan, and the upper management had to be blackmailed (via a threatened strike by the financial analysts) into implementing a 401k -- *in the early 2000s*. Until around 2008, talking about flex time would get you reprimanded. Health and Dental are expensive and offer minimal benefits for high copays. And what does it say in this day and age when a company refuses to put refrigerators and microwave ovens in rooms that are supposed to be break rooms?

Jos Security: If you can ignore all the bad stuff and you don't mind advancing at a snail's pace, you can last forever here -- just don't run afoul of the snitches and the secret rules.

Work/Life Balance: Surprisingly okay. For all their other autocratic ways, management doesn't demand their employees give up their personal lives in service to the company. There is no stigma to arriving and leaving precisely on the clock, and the implementation of flex time (finally!) makes it even more friendly for working parents and those with unusual needs.

Career Potential? You can last forever at Best, but unless someone above you moves out or on, you're going to be sitting in the same cube for decades.

Location: Pleasant campus in rolling countryside. Far prettier than it deserves to be.

Co-worker Competence: No complaints. Almost everyone I worked with was world-class.

Work environment: Pleasant modern buildings, nicely laid out and furnished, but mostly balanced out by deliberate choice of HR and management to position themselves as enemies of the employees. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that they view themselves as wardens or guards. It's clearly too much for most people: turnover among employees is immense, with most people leaving after a year or two. Most of those who last longer are either numb to the shenanigans of HR/Management, or are Quislings.

How I wish Jobvent was around when I took a job at A.M. Best. On to the ratings...

Pay: Starting pay could have been worse (could have been better, too). However, with NO bonus and few merit increases, just realize the pay you get is the pay you'll pretty much stay at.

Respect- Now we get to the heart of the problem. Employee respect is nil. This is the most politicized company I ever worked for. Management is, by and large, out for themselves and more than willing to feed you to the sharks. The HR department's main function is to act as the CEO's secret police and bust people for violations such as eating lunch at your desk. Upper management has zero trust in their employees, and feels the need to regulate almost everything.

Benefits- Poor. Overpriced medical and dental for what you get, and no vision. They do offer a small pension, if you can stick it out that long.

Job Security- With the employee turnover, they really can't afford to fire people.

Work/Life Balance- I never had to work late, but that's because I was hourly and they'd have to shell out for OT. Just know that if your kid/spouse is sick and you're a few minutes late to work, they will not cut you slack.

Career Growth- Didn't hear about one promotion the entire time I was there. Not saying it didn't happen, but it sure didn't happen to anyone I know.

Location- The commute wasn't bad and the area is nice. Lunch options are a Kings supermarket, a McDonalds and a pizza place. It's pretty much the middle of nowhere.

Co-worker Competence- Never had a problem with most of the people I worked with. Co-workers aren't the problem, it's management. A few managers are really good. A few more keep their heads down and try not to make waves. Most, especially at the highest echelon, are arrogant and territorial. I've never seen such inter-departmental strife at a company before. Do yourself a favor and don't get caught in the middle of it.

Work Environment- My wife once had to drop me off at the office, and remarked on what sullen, lambs-to-the-slaughter expressions people wear on their way through the doors. This is a company run purely on fear. Fear of making a mistake, fear of somehow violating the ridiculous, constantly-changing employee rules, fear of getting on a manager's bad side, fear of getting on HR's bad side.

Bottom Line- This is a company coasting on a reputation built long ago by much better people. Now, pretty much everyone's just waiting for the CEO to retire (or die) in the hope that things will get better. There are a few good departments run by competent people, but they're few and far between. Avoid this company and save yourself a lot of regrets.