Working at A.M. Best — Reviews by Employees

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.