Intel

Assuming you have a good manager, it is fairly easy to get time off when needed, and rewards for accomplishments come with the work (though sometimes you have to be blunt and ask).

The pay is reasonable, and the benefits are good.

Two of the nicest perks are:

• Profit sharing. Intel places a percentage of your income into a 401K for you even if you don't contribute. This is better than matching. Usually, it's between 4 and 9% of your annual income.

• Sabbatical. Every 7 years, employees get 2 months off, not part of vacation or sick leave. You have to take it all at once, which is great because your manager has to give it to you all in one lump.

If you don't have a good manager (sadly, my case now), rewards are virtually nonexistent.

Having had seven managers in the last 10 years, I can say it is really a crap shoot how good your manager is going to be. Once you transfer groups, you are obligated to stay at least a year in that position before you can transfer again. Hop around until you find a good manager, even if the job isn't 'perfect,' then stay with that manager no matter what.

There have been instances of a manager leaving one division and moving to a new division, and their entire team following them within the year.

Finally:

There are three castes of employees at Intel:

• Green Badge contract employee
• Blue Badge general full-time non-exempt
• Blue Badge exempt (engineers and managers)

Transitioning between these castes can be difficult.

I think our CEO should read "Moral Mazes" and understand that that book is a textbook of politics at Intel.

Then, he should force some changes down the throats of mid-senior management to increase the frequency of rewards.

Seriously. Dock managers who don't hand out enough goodie drawers/etc. per quarter. Those things only cost $25 per employee, but the morale boost of getting them from one's manager really helps.

Whomever succeeds Paul as CEO should be from the engineering side of the house.

And while politically questionable, I think calling out the EU and FTC as bullying Intel at the behest of its competitors would show the world our CEO still has a pair (and would make the employees proud of Paul).