Oracle

I have learned a lot at Oracle – both about the software I support, as well as how to research problems with that software effectively and how to better solve problems.

Immediate managers are good, and they do try to work with you on schedules and other things. They are also a go-between, between you and upper management. They are somewhat ineffectual, as they don't have any real control over anything. (For example, when a bunch of employees were laid off during Covid, my immediate manager told our group that he was not informed that there were going to be layoffs until the day it happened – in other words, upper management made the decision on which people were being let go, not the immediate managers.)

Work/life balance is great. As an engineer, when you leave work, you don't get called about work or asked to work overtime (they don't like to give overtime, and as an engineer, you are paid hourly, not salary.) Occasionally, you are on call, but you get paid a flat rate for being on call (even if you don't get called), and then if you actually have to work, you get paid for the time you had to work on top of the flat rate.

Oracle is AWESOME for having a diverse culture (people come from all over to work at Oracle). They support LGBTQ initiatives as well as veterans. I love working there because of the people I meet and work with from all over the world. They are very liberal in these kinds of policies, which is great.

Oracle has great health benefits, and there is no max sick leave. (Though they do monitor how much sick leave you take.) For managers, there is no max on vacation leave.

Oracle provides free drinks (coffee, sodas, tea – hot/cold, and soda water). And when we were in the office (pre-Covid), they did periodically provide lunches and other food. Though this wasn't very often.

I have worked for Oracle for six years and I got a raise for the first time about a year ago.

Oracle does not give yearly raises to offset the cost of living. They give something called Focals, and you have to prove to your manager as well as upper management that you deserve to get a focal. You prove this by going above and beyond your job description.

In other words, you have to be seen and known by upper management for the things you do at Oracle that are outside of your job description. Focals are also not given each year, as they are dependent on the stock market.

Job security is also not something Oracle offers. During Covid, Oracle laid off a number of people. You would think that they would lay off the people who had been hired most recently, but a large percentage of the people laid off during Covid were long-time employees who had worked there for 10+ years.

Oracle also has way too many meetings that just waste your time. The biggest offenders of this are the 'all hands' meetings that are required attendance.

401K matching is not as high as I have had it at other companies.

I currently work 12 noon to 8 PM and get a 10% shift differential on top of my base pay for working those hours. However, Oracle recently announced that they are moving this shift to Mexico (where it is cheaper), and all of us working this shift will have to move to the 7 AM shift, which does not come with a 10% shift differential. Oracle has told us that we will have to work this earlier shift and lose the 10% pay at the same time.

Oracle does not care about its employees; they are only out for the almighty dollar.