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Comfortable, but no opportunity for salary increase

Software Engineer IV
Current Employee
Has worked at Oracle for 4 years
April 11, 2014
3.0
Doesn't RecommendNeutral OutlookDoesn't Approve of CEO
Pros

Good work/life balance, freedom to work in the office or telecommute as it suits you, and the stability of a large company.

Cons

Poor compensation.

Pathetic vacation policy (13 days PTO for the first three years, then 18 days PTO. 8 Holidays.

I have yet to find a company whose starting vacation+holiday levels do not exceed Oracle's official max holidays. I say "official" because Oracle managers recognize how low this amount of vacation is and, in some cases, will make special arrangements for increased flexibility if your work merits it.)

In regards to compensation, what is particularly frustrating is that there is often no opportunity for change to compensation, even if you are getting great feedback on your work and your business unit is doing great. Oracle as a whole has a philosophy that they don't need to give raises because people will stay anyway.

Year after year, top-level execs give local directors very small or even non-existent raise and bonus pools, so local managers cannot give their employees raises, even if they want to. They tend to use stock options, but not salary, as a means of roping top performers into staying with the company.

This lack of salary mobility is very depressing, not only for its effect on your wallet but because it makes it very difficult to remain motivated when you know that, no matter how good a job you do, you will not be financially rewarded for it.

Senior management looks at employees as drones. They truly do not care one iota about employee happiness.

Advice to Management

Give local managers more opportunity to give discretionary raises. I can see it within my own group: you are losing good talent to companies with more competitive compensation. Those employees who remain would be more motivated and perform better if they had a personal incentive. Meritocracy is key.

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