14 Pros and Cons of Working for Boeing

Boeing is the world’s largest developer and manufacturer of military and commercial aircraft, helicopters, space systems, and defense missiles.

The company was founded in 1916 by William Boeing and Conrad Westervelt when the two created a 2 seat, single-engine seaplane.

Today, Boeing has production and design facilities in Alabama, Arizona, California, and Missouri, with customers in over 150 countries.

The aerospace company employs over 140,000 people.

According to Indeed, 75% of employees would recommend working at Boeing.

What’s it really like to work at this company?

Read on for a list of the pros and cons of working for Boeing.

Table of Contents

Pros Of Working For Boeing
Cons Of Working For Boeing
14 Pros and Cons of Working for Boeing – Summary Table
Should You Work For Boeing?

Pros Of Working For Boeing

1. Benefits

Boeing leads its industry in terms of benefits offered to its employees.

They offer full medical, dental, and vision services to help workers and their families cover the cost of all their health needs.

Other benefits include a retirement plan, paid time off, vacation, and sick leave.

Disability and life insurance programs are also included.

These benefits begin after 1 month of employment.

One of the best benefits offered by the company (and not many others), is the 12 weeks of paid parental leave.

New parents can use this time after the birth of a new child, a finalized adoption, or after a foster child placement.

This helps to create a healthy work-life balance among employees.

2. Perks

Working at Boeing comes with a hefty number of perks and rewards.

Employees take part in the “Pride at Boeing.”

This program awards points for performance, which can be redeemed for gift cards or items as well as a special catalog.

After 5 years (and subsequent landmark anniversaries), employees will be presented with an award package, as a thank-you for their service.

Most Boeing campuses have an on-site employee service center.

It’s like a mini-mart where snacks, drinks, and over-the-counter medicine can be purchased.

As well as gifts and seasonal items.

There’s also laundry/dry cleaning zero, a bank, a tech repair center, and a gym.

3. Discounts

All Boeing employees and their families can enjoy deep discounts on cars, electronics, theme parks, household appliances, hotels, rental cars, cruises, tickets for movies and sporting events, meal kits, and grocery delivery.

This is another indication of how Boeing supports the work-life balance of its employees.

A company that assists in helping create affordable family time is worth looking into as a workplace.

4. Tuition

If you’re interested in continuing your education, this is definitely a stand-out pro if working for Boeing.

They offer one of the best tuition programs of any company in the United States.

They will pay up to $25,000 a year for employees to earn a degree or certification.

Another awesome part of this is, it’s not a reimbursement program.

You only have to sign up and present the bill to Human Resources, they pay before classes start.

This way there are no out-of-pocket expenses.

5. Community Of Learners

In keeping with their emphasis on education, Boeing provides a vast array of opportunities for employees to continually update their skills and receive support.

Mentors and counselors are made available to new employees to help orient them to the company.

The “Learn Together Program”, allows employees time to meet, brainstorm, and present new ideas.

Each campus has a huge digital library where employees can access thousands of videos, articles, and other resources to learn more about the industry and their specific job skills.

6. Paid Holidays Off

Boeing closes all its doors on holidays that include, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving (a 4-day holiday), and a week-long winter break that begins the day before Christmas.

Not many companies give employees a week’s paid vacation during the holidays.

All of these holidays are paid, so employees can relax, spend time with family, and know that they are not losing any money.

7. Flexibility

Boeing offers many of its employees a flexible schedule and work environment.

Many employees are able to work full-time from home, work on a hybrid schedule, or choose to work in person at the facility.

There are also several shift options, so you can schedule around other responsibilities.

Even better, if you work the second or third shifts, you will see an increase in your salary.

Cons Of Working For Boeing

1. Layoffs

One of the main issues that employees seem to have with Boeing is the frequent layoffs.

The company gets a lot of its funds from the federal government.

So, much of their budget is dependent upon who is in charge and the climate of the world at large.

When defense budgets are cut, this causes a reduction in orders, thereby increasing the need to let go of employees.

It can be extremely stressful not knowing if you will have a job from month to month.

2. No Room For Advancement

Some employees state that no matter how long they’ve been with the company, they fail to be recognized with a promotion.

Often, managers and vice presidents are hired from outside the company.

This can be frustrating for people who plan on staying with a company for the long haul, but end up remaining stagnant in positions they have outgrown.

3. Impersonal

Some Boeing employees complain that the company is so large, it’s difficult to form relationships.

Managers and supervisors often don’t even know your name.

Though you may make a few friends with those in your specific department, there’s no way to get to know everyone.

You often find yourself passing by people who you’ve never seen before.

This can be a difficult prospect for people who like to socialize and have a more personalized work experience.

4. Generational Divide

Though not exclusive to Boeing, some younger employees complain that the older ones are “stuck in the old ways” of doing things.

That they are unwilling to update their skills to keep up with technology and more streamlined, efficient ways of doing things.

By the same token, older employees have stated that the younger ones want to make unnecessary changes.

Also, they expect to be promoted after a short period of time.

This can make for an unpleasant and frustrating environment for everyone.

5. Managers

One thing that both younger and older employees seem to be in agreement on, is some managers are totally unsupportive.

It’s been stated that some managers don’t listen to employees’ needs.

They brush off suggestions, and simply don’t care.

Upper management is simply concerned with the bottom line of production and not the company culture or the well-being of workers.

This may be in part due to the fact that managers are shuffled around and rotated constantly.

This makes it difficult to form and maintain continuity within departments.

6. Raises

In fact, years may go by without some workers seeing a raise.

This is frustrating to some because they see executives within the company receiving annual raises and bonuses.

Certain employees state that one of the drawbacks at Boeing is the lack of raises and the basic cost of living increases.

Complaints have also been lodged that low-performing employees get raises due to favoritism.

Regular raises are not only a necessary part of surviving the uncertain economy but an incentive to perform better and a recognition that the work you do is appreciated.

Cost of living allowances (COLA) is also needed so people can keep up with the rising costs of basic necessities.

7. Overtasked

One of the complaints often seen is that many departments are overwhelmed with work.

This often occurs with layoffs.

The money has dried up, but the work has not.

The remaining workers must take up the slack to complete projects.

This leads to extra work hours and no overtime.

This can not only have a negative effect on workers but on the company as well.

If workers are at their limit, there’s an increased risk of mistakes and accidents occurring.

Employees everywhere should have a sense of pride in what they do.

That’s difficult when being forced to speed through tasks and not put a hundred percent effort into what they produce.