Vantaggi
PGW is a great place to work and it truly feels like a family environment. This is a place where you can have a long career and work in a variety of different positions. I've been able to have very rewarding, yet challenging jobs and have opportunities to work with and learn from very skilled, knowledgeable people in management and the union. Professional development is supported and encouraged and there are plenty of training courses available through the company. The benefits are second to none - pension/deferred comp, free/practically free medical and dental insurance with very low copays, and tuition assistance. The compressed workweek is a huge help and the longer you work here, the more weeks of vacation you earn. The wellness program is great - onsite gyms and fitness classes are motivating and you can even meet with dietitians onsite. And while our salaries used to be much lower than our peers, that was recently corrected and we're much more on par, which my wallet appreciates! The company feels financially strong and very stable and I look forward to the future.
Svantaggi
Being a municipally-owned company, PGW isn't as fancy as some other places since our expenditures point back to the ratepayers. The office buildings are in rough shape, the technology/software is old and slow, and there is a tendency to keep things "old school" from a cultural standpoint, e.g. clocking in/out, resisting new ideas/innovations in the industry. There is a residency requirement, unlike most city agencies in Philly, which has caused many up-and-coming leaders to leave PGW and put their kids in a better school district. There are a lot of cliques and favoritism, so it can be challenging to move up the ranks or get access to opportunities if you're not in the "in crowd".