Ruminations of a 30-year Eastman Veteran - Chemical Engineer Eastman Employee Review

3.0
14 Jun 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The company has changed quite a bit from the Kodak days, and mostly for the good. Co-workers and managers are generally helpful and want you to succeed. In spite of some recent blunders I believe the CEO is intelligent and does want Eastman to prosper. Diversity of workforce is mostly a plus; lots of expats have successful careers here. Primary caregivers, however, are more challenged (see Cons). Eastman has historically had many very technically competent employees, but this is changing quickly (more about that in the Cons).

Cons

The 2016 downsizing and push for productivity has resulted in exceptionally overworked employees. Forget about taking all your vacation ( and you can't carry it over or get it paid out). Most of the comments in the reviews about the performance management system are true; it is only used against you to prevent a promotion or so your boss can give part of your bonus to one of his pets. The plus side is if you are one of your boss's pets then you don't need to worry about your rating. Experience and technical knowledge are not valued very much; long-time employees are treated like diseases when layoff time comes around. A staggering amount of experience walked (or was shown) out the door in 2016 simply because a young new hire looks cheaper on paper than an old timer. Women (and some men) with children won't fare as well in their careers due to a lack of work/life balance. Another Con is that managers change position every couple of years; I think this is a Con because your direct supervisor may never understand or appreciate what you do or your value. On the other hand this could be a Pro if you're incompetent or want to hide out till retirement.

Explore other reviews about Eastman

5.0
15 Mar 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Eastman has been the best company I've worked for in my career. They have a solid safety culture and room for growth.

Cons

No con in my experience...

4.0
3 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

They are open to letting individuals choose career paths that make them happy.

Cons

IT is competitive and limited growth opportunities.

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