Pros
SEL goes to great lengths to provide excellent employee benefits: 1) full health, vision and dental insurance; 2) numerous paid holidays and generous vacation leave; 2) exceptionally clean and safe work environments; 3) almost unlimited opportunities for growth and advancement. Well-qualified, disciplined and (in most cases) friendly co-workers make for a supportive and even fun work environment. Though a large company with global reach, SEL has done a superb job of keeping a small-company feel, ensuring a close-knit sense of family among its many employees. With its focus on continuous improvement and personal growth, the caliber of SEL's workforce seems to successfully carry the company through good times and bad. I've worked for several good employers, but SEL is truly a success phenomenon in its own right. No other enterprise compares. Certainly, the best company to work for locally; and one of the best employers around, regardless of region.
Cons
Occasionally, a bad apple will get past HR and into the employee mix. They don't usually last long, though; either quitting of their own volition, or being shown the door by management. When the bad apples, themselves, get into management, however, they can linger a long time, making the lives of everyone under them miserable. Across my 11+ years with the company, I had at least two such supervisors, and changed departments because of them. Eventually, these poor supervisors were shown the door, but it took too long for that to happen, in my opinion. A lot of damage was done to worker morale and actual production. Hopefully, this has changed by now, with upper management paying better heed to complaints about middle management. Also note that, if you are not truly interested in working diligently and growing as a person, you won't like SEL. For, though the company gives a lot in way of perks and benefits, it also expects a lot from its employees. You'll be pressed to contribute a lot of yourself; it's not an easy ride. But that's what keeps the company prospering, as an employee-owned enterprise.