Could be great, if they put their minds to it - Technical Writer Leidos Employee Review

2.0
12 Mar 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

They have tons of contracts and they're bringing in more every day. So, in theory, there are lots of opportunities with the company. They're not totally reliant on defense spending, so layoffs shouldn't be quite as big a concern. There are also some really bright people working in the middle ranks. My team lead is the best supervisor I've ever had. Unfortunately, management leaves him flapping in the breeze regularly. Most of their benefits stink, but they do have a great commute incentive program in D.C. If you work anywhere along metro, you can get up to $120 of metrofare reimbursed monthly for using metro instead of driving to work.

Cons

Benefits. I had to give them a 3 on work-life balance because while your day is over when you leave the office, their leave policy is pathetic. Ten days to start out. And don't let them convince you with the schtick about having two floating holidays, because they only give you seven of the 10 federal holidays, so if you work on a client site, you'll have to burn both floating holidays plus a vacation day on President's Day, Columbus Day and Veteran's Day. They only offer high-deductible health plans, under the guise that your premium is lower. Sure you pay less each paycheck, but if you have so much as one visit to the urgent care clinic because of the flu, you're going to be on the hook for THE ENTIRE cost. Finally, if you work in the National Capital Region (NCR), make sure you have them right the EXACT location to which you'll be assigned written on the offer letter. Don't let them get away with using vague locations like NCR, because they'll use that against you. The NCR covers as far south as Fort Belvoir, and as far north as Fort Meade, so if they have your work location listed as NCR, they can move you ANYWHERE within that area, regardless of where you live with no notice. You will not be able to fight it.

Explore other reviews about Leidos

5.0
7 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Large companies. Willingness to work with you.

Cons

Low paying. No hybrid opportunity

3.0
27 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Leidos provides opportunities to work on complex government programs with meaningful technical challenges. Depending on the contract and team, there can be exposure to cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, systems engineering, networking, and mission-focused work that is difficult to find elsewhere. The company also has a large footprint, so there may be internal opportunities for people who are able to navigate the organization.

Cons

My experience was that the quality of management varied significantly by program. Communication around expectations, roles, and priorities was often inconsistent, and decisions that affected employees were not always explained clearly or handled in a transparent way. Work-life balance also depended heavily on local management. Flexibility that existed in practice could be changed quickly, and employees were sometimes left trying to reconcile changing expectations with existing workloads and personal obligations. In my view, the company would benefit from stronger oversight of program-level management decisions, especially where employee responsibilities, workplace flexibility, and performance feedback are concerned. I also found that technical decision-making was sometimes driven more by schedule pressure than by sound engineering judgment. On complex government programs, that can create unnecessary risk and frustration for employees who are trying to do things correctly.

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