Great pay and benefits, not-so-great everything else - Distribution Generalist McMaster-Carr Employee Review

2.0
8 Feb 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Salary is very high for the industry. End of year bonus is incredible. Company pays 100% of health care premiums, even if you have dependents. Company also contributes directly into your retirement account, though it takes 6 years to fully vest on this benefit. No strings attached tuition reimbursement is an amazing perk. 40 hour work weeks with occasional (optional) overtime.

Cons

The work is monotonous and boring. Some warehouse departments are incredibly strenuous both mentally and physically. Your career path is entirely in the hands of senior management. You can be moved between departments at a moments notice without a say in the matter. You will be asked to share your preferences for how you want to "grow" in your career, but none of that is ever considered by management. You will simply be moved around based on what the company needs/wants out of you. I put "grow" in quotes because even if you do get the opportunity to take on new responsibilities, it will simply be a lateral move between departments. The opportunities for a person to truly be promoted from a staff role are slim to none, so don't expect to ever really build a career here. The company hires 99% of managers directly from outside, based on elitist criteria.

Explore other reviews about McMaster-Carr

5.0
27 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great Benefits (Tuition reimbursement, healthcare, retirement)

Cons

Expectations are high. You are expected to work while at work.

2.0
4 Mar 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good salary, guaranteed bonus, opportunities for overtime

Cons

Management changes constantly, managers are either fresh out of college or have never done your role or both, so I felt like I was managing myself. The metric standards are so high you have to essentially be perfect month after month. The standards are completely unrealistic, robotic, and leave little room for a bad day. There is PTO but you are only allowed to take it if there are “available hours” for that day - everything is about capacity and squeezing out as much work from as many people as possible. Taking time off affects your metrics for the month, which I did not know until after I took my first week-long vacation - they are always looking at your performance in terms of the past year, so I had to try to overwork and correct the bad month I had, when in my opinion your PTO should be completely YOUR time and have no adverse effect. Mentally and physically strenuous, whether you are on the warehouse side or office side - go to the bathroom too many times in a day and it will become an issue - they expect you to be glued to your desk/post. Like I said, no room to be human.

6
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