Covid Response Shows NEI's True Colors - Anonymous employee NEI Global Relocation Employee Review

Let's talk about the Covid-19 response first. The job functions for most departments can be done from home, yet the company delayed closing the office at the beginning of the pandemic. HR even sent out a company-wide email saying that if employees felt uncomfortable or if they felt it was their civic duty to stay home, then they had to use PTO. I was told by my direct boss "turn off the news — everything is fine". Eventually, they gave in and allowed most employees to work from home, but they began phasing everyone back after July 4 with full return of all employees by mid-September despite the rising case numbers. On one occasion after full return, a coworker in my department had direct exposure to the virus and was told that unless she had a positive test, she was expected to return to the office. This is blatant defiance of CDC guidelines. Other coworkers expressed their anxiety about the office environment and were basically told to just get over it. When asked, HR and the CEO still did not clarify that employees who were directly exposed to the virus would be expected to quarantine. All of this created an extremely tense work environment. People were uncomfortable to even get up to use the restroom, effectively meaning that you sit at your cubicle all day and only leave it when absolutely necessary. The last 8 months showed exactly who the company is at its core and how little they actually care about employees. Additionally, NEI loves to boast that they have never laid off during economic downturns but that’s because they force people out instead. They do not want to be responsible for unemployment benefits, so they take any opportunity to get rid of someone by forcing them to put in a 2-week notice so that they can say the employee “voluntarily resigned”. My advice to any current employees reading this is to make sure you document everything and be sure you get things in writing. As for the rest of the cons, the pay is very low for the amount of work and education/experience required. The technology and company culture are frozen in the 90’s. There is a strange culture of secrecy where you never learn when your coworkers get promoted or even when they leave. There is very little diversity and nothing being done towards promoting equity or inclusion. The company posted a memo during Summer 2020 about their stance that black lives matter, but this was a performative gesture at best. If you interview for a position at NEI, be sure to ask them how they prioritized their employees’ health and safety during the pandemic and pay close attention to how they answer. Maintaining an antiquated corporate culture and controlling people’s productivity were their main priorities.