My experience with EPAM has been marred by significant inconsistencies between what is promised during the interview process and what actually happens once you're hired.
1. Salary Deception: During interviews, salary is discussed in USD, and you're told it will be paid in KZT, which is expected. However, once you receive the contract, the official salary is 20% lower than what was agreed upon. You're told this 20% is a "performance bonus" granted at management’s discretion — meaning it can be taken away at any time. This is both misleading and risky for employees who rely on the originally discussed amount.
2. Unlawful Vacation Policy: The employment contract forces you to take vacation only in multiples of 7 days (e.g., 7, 14, 21 days), meaning if you want to take, say, 9 days off, you're required to take 7 days of paid leave and 2 days unpaid. HR justifies this by citing the Labor Code of Kazakhstan and calling it a "mutual agreement", but such clauses that violate the employee’s legal rights should not be included in the contract at all. By law, you are entitled to take your full accrued leave — the company cannot impose unlawful restrictions, even if you "agree" to them under pressure.
3. Salary Review Process Is a Dead End: While performance reviews are conducted regularly, getting a raise is extremely difficult — practically impossible. The system seems designed to avoid giving salary increases. Be prepared that your compensation will remain unchanged for at least 2 years, no matter how well you perform.
4. Constant Negativity from Leadership: Internal communications from top management, including the CEO, are consistently gloomy. Phrases like “tough times” and “we must stay strong” are used so often that they’ve become the company’s unofficial motto. Over the past 5 years, I can’t recall a single positive or uplifting message from senior leadership.
