Pros
I met really nice and capable coworkers during my stint at Merit - the people hired were smart and had good people skills so I enjoyed working with my team. There is also good work-life balance and the team is incredibly diverse.
Cons
Disclaimer: All views are personal opinions of the author and do not and will not represent those of any other employees. Although this company has decided to open an office in Singapore, the company has not performed sufficient due diligence in understanding and complying with the employment laws in the country in the ambit of payment upon resignation. Hence, I strongly suggest that the company fortifies its existing compliance department, if any, or opens up a compliance department to avoid legal trouble in the future. Legal matters aside, the company is also a proponent of unethical business practices. They tried to make me sign a vaguely-worded, two-year long non-compete clause retrospectively after the completion of my internship. This transcends common, ethical business sense. Contractual terms must be negotiated and discussed before the internship starts, not after it ends. This matter would not have been that serious, should the company not have sent an email saying that the intern's final salary would be put on hold should they not sign the retrospective non-compete clause, notwithstanding the fact that an employee's salary is a basic, unconditional, given, statutory right. Again, with proper due diligence and a strong compliance department, this action should not have been allowed to fly. Legal and ethical issues aside, let's now talk about the company itself. Haphazard would be an appropriate adjective to describe this company. While the tech services offered by the company seem promising and staff are competent, any semblance of the company's potential is greatly hindered by its messy leadership, structure and coordination. Business etiquette is also lacking here. Emails can be left unanswered and the tone employed by management can be rather curt. Leadership is far from excellent. Bad communication is aplenty and coordination between staff and departments is rarely experienced. Different departments do not work efficiently or in parallel with each other. The staff have worries and concerns that are valid and should not be trivialised. Employees here are generally unhappy. People here are working for a wage, not because they necessarily find meaning and fulfilment in their roles.