Was great, is okay, trending down - Associate Director Optum Employee Review

3.0
Jan 30, 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

PTO: Generous, 401(k) is decent, people are generally decent. Usually have a boss that honors flexible work to deal with sick kids, home issues, etc. Most roles are WFH. They awarded an extra floating holiday this year.

Cons

Insurance is a joke; gets worse every year. If you stay too long, you will actually lose out on earning potential. Raises are non-existant. If you count inflation + the rising cost of premiums, I've actually lost money by staying at optum. The CEO has abandoned the culture that Hemsley and Renfro started and Wichmann tried to continue. So the culture which used to really focus on the humanity of the organization now focuses on dollars and cents alone. In that light - leadership is making decisions on the ranking system to force people into lower rankings based on their tenure. Even if you've exceeded your goals, the company has decided to save money by rating you lower. This affects your bonus and your (non-existent) raise. The company continues to acquire other organizations and cannot figure out how to integrate them. After folks realize a bunch of money has been wasted, the company then lays off tons of employees. A higher up in finance discussed how OptumRx grew very well in both revenue and earnings; but since we didn't meet "internal targets" (whatever those were) bonuses are going to be much much less.

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Optum Response
1y
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. I'm pleased to hear you are satisfied with our generous PTO policy, 401(k) plan, flexible work arrangements, and the extra floating holiday. We strive to create a supportive and accommodating work environment for all employees. In regards to the negative experiences you've raised, we're actively looking into ways to address these concerns. We recognize the importance of competitive raises and bonuses, and your comments about performance ratings, insurance and compensation will be shared with leaders for further review. We are committed to continually improving as an organization and providing the utmost support for our team members.

Explore other reviews about Optum

5.0
Mar 24, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Very good culture and managers are very helpful, good work benefits

Cons

not much movement or increment

3.0
Jun 4, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Some very talented people give so much of themselves to the company, the clients and their co-workers. I work with (and have worked with) some excellent, smart, supportive people.

Cons

Too many layoffs. Upper management is clueless about how the day to day work gets done, what it takes to make certain changes to processes, and how to treat employees. Some are great. Mostly, they just look at numbers. So many of us have been doing our jobs long enough to know what is needed for certain requests. But we don't get a voice. We just have to do it and suck it up. They are firing ('reduction in force') all of the seasoned staff and let the rest deal with the fall-out. So many teams are losing good people but those people are training their off-shore replacements before they are told about being cut. So how is that a reduction in force? It's just a reduction in payroll numbers. Everyone is on edge just waiting for the next axe to fall. And we have to try and learn or teach another role with less experienced people and more work. It's crazy. On milestone anniversaries, they send an email recognition but once the milestone gets to over 15 years, you are a target. Pay and benefits are fine by me. Raises are practically non-existent, even after layoffs and asking employees to take on more responsibility. that's messed up. They talk about work/life balance but that doesn't trickle down to the actual workers who are so stressed they fear for their jobs if they don't do the extra mile. Many of us are just hanging on instead of quitting so we can at least get some severance. Others are actively looking.

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