Work until you drop - Senior Architect Unisys Employee Review

1.0
Dec 13, 2010
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Where I worked, (federal sales), there was a great deal of mobility, at least initially. If a particular technology or job type interested you, it was fairly easy to "volunteer" and work towards becoming expert in that technology. Don't expect guidance or direction or training, just find something that interests you, take the bull by the horns, and do it. Beware, though, of the "musical chairs" practice that occurs at the end of a bad quarter, or year. If you find yourself "in transition" from one project to another at the wrong time, it's awfully easy to get laid off. But don't worry about it - most people in the industry have been laid-off from Unisys at some time in their careers.

Cons

Long-term employees were routinely shafted when it came to pay -- long-term suppression of salary increases meant that new employees with far fewer skills were routinely hired at pay scales well above "senior" employees, a total morale killer. To prevent salary stagnation, you must leave Unisys after 2 or 3 years. Projects are almost routinely comically understaffed, and led to work weeks of 100+ hours a week; many people, (myself included) ruined their health, both physical and mental, and many marriages collapsed under the strain (and in some cases, people probably shortened their lives) working for Unisys. I've worked on win teams of "5" people, and later discovered that our competitors' teams were 25 and more. I once worked for 3 weeks straight with timecards of 110+ hours, and 3 months straight of 80 or more hours. That's insanity, and inhumane. Oh, right, in case you're wondering, since you're on salary, not a dime extra for this. Sometimes, they'd allow you to collect an overtime meal allowance, but generally they didn't since the expenses were too high. And should your project succeed, don't expect a big bonus. Big bonuses are paid, just not to the people that do the work -- the executives and "good old boys" who worked 35 hours a week will get the big bonuses for a big win, but only a few dollars find their way to the people that actually did the work. There exists a certain species of vulture at Unisys, a good ole boy network, where the good ole boys will refuse to work on a project (see the 110+ hour work-week comment above), but then, will transfer in just before contract award to take the plum assignments and collect the awards. More than once, I saw people given awards for "winning" projects they didn't technically work on until the contract was already awarded, while the people that did the actual work got nothing (in federal, these pre-contract efforts can last months and years, so this is no small thing.) You can tell when a contract is about to be awarded to Unisys by the flock of "good ole boys" who suddenly turn up in the hallways, picking out their new jobs - jobs that you thought you were gonna get. It took me too long to realize this fact -- and left for a company that actually compensates their employees for succeeding - I literally doubled my pay the first year away from Unisys! I can't imagine I stayed at that place for as long as I did. Every bad employment practice you can think of ("Reward the unworthy, punish the innocent") you can find there. Man, I was such a sucker ...

Explore other reviews about Unisys

5.0
Apr 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Excellent work culture, friendly staff.

Cons

Working with Unisys has been great so far.

1.0
Jun 17, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

If you enjoy mission driven work, the clients are the best part of the job. Many employees are smart, collaborative, and genuinely committed to delivering quality outcomes. The work itself can be meaningful, and there are a few strong individuals who work hard to honor client commitments and carry out contracted deliverables despite internal obstacles.

Cons

Across the last 4+ years, Unisys has experienced consistent leadership failures across nearly every Business Unit (BU). These failures show up in a lack of accountability, unclear direction, and decisions that directly undermine client trust. Employees are often unable to demonstrate or sell the capabilities Unisys markets, including those tied to industry awards because the organization cannot validate or deliver them. The company undergoes employee reductions every 60–90 days, creating instability, eroding institutional knowledge and workloads being consistently shuffled to other already overburdened staffers. In Q1 of 2026, Unisys dismantled its public sector sales team, resulting in the loss of long-standing clients and a steep decline in delivery credibility. A major concern for job seekers is the company’s approach to employee protection. Over multiple years, I personally experienced and am aware of numerous gender, race, and ADA discrimination complaints submitted through the Employee Ethics Portal. Unisys has one individual responsible for reading complaints and conducting interviews, and in each case I witnessed, the situations were left unaddressed. Out of necessity, multiple layers of leadership across different BUs were additionally informed, still no action was taken. Instead of intervening, leadership allowed retaliation to escalate, resulting in financial loss, emotional distress, and professional harm to multiple employees. Advice to Job Seekers: If you are considering Unisys, approach the opportunity with clear expectations. Some employees are talented, and some clients are rewarding, but the environment presents real risks. Employment here requires independence, resilience, and the ability to navigate unclear direction and limited support.

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