Pros
SUMMERY When I applied to get work it was Wackenhut. The office was local and easy to get too, I was thinking at least it would be better than being a shopping cart guard like with Walmart or a hole in the ground babysitter at a plant. The paper work of course to apply was large, everything from your work back ground to education and can do. Though I later found out it all was redundant anyways because like all contract companies they do not pay you by commensurate levels but what the contract pays. The Office Captain was a bit of a air head, seemed to always be in another state of mind unless you stood in front of him and pushed to get an answer or some kind of response. I was hired as an armed CPO (custom protection officer ) because I had military and civil police experience and assigned a post just outside of my city (place remaining with held to protect my fellow workers). First thing that made me shake my head was when I came back to advise the gun I was given could not go into the holster. The office Captain took the holster and gun (I presented it with cylinder out and front away from him), he slammed it shut not even bothering to do a 2nd safety check and shoved it into the holster then proceeded to slam it to the floor holding it by the handle forcing the gun into the holster. He then gave it back and told me to keep it like that for a few days and it will "form" to the holster. Other than that stupid thing he did to make it "fit" what about if I needed it? Getting out would take some effort if I needed to protect myself. This OC as they called him would prove later to be just as ignorant and sometimes lazy to deal with in regards to getting equipment and paper work done. The uniform at first glance I thought to be OK, it was not till I put it on and looked in the mirror. The tacky tan or white gray as I call it was ridiculous. And that god awful purple stripe on the pants was just embarrassing. Then the hat, a Stinson. Something that even most cowboys and old school cops thought in its day was silly. The duty belt was what we called in my cop days as a pimp leather Santa Claus belt. Big, shiny, heavy and uncomfortable as hell. Carrying a firearm (.38 revolver) that was about 15 to 20 years old was bad enough but to make it worse it was heavy and felt like a boat anchor on my belt, not to mention the holster it was in a five year old could yank it out. No security retention class of any kind. Then that night stick, a telephone pole is was it was. It dangled along your leg, banging you as you walked. It added more weight to your belt and with the hat, purple stripe and tan uniform you looked really, really silly. The post was OK, it was tolerable and it had its days of busy to boring. Very proactive work, you had to go find problems rather then it coming to you. It was a state property post and for the most part the client was really decent. Everything was OK for a while though still having to deal with air head office people and sometimes overzealous road Captains it was decent work. I worked for this company for ten years. Then decided it was time to go when no raises, no recognition and no respect from other client posts become the status quo. It was G4S when I left, and NOTHING changed. The silly uniform, supervisors with "company" stamped on their foreheads. Getting stuck with 16 hour shifts SEVERAL times a month because of call ins. Clients looking for more face slaps rather than back slaps of way to go's'. Ridiculous military and police like protocols for a job (and it's a job, not a career!). Rotating policies about OT to no more OT. As the company got bigger, the job felt smaller. As the company made money, the pay never changed. As other guard companies embraced the new age G4S is still in the stone age. PROS Pay was better than most guard companies though cost of living these days could be better. You got all the ugly uniforms you needed. Vacations, insurance (if you are single it's OK). Most of your fellow workers had a good head on their shoulders. About %90 of the time you got sick time OK'ed or needed some days off.
Cons
No pay raises. Management sometimes will land a contract with the pay slightly above standards but still way to low for what it might be. No retirement programs, meaning no pension or matching a 401K. Advancement is for those already in office jobs, the uniform might make it to Captain but that is about it and the pay is still not commensurate. They will hire idiots out of desperation to cover a contract now and then making things from worse to insane. They want you to take THEIR training programs to get recognition even though you have degrees and experience that makes these classes look like something that should be taught in grade school. If you work as a rover you end up working some ridiculous hours and shifts making your life out of balance and miserable. The occasional company man supervisor comes by thinking it's a real career job and makes you work like you're in the military or law enforcement field.