Decent pay negotiation, okay benefits - Software Engineer Actalent Employee Review

Good communication, often check-ins and support if necessary

Pay is somewhat mediocre compared to similar roles

Got placed on a relevant assignment and the work itself was fine.

The recurring problem was that key terms of my engagement were never documented or communicated up front, and I only found out how things actually worked after a problem had already occurred. Two examples: PTO accrual terms were never put in writing or explained at the start. I only learned how my time off actually accrued halfway through a planned vacation — by which point it was too late to plan around it. As a contractor, I wasn't paid for certain company holidays, but I was never told in advance which holidays those were or how they'd affect my pay. I found out only when my paycheck came up short, and when I and the manager of the company I worked raised it the answer was essentially that nothing could be done. The pattern across the whole engagement was the same: I had to trace down every detail myself, usually only after something went wrong, instead of being given clear information at the outset. For anyone considering a contract here, get every policy — PTO accrual, holiday pay, pay schedule — in writing before you start.