Typical Forecasting Sweatshop - Forecast Meteorologist Meridian Environmental Technology Employee Review

You get hands on experience forecasting weather for all over the United States. It is nice to work in an environment that is friendly most of the time. Most people there tend to enjoy looking at weather and passion for forecasting big storms is encouraged.

There is little to no opportunities to move up and the management is just ok. They allow for some scheduling to occur so that people can take vacations, however sometimes that ends up causing the employee that is filling in to go from working midnight shifts for 4 days, one day break, then go to day shifts (8 am). This is difficult on the body.

Prior to a patent infringement lawsuit and takeover by Iteris, Inc., Meridian was a great place to get a start and expand your knowledge along the way. It was a nice laid back atmosphere and the forecasters had a lot of freedom to produce their own forecasts without someone constantly looking over the shoulder. There was often a lot of time to develop additional skill sets and expand knowledge in the field. The forecast staff was usually quite knowledgeable and friendly while the department manager was easily approachable. I remain grateful for the opportunity.

Things began to fall apart once the first round of layoffs were announced in 2011. More were announced in 2012 and it's been a rush to the exit ever since. The layoffs were conducted without regard to seniority or individual skill. Management failed to communicate problems within the company that would have allowed people a chance to look elsewhere before getting the pink slip. Prior to the layoffs, shift and department managers were empathetic but not always skillful in keeping the ship steady. Communication was often lacking which resulted in a build up of tension over time. Rotating shifts are common within the industry but were a bit over the top here. Advancement opportunity was rare and led to many quality forecasters jumping ship even before the larger problems evolved.