A frustrating place to work. - Anonymous employee R.R. Donnelley Employee Review

2.0
8 Apr 2014
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Due to the cutbacks in staffing and the resulting increase in job responsibilities, each employee is typically given additional responsibilities well above and beyond their original job description. So, while you won't be paid more for your additional duties, you will gain experience in a large number of print-related roles that prepare you for a position elsewhere. Free coffee. Always a plus.

Cons

The LDP Associate program, lauded as one of the company's strengths, is in actuality one of its biggest weaknesses. This program takes recent college graduates, who typically do not even have a long-term interest in the print industry, and places them into roles that they are not trained or ready for. Many of the LDPs wash out once they work at CGX for a year or so. Some stay on, and are promoted to positions they are absolutely not ready for, to the great detriment to the individual operating companies and to CGX as a whole. When you combine this with the targeted termination of highly-paid printing experts, experienced managers and trade craftsmen that used to make up the companies that CGX cannibalized, you get a recipe for exceptionally weak/clueless management without any hope for internal promotion of more qualified individuals. The IT group, TSSG, is particularly staffed with "warm bodies" that have no business remaining in an IT role. There are some diamonds in the rough that carry the rest of the TSSG division. No tuition reimbursement or continuing education programs. As a general rule, pay for CGX employees is lower than industry average, there are no in-house promotions for the "non-LDP" workers, and office culture is somewhat demoralizing and frustrating.

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5.0
11 Dec 2025
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Pros

Work life balance People are great They take time to teach you if you dont know something

Cons

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2.0
7 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The schedule is pretty consistent, and you get benefits, PTO, and sick time. Depending on the team you're on, you may have the chance to work holidays or pick up overtime at 1.5x pay. There is also Shift differential pay. Some teams also have hybrid schedules, which is a nice perk. It's a solid place to get experience and build your resume. The skills and connections you make here can lead to other opportunities in the future.

Cons

Pay: Things may be different now, but when I worked there, the pay felt uneven depending on the position. For example, proofreaders made around $17/hour, document specialists around $19/hour, and workflow coordinators around $22/hour (before shift differentials). Given the responsibilities of some roles, the compensation didn't always seem to match the workload. Parking: Parking was honestly one of the worst parts of working there. You almost have to consider it part of your commute. The main option is a multi-level parking garage, and your choices are usually either the top floor, where your car bakes in the sun all day, or the floor below, where the available spots are typically all the way in the back. Accessibility / Commute: The office is located in a very busy area, which can make getting in and out a hassle. Between traffic, the light rail crossings, finding parking, walking through the garage, crossing the lobby, and taking multiple elevators, the commute often felt longer than it should have been. Lunch: Lunch is a 30-minute unpaid break. It's standard, but it does mean your day ends up feeling longer since you're either working 7.5 hours plus lunch or staying an extra 30 minutes before heading home. My Experience: I worked on a team that supported a large law firm. From my perspective, the team often felt understaffed and overworked. During my time there, I also saw management change several times, which made it difficult to maintain consistency. One thing that was particularly frustrating was the lack of internal promotion opportunities. When leadership positions opened up, the company often chose external candidates instead of promoting people who were already doing the work and understood the clients. It was discouraging for employees who wanted to grow within the company, and I saw several experienced and knowledgeable coworkers leave after being passed over for advancement opportunities. That said, this was my experience with one specific team. Other teams may have had very different experiences, management styles, and opportunities.

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