Pros
- Options for flexible work hours - 9/80 schedule, flextime - For a postdoc, salary is good, you don't have to teach undergrads, your PI looks after the funding, and you can work on research with clear industrial applications (I think this situates me well for my next job) - Engineering and science research organizations work together well - I don't feel there is competition, it feels like we are complementary - Workplace activities: I make use of onsite Toastmasters, gym, training and development - For researchers, it seems like there are a lot of avenues to pursue interesting research that meets DOE needs.
Cons
- Salaries seem to be at the mercy of Congress. A 2-yr salary freeze for the DOE complex was announced shortly after I arrived. - Funding levels and project budgets are at the mercy of Congress and DOE - Cumbersome safety/health bureaucracy: I get that it's necessary so we can set a good example as consumers of taxpayer dollars, but some thing, like procedures for disposal of lab waste, are not well thought out. - Cumbersome information security bureaucracy: I get that it's necessary, but the rules are numerous and complex enough that few fully understand them. - Information is highly compartmentalized - I get that it's necessary, but this is challenging for someone like me who is motivated by seeing how my work contributes to the mission and fits into the big picture