Total joke and extremely toxic! - Anonymous Calpine Employee Review

1.0
Jan 28, 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

You get paid every two weeks. The medical, dental, vision, 401k, and PTO benefits are good. You also get 12 paid holidays. Solid bonus program.

Cons

This place will suck the life out of you! Overworked and underpaid is putting it nicely. Modern-day slavery is more accurate. The majority of leadership rules by fear and exploits their employees beyond measure. Your are expected to work like a robot and devote your life to Calpine. The company is under staffed in most departments - especially in IT and HR. They RIF employees and do not backfill positions because they are too focused on the bottom line instead of their hardworking employees’ health, work-life balance, or morale. Folks are let go, and you are given more work, but no pay increase. Executive Leadership promotes their favorite cronies into roles these individuals have no business managing, and they get the pay increase. It’s insulting to say the least. Calpine’s so called “ASPIRE” values are a fallacy and should be discarded in their entirety. There are some great people in the various departments. However, the majority of the HR leadership team is the most pathetic! Major “rule by fear mentality! You are expected to keep your mouth shut, take the abuse, and get the tasks done at all costs. Forget your family! Many tenured employees (of all levels) say “Calpine used to be a great place to work.” I wouldn’t know. What I do know is this is the most toxic work environment I have EVER encountered. They DO NOT care about their employees! It’s vile! Also, there is no room for advancement unless someone dies, retires, or leaves for a better career opportunity. Career progression plans are a non-existent unless you work at a plant or are an executive’s “chosen one.” If you are unemployed, destitute, and have no other employment option at the time, work here until something better comes along.

Explore other reviews about Calpine

5.0
Jun 9, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

A lot of hands on Experience. Outstanding Management

Cons

There really are no cons.

3.0
Jun 17, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Hybrid schedule (3 days in office, 2 days remote) with a generally low-stress environment and good work-life balance. - Stable work environment with predictable expectations and manageable day-to-day responsibilities (specific to my team/manager) - Free catered breakfast on in-office days and a well-stocked kitchen. - Competitive annual bonus program, including prorated eligibility for employees who join mid-year. - My manager lets employees manage their workload without excessive oversight. Management experience may vary across teams.

Cons

- Lack of team culture and camaraderie. Interactions are only work-focused, with little to none team-building or company-wide events. - Compensation is below industry standards for similar roles. - Limited opportunities for career growth, skill development, and innovation. New projects are infrequent, and work can become repetitive and mundane over time. - The Business/Data Analyst role is heavily focused on QA/testing and may not align with expectations of a traditional analyst position. - Workload is highly inconsistent, ranging from very light some days/weeks to exceptionally heavy. - Many IT roles are contract-to-hire, with full-time conversion timelines that can extend well beyond expectations and lack clear communication. - Employee feedback/criticism is not well received by upper management.

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