Avantages
I felt highly valued and was treated with respect. I took a decrease in pay from my previous employer to work at TI due to lower COL area. TI's small facility was a refreshing change from the square-mile campus of the mega-corp I left TI for. No manufacturing environment would ever be described as 'relaxing', but the work pace at TI was close - more comfortable and the workload felt more realistic compared to the unsustainable mess I came from. Management was knowledgeable of the work and typical of Mainers - down to earth, understanding, friendly. Company supplied footwear every six months.
Inconvénients
Like everywhere else, shortstaffed. Employees are not trusted/supplied with a smartphone or a personal laptop Since I was highly valued as a technician on the factory floor, I could tell that I would have a very hard time with upward mobility Long hours - 12 hour shifts are the standard in this industry, but in an ideal world it could be split 3x8hrs. Safety was a big concern for me there - my previous employer required us to wear full SCBA gear when opening equipment, yet even wearing a respirator was actually prohibited at this facility. Subsequently, my teeth would hurt when I would be working on an open chamber - quite concerning. While I'm sure they were technically up to OSHA standards, chemicals didn't seem to be stored as safely as they could/should. LOTO practices felt substandard and often ignored. Ergonomics were comical. All computers in the factory were at an awful standing fixed height, not tall enough for anyone to be comfortable, and I was told there was no plans to move toward ergonomic adjustable desks.