laborer

manager

trader

engineer

analyst

TransAlta Corporation

This centenary company has been struggling now for over 7 years due to poor upper management. There is a serious lack of communication between the management team and the rest of the company, and people's efforts go unnoticed and/or unrecognized. As a result, TransAlta doesn't seem to keep their talented employees happy and they end up leaving sooner or later.

The several rounds of layoffs in the past 3 years have created an unbearable atmosphere of mistrust and insecurity among employees. People are constantly trying to take credit for coworkers' achievements, in an effort to stay employed.

The Board of Directors needs to clean house and fire the whole upper management team if this company is to survive.

we started at 7 every day, go through a tailboard with all maintenance men and foremans then break off into our groups and get our job for the day. We got two coffee breaks and a half hour for lunch, if your job was big enough to take all day you just went back to work if not you would make sure everything was cleaned up from last job and go start the new job. i did a lot of welding build up, cut out and replace and then i would do a lot of mechanical work too valves had to be taking apart cleaned or changed pumps stripped and fixed so every day was different really

The job I was hired for was good, as well as the co workers.  Some processes seemed outdated, and not efficient, but normal for a larger company.  My biggest complaint was available opportunities.  It seemed like when jobs opened up, they were just given to people based on who you know.  I inquired several times about this, and how I could at least apply to these opportunities.  Ultimately that's why I left.  It also seemed like the company was very silo'd with each group doing it's own thing and not alot of communications across the various groups. 

Typical union work environment.  Lots of backstabbing and brown nosers.  Very poor wages and incompetent management. TransAlta's days are numbered.  Inefficiently run and bloated with supervisory and management positions. THey will be unable to compete in tighter margin market that is forming. Expect many lay-offs and restructuring as management scraps to save their jobs and cut the common workers out over the next few years as they transition from coal to smaller gas fired plants.  Expect them to sell the Highvale mine to an Indian coal company, who will surely drop wages even further.

What is the best part of working at the company?
You are not micromanaged. They make you to understand the big picture and you are left to create your own WBS and set the priority how to approach the end goal.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Without any prior notice they can come up and tell you you have just two more weeks to go with the company.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Fantastic, colleagues are very friendly and ready to help if necessary

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Work  then lunch break and then closing hour

No work life balance, salary and benefits are no longer competitive with the utility sector, revolving rounds of layoffs, high employee turnover rate, and poor culture / office morale.  Only pluses are the front line staff (some really nice people work here), and the cafe has a really good breakfast.

Best company so far in my career to work for. Work-life balance can be easily achieved. Great benefits package. Management is very approachable. There are many different career opportunities within the company. Culture is very laid back and everyone is overall great to work with. You can have a lot of fun at work. Open concept took a bit of getting used to but like it overall (no offices, including VPs).

Seriously mediocre pay but by far the worst culture & environment I have ever seen invmy 20 year corporate career.  No one in our entire group wamted to come to work in the morning although much of this was due to a horrible, horrible troll of a boss.

They go through a boat load of statf for a reason, unless you really need the work do not take a position here.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The people you work with an the great management team

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The drive out to work long commute 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Go to work an do your job get her done 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Go to work morning meeting got tonyour truck work 12 hrs head home

The company is in the middle o a major cultural, structural and financial transformation. There has been a major shift towards cost savings projects, deadlines and "bankable plans". Chance of long terms success are diminishing.

The goals are incredibly challenging requiring quick realization of benefit. Great people, under a lot of pressure. Burnout is inevitable

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Laborer 10 salaries reported	$34.95 per hour
Manager 3 salaries reported	$171,667 per year
Trader 3 salaries reported	$150,000 per year
Engineer 3 salaries reported	$103,333 per year
Analyst 3 salaries reported	$101,667 per year

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