Pros
PLOS has done some amazing things for science communication and Open Access. PLOS really was revolutionary 10 years ago, and it has done well as a first-mover. Now that there is a ton of competition from all sides, PLOS has to continue to innovate to maintain its leadership position - some significant challenges for the organization ahead. The people at PLOS are what make working there great, *most* everyone works really hard and cares about the work they do. Some of the benefits are good, like 401k matching and bonuses for salaried employees, office treats and outings, etc.
Kontras
Politically Toxic Environment PLOS really suffers from its politically poisoned management environment. Petty territorial disagreements and departments not working together or event talking to one another. This is primarily at the C- and director levels, making everyone else wonder why some important projects never get done. Very frustrating. And this was how it was before the new CEO and CFO arrived. When they got to PLOS, a couple of terrible obstinate useless managers were soon fired, and this was great and overdue. But it's added a sense of fear to the already divisive work culture - people fearing for their jobs fight harder to maintain control and power. It really gets in the way of the innovative ideas that PLOS needs to execute on. The Haves and Have-Nots There is a legion of underpaid, undervalued junior staff working diligently every day at PLOS. They are paid hourly, and I have no idea how they can afford to live on this in San Francisco, the most expensive city in the country and possibly world. These are some of the best, brightest and highly eager people in the organization. It is totally unfair that they have to punch the clock, dreaming of getting that token promotion to a salaried job. But the big example of disparity is the PTO. Management gets six weeks paid vacation, while everyone else only gets 2-3 weeks! It's PLOS' dirty little secret that everybody knows (or should know!) about. This is NOT a good way to compensate your senior people, it causes poor morale among everyone else. HR has been promising for a couple of years (or so) to do a comprehensive analysis of compensation of PLOS compared with similar companies in the SF Bay Area and greater scientific publishing world, and this might be a way to bring people up to a fair compensation level (like boosting everyone $20k). I'll just keep holding my breath on this one, while I continue to watch good people leave for better pay and opportunity out there in the booming SF market. They Won't Listen PLOS has grown into a stifling corporate environment. Upper management doesn't listen to what is being said by the many people below them. This is where some of the best ideas come from! But if you speak up or out of line, you risk getting smacked down. They even took the anonymous suggestion box away!
