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    United Utilities Reviews

    Updated 12 December 2018
    46 reviews

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    3.3
    StarStarStarStarStar
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    Recommend to a friend
    Approve of CEO
    United Utilities CEO Steve Mogford
    Steve Mogford
    21 Ratings

    Employee Reviews

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    Pros

    • "Good benefits from large company" (in 6 reviews)

    • "Great benefits package, lovely site at Lingley Mere with onsite gym" (in 4 reviews)

    Cons

    • "Poor pension scheme, poor pay compared to other industries, little to no career progression, sense of elitism and old boys network" (in 3 reviews)

    More Pros and Cons

    1. Helpful (1)

      "Good employer, good benefits and opportunities"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I have been working at United Utilities part-time

      Pros

      Good working enviroment and Bonus Incentives

      Cons

      Inflexible management and focus on process

      Advice to Management

      Some Need to improve some people skills

    2. "Good place to be employed"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at United Utilities (More than a year)

      Pros

      Salary is ok compared to other similar roles with other companies, plus yearly bonus

      Cons

      It’s a place where managers friends always progress more than anybody else

      3. Join the United Utilities team
      See Our Latest Jobs

    3. "Good company to work for"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Recommends
      No opinion of CEO

      I have been working at United Utilities full-time

      Pros

      Plenty of opportunities to progress

      Cons

      Inflexible working hours for staff

    4. "Company of Lies"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      Pros

      Great pay. Beautiful scenic location.

      Cons

      Management is shocking. I struggle with mental health problems which management were aware of. The company is passionate about showing they are an advocate for this in times of need. They even hold a mental health awareness week. Couldn't be further from the truth. One blip in the road and I was sacked without warning, despite having conversations with my manager about my circumstances. Very unfair dismissal which is now being picked up by Unison & Tribunal. Before this I had been given several commendations by customers and directors alike and performed very well so this change in personality came as a shock. There seems to be alot the managers don't tell you and if your face doesn't fit they look for any excuse. Systems put more obstacles in your way and set you up for failure. Working on a 1980's peice of software on a 1990's computer. Stuck in the past.

      Advice to Management

      Hire managers who definitely care about their team and who can guide them through mistakes, not react personally and blame the victim by taking away the lifeline of a job. Managers old in years need to keep up with the times and understand that harshness on vulnerable people is not and has never been the right way forward, especially when they already know of someones unfortunate circumstances. Very very poor relationship skills with people not like themselves. Completely let down by entire company and Mgmt most of all.

    5. "specialist"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Doesn't Recommend
      Positive Outlook

      Pros

      Good benefits from large company

      Cons

      Management concerned on presentations and reports over practical solutions

      Advice to Management

      Engage with operatives

    6. "Clueless managers and greedy directors"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Recommends
      Negative Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      Pros

      Good working environment, decent reward system and holidays, the work itself can be very rewarding

      Cons

      Senior and middle management are mostly fresh faced out of university and don’t have a clue what they are doing, and just cause utter turmoil, CEO and directors should be charged with theft

      Advice to Management

      Resign

    7. "Good company to work for"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Project Engineer
      Current Employee - Project Engineer
      Recommends
      Neutral Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at United Utilities full-time (More than 8 years)

      Pros

      Plenty of freedom in field jobs and opportunities

      Cons

      Frequently changing work and management

    8. "Fairly typical blue-chip employer"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Engineer in Warrington, North West England, England
      Current Employee - Engineer in Warrington, North West England, England
      Recommends
      Neutral Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I have been working at United Utilities full-time (Less than a year)

      Pros

      Genuinely flexible and promote work/life balance. Average in terms of remuneration and benefits. Plenty of opportunities to make changes (although can be difficult to enact anything).

      Cons

      Particularly good example of oil tanker metaphor (takes forever to change direction). As seems typical in water industry, many practices behind modern approach. Lack of investment. Old boy's club is in full effect (no more than similar companies however).

      Advice to Management

      Set an example to the industry and be more agile/promote modern ways of working. Ensure managers actually have management skills.

    9. "Not as good as it used to be"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee in Warrington, North West England, England
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee in Warrington, North West England, England
      Doesn't Recommend
      Negative Outlook
      Disapproves of CEO

      I have been working at United Utilities full-time (More than 5 years)

      Pros

      Healthcare scheme, bonus, good holiday entitlement.

      Cons

      Vacant roles not backfilled and employees being put on to do more and more work. Pension scheme not as good as it used to be. Very strict sickness policy which can also be very unfair. No career progression as roles are not backfilled or salary is not as good as can get outside of UU

    10. "Graduate engineer"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Recommends
      Neutral Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I worked at United Utilities full-time

      Pros

      Mentor support, graduate initiatives, supportive environment

      Cons

      Slow paced, during restructure sense of morale became very low

      Advice to Management

      Give graduates roles with more responsibility