US military beats out Disney as happy place to work

[unhappycamper]

US Army infantry soldiers line up before their next training exercise at Fort Benning, Ga., in 2003. A recent survey found that the US military ranked high among the happiest places to work.



US military beats out Disney as happy place to work
By Brian Anthony Hernandez, BusinessNewsDaily Staff Writer / October 25, 2010

Disney owns the “Happiest Place on Earth,” but it doesn’t employ the happiest workers in the US, according to a new survey that identified the most "blissful places to work." The list reveals all four major branches of the military and the National Guard rank higher than Disney and other well-known companies, such as Microsoft and Johnson & Johnson.

Despite lengthy deployments and lower salaries, for example, the Army and National Guard ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in the career advancement category, beating out Google for the top spots. The military also ranked high in growth opportunity, benefits and job security.

“Corporate America could learn from our military’s unique programs. The bottom line is that when a company provides opportunities to grow and tools to improve skills, it creates a happier work environment,” said Rick Wainschel, vice president of online career-guidance tool CareerBliss.

CareerBliss used independent reviews to evaluate companies based on opportunities for growth, compensation, benefits, work-life balance, career advancement, senior management, job security and whether the employee would recommend the company to others.

In a review from the more than one thousand appraisals written by military members in 2010, an Army administrator in Georgia wrote, “Serving in the Army offered the ultimate job security, not to mention an unmatched benefits package. It was also a good source of gaining valuable technical and real-life experience.”



unhappycamper comment: In addition to ranking "high in growth opportunity, benefits and job security", the United States military is number 1 in:

cases of PTSD and TBI
amputations and traumatic injury
all expense paid trips to war zones
homelessness after leaving military
prison or jail time after leaving military


A few facts:

25% of the homeless population in this country are veterans
25% of the prison population in this country are veterans

[zipplewrath]

1. That's a very mixed bag

they basically are asking the folks who are still in the military. Ask the ones that aren't there any more. There is a much better "growth and advancement" opportunity in the military, because they have an "up or out" mentality there which pushes people out relatively quickly.

The military is a "good" opportunity for SOME people. But comparisons to industry are just pointless.

[sarge43]

2. "the ultimate job security"

Right. Tell that to gay or lesbian service personnel.

[Gaedel]

3. Military versus civilian

Unless you are one of those folks who goes through life pushing doors marked "pull", you can adapt quite well to the military routine.

One of the benefits of the military is if you work for a real asshole, either you or he will get a transfer in the next year or so and you are done with him.

The military has also created a lot of worm holes which allow bureaucracy to be bypassed in the interests of getting things done. Millicent Tightass at the approval desk is rather easily run around.