Gerdau reviews

Upper mgmt in Brazil used the 2008 financial crisis as an excuse to "re-organize" the I.T. dept. (translation: fire a whole bunch of good, long term people and replace them with contractors or Brazilians). IBM Brazil was brought in to assimilate the U.S. and Canadian I.T. operations. They are worse than inept. They make huge, enterprise wide changes without telling anyone. No problem. Except that said changes break working systems more often than they fix anything, incurring production downtime. And yet, no one in Brazil seems to care. Why? Because IBM Brazil is cheap. That is the only factor by which they run their I.T. dept now. Gerdau Ameristeel I.T. used to be cutting edge - the envy of competitors. Now it's run like a Brazilian dollar store. I.T. careers go to Gerdau to die. I'm glad I'm out.

Toxic Work Culture: The overall management behavior changes significantly once you're no longer critical to a project. It often felt like employees were treated more as resources than people. Unrealistic Expectations: There is an implicit expectation to work weekends. Though compensatory time off is promised, it is often discouraged when requested, implying that constant availability is part of the job. Exploitation of H1B Employees: The company tends to prefer H1B candidates, possibly because it allows them more control over employees’ careers. It creates an uncomfortable power dynamic. Lack of Transparency: Questioning management decisions can lead to threats of termination. There's little room for honest feedback or healthy disagreement. Employee Treatment: Employees are expected to follow decisions without input, and any resistance is met with hostility. The environment can feel more like servitude than collaboration.