Employer Profile

Employees at this San Diego-based wireless communications vendor contribute nothing -- zero -- for full health insurance benefits, including dental and vision care, for them and their immediate families. In the past year, an on-site health clinic has been expanded and the number of employee self-improvement opportunities has been increased. There are fitness centers on all the major campuses, and the company supports programs that promote healthy lifestyles -- offering on-site Weight Watchers meetings, funding athletic teams and sponsoring charity races and walks, among other things. Many IT employees have taken advantage of a new distance-learning program through which they can study for a master's degree in IT from Carnegie Mellon University. Others are pursuing undergraduate and graduate studies through programs in the Southern California area, with the company subsidizing the cost and allowing them to follow flexible work schedules to accommodate their class schedules. As a multinational company, IT employees must be available 24 hours a day. Employees telecommuting on the East Coast can deal with issues before the bulk of the department arrives at the office in San Diego. The company's open approach to scheduling allows employees to set their hours to maximize interaction with customers and co-workers. For example, IT employees can schedule after-hours teleconferences to meet with consultants in India. The company issues, state-of-the-art laptops, cell phones and BlackBerries to enable people to work from diverse locations when emergency situations arise.