Avantages
To work for Safeway's headquaters means getting a fairly rich benefits package, which includes medical, dental and vision coverages, 401k, a pension plan and other traditional benefits, but the headquarters also offer a cafeteria, Starbucks coffee, a free and full featured fitness center as well as free access to an onsite nurse. Another reason to work for Safeway is the reasonable balance between work and personal life in most, but not all, departments. This, combined with a good level of job security, has led many people to spend their entire career with the company. You will easliy find people with 30 or 40 years with the company.
Inconvénients
Safeway is a big corporation and acts as a big corporation. Politics, bureaucracy and inability to move quickly are just a few facets of the downsides of such a large company. Being large and operating with small profit margins, Safeway is faced with many issues. It is paralyzed with fears of expensive lawsuits, which leads to strange behaviors or to inaction. Some people are visibly getting away with doing nothing, or not much, yet are still happily employed. Another issue is the lack of IT support and proper tools. Safeway is riddled with old, antiquated really, systems that have grown to unusable monsters. IT struggles to maintain those systems with the limited budget available. Also, while some departments enjoy a reasonable work/life balance, others are always under pressure to give more with no relief period in sight. Finally, it seems to me that Safeway is rewarding mediocrity, not excellence. Expected skillsets are low and while there are some rewards for doing a "good" job, you will not be any more rewarded for doing a great job or going beyond expectations.