> From my experience as contractor

As a contractor you have essentially already taken a deal where you get paid a premium but have no expectation of career growth.

If you have no expectations of career growth at work then big companies are fantastic.

This was not about my career as contractor. It's what I saw how employees were treated. As I said some small companies are great and offer great opportunities but there are plenty that work their people to death, miss payroll, pay low salaries in exchange for a big dream that in most cases will never come true for the regular employee.

> This was not about my career as contractor.

My point is you have self selected into a group that doesn't expect career progression at work in the typical sense.

Surely that influences what you consider a "better" workplace?

> It's what I saw how employees were treated.

A big company can be "nice" and yet incredibly soul crushing.

I've had years of productive work thrown away over politics.

That's far more damaging, personally, than having to work some overtime or being under a bit more day to day stress.

I've had a year of productive work thrown away by a clueless and arrogant founder that didn't understand the product he was trying to build and the market and was blaming everyone but himself. So you can have the crazy overtime and the bad management that waste it all.

It's not really a question of big and small. Most companies are badly managed (or I am very unlucky). I found in big companies they at least know that making basic efforts to keep employees happy is profitable long-term.

> If you have no expectations of career growth at work then big companies are fantastic.

Pretty much.

You can end up in a spot where you can grow fast.

Or you can end up stagnating for years (me).