The largest Intel site is based in Hillsboro, OR. That being said, the people here are really laid back. The work hours are really flexible. A lot of people choose to come in at 9 am and leave around 5 pm. I believe most people still take some of their work home. But in general, intel is much more stress-free compared to other companies. Intel's really respects the rights of its employees to spend time with his/her family. It's completely legit if you say you need to leave early to take your son to a summer camp or keep your sick daughter company at home. Each employee also receives sabbaticals, month-long paid time off, every seven years.
It's pretty hard to find bad managers here. There's an end of year review that's given by your manager, your colleagues, and your subordinates. Under this system, bad managers don't have a chance to stay long.
One thing that also makes Intel stands out is its open door policy. It has a lot of open forums where you see guys like Paul Otellini answering employee questions face to face.
Ok, here come the downsides. Because Intel's so big, it's not easy to rise up to a managers position. The general engineers also don't get to work on particular interesting things. You can easily be doing the same thing 5, 10 years later in the future. Intel does encourage its employees to explore different fields within the company, but the basic idea is, you don't get that big of a pie no matter where you go.
Also, for city loving people, Hillsboro may not be the best place for you. Portland is around 45 min drive from Hillsboro. It's fantastic with it's convenient traffic and nice environment. But overall, it's still more known for it's outdoor activities.
Intel's salary may not be as competitive as some of the companies out there. But you do feel rather easy to balance between your family and work. Internships here are REALLY laid back. People don't except you to do much. There are exceptions, but most interns do spend most of their times exploring around the area. You probably won't learn much new, but it's a good resume builder nonetheless.
