Pros
I found that across the board my colleagues were the highest quality people I've ever worked with, the work was important, the volunteers passionate and there was a feel-good aspect to knowing I was part of a vital service.
Cons
In short, management and HR are incompetent and constantly turn over. People are promoted based on longevity and politics rather than merit and ability. Education and intelligence are disregarded rather than valued. It is common for managers to be verbally abusive - I will never forget the weekly, day-long meetings for which management planned nothing but kept employees captive for 8 hours. They would bluster, threaten, cajole, insult, abuse, argue, swear at, stomp around and pontificate to employees. Most employees either lost their temper, threatened to quit or cried at work at one time or another. All of the staff at every level were openly frustrated and sarcastic, and appropriately so. It was the most dysfunctional, abusive work environment I've ever encountered and ruined what could have otherwise been the most rewarding job imaginable.
