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American Red Cross

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Workplace bullying & hostile work environment at its finest - Account Manager American Red Cross Employee Review

1.0
Jun 3, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Saving lives, meeting caring people in the community, am I at the 20 Word minimum yet? Volunteers are sweet, sweet people and the board of directors are great people.

Cons

No leadership, no training, abusive & hostile work environment. A district manager who won't respond to emails, won't answer phone calls, who belittles their employees and has NO CLUE HOW TO DO THEIR JOB. Upper management is only worried about checking a box and making sure their high six figure salaries & bonus are secure. No local support. No local HR. No local Communications person- you can't run Louisville from Nashville. You will be thrown under the bus at a moments notice. If you are their best rep you are treated like their worst rep. Management is completely out of touch with their reps and what a donor recruitment account manager actually does. No employee moral, nothing to foster a positive healthy work environment. The only sign of appreciation you will receive is a $1 scratch off lottery ticket at Christmas. Random & inconsistent performance evaluations, no rep rankings. The expectations change daily. There is NO WAY to know how to do your job because it changes weekly/daily (literally). Expectations is that you will shut up and not say a word. You will take the verbal abuse. You will tolerate having your goals raised and logistically, it is IMPOSSIBLE for everyone to achieve the goals set forth. That is how they save money. Screwing their reps out of their monthly incentive is actually a directive so that the company can save money. 40% of your income is based on achieving goals that are unattainable, compensation plans that change quarterly, or month-to-month, a completely divided company- collections on one side (no leadership) and donor recruitment on one side (no leadership). Management takes no responsibility. It is a constant blame game, holding someone else accountable, passing off the workload. Management doesn't want to make any changes that would require them to make a decision or be accountable. No one would think that the American Red Cross, the largest most recognized humanitarian organization would treat their employees this way. Inconceivable. Absolutely inconceivable. And it keeps getting worse and worse and worse.

Explore other reviews about American Red Cross

5.0
Apr 16, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

My experience working with the Red Cross has been great. The work is fulfilling and the people are passionate. Benefits are good - Kaiser is $6 a month!

Cons

There is work life balance, but there is an expectation to work nights and weekends.

3.0
Jul 9, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-Meaningful, mission-driven work that makes a real impact in people's lives during times of crisis. -Flexible remote work when not actively responding to disasters. -Volunteers are the heart of the organization. Many are passionate, dedicated, and genuinely enjoyable to work with. -Building strong relationships with volunteers creates an incredible support system. Many go above and beyond to help staff because they recognize the workload and truly care about the mission. -Unique opportunities to gain experience in disaster response, emergency management, crisis management, leadership, and volunteer management. -Deployment opportunities that provide exceptional professional and personal growth. -Every day is different, offering a wide variety of experiences and continuous learning. -Strong sense of teamwork and camaraderie during disaster operations.

Cons

-Inconsistent accountability for poor leadership and management behaviors. -Toxic relationship dynamics that overlook behaviors. -High burnout and chronic turnover; many employees do not remain beyond two years. -Unsustainable workload paired with unrealistic expectations. -Leadership often prioritizes metrics over employee well-being and long-term program sustainability. -Staff are frequently expected to fill operational gaps caused by declining volunteer capacity instead of receiving additional staffing support. -On-call responsibilities can feel like being available 24/7. Even when not officially on call, staff often receive calls from volunteers needing guidance, assistance finding disaster responders, or language support. -Employees who speak a second language are frequently relied upon across multiple territories for translation assistance without corresponding workload adjustments. Although translation services exist, using them is often discouraged, placing additional burden on bilingual staff. -PTO can be difficult to fully utilize because work continues to accumulate and responsibilities often remain waiting upon return. -Compensation does not reflect the workload, level of responsibility, or work-life sacrifices expected. Salaried employees often work well beyond 40 hours without additional compensation. - Recognition and incentives appear to be uneven across departments, while frontline disaster relief staff often carry significant operational demands with limited comparable rewards. -Diversity is more visible in entry-level and lower management roles than in senior leadership.

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