employer cover photo
employer logo
employer logo

American Red Cross

Is this your company?

Not perfect, but not as bad as other reviewers indicate - Anonymous employee American Red Cross Employee Review

4.0
Jan 4, 2009
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

There are tons of opportunities within the organization to move up or take your career on a varied path. Salaries are generally good, particularly for the non profit sector. I am proud of our mission and have made some of the closests friends of my life there. I also have a boss who encourages creativity and that is important to me. Overall the work is rewarding and intellectually engaging. I've traveled places, met people and had life experiences I would never have had outside the Red Cross.

Cons

The financial struggles of the Red Cross have taxed the employees in numerous ways-particularly during last year's RIF. We watched friends get laid off, we've had our own budgets cuts and we continue to watch belt tightening eat away at misson and morale. The complete ineptitude of our fundraising department to raise money isn't helping either. The hours and workload can be tough, particularly during disasters. I don't mind hard work and don't have kids, so for me it's not a big deal. But I do watch co-workers struggle sometimes.

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.

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All