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American Red Cross

Is this your company?

Choose somewhere else... Unless you have NO other choice (Seriously)! - Anonymous employee American Red Cross Employee Review

1.0
Jan 22, 2015
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-You're working for an organization that's generally viewed positively. -You will make a difference if you do your job. -Looks great on your resume as a volunteer or paid staff. -Relatively easy to get a job. Especially, if you volunteer first and take on leadership roles. -You can go far as a volunteer. -If you love what you do despite the faults, you will make it through

Cons

-Overworked -No job stability/security -No investment for applicable employee professional development (everything is Red Cross training) -Nowhere to move to (your lucky you kept your job... for now) -People can be moody, whiney, and nitpicky because they're living on the edge -You can't help everyone who shows up -The cons are a NATIONAL problem. Every Red Cross... Everywhere in America! -Work/life balance? Doesn't exist, even on the calmest day

Explore other reviews about American Red Cross

5.0
Jun 30, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great humanitarian mission, non profit

Cons

None, great place to work

1
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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