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American Red Cross

Is this your company?

As they say in Jurassic World.....RUN!!!! - Manager-Donor Recruitment American Red Cross Employee Review

1.0
Aug 7, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

loved the people I worked directly with....and so many of us really "lived the mission"

Cons

Co has the over-riding philosophy that because they are the Red Cross, they are entitled to your life (as an employee), your blood (I worked for Blood Services for 12 years) and they never thank their donors, their employees or their volunteers "because of budget cuts". Is the most toxic environment in which I have ever worked....we in blood services worked nights, weekends and holidays....ALWAYS. The only 2 days we could actually count on being off was Christmas Day and Thanksgiving Day. Once worked 45 straight days without one day off, and to go weeks at a time, esp. in the summer, with no personal time off. That was the reason I finally left....I realized that no matter how hard I worked, how much I cared...the situation would never change. So now I have a job that is 8-5, with weekends, holidays and nights off. Of course, I still work what I need to to do the job, but is MY choice...not a choice made from guilt ("Patients need the blood"), or brow-beating ("Make your goals or lose your job), and I don't have to be ashamed of what I do when I set up a blood drive and have us show up late, or forget equipment, or have "bad sticks" or unnecessarily long waits. Maybe my new job is not "the mission"...but now I finally have a life again. My advice to anone who may consider working for Blood Services is simply....don't.

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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