The downside, management was inconsistent. They seemed supportive at first, but over time favoritism became noticeable. Accountability did not appear to be applied equally, with some employees being disciplined for issues while others were allowed to get away with similar behavior. Attendance policies also felt overly strict. Even when callouts were due to legitimate emergencies, reaching three absences seemed to result in increased scrutiny rather than understanding or support.
Another frustrating aspect of the workplace culture was the lack of positive reinforcement from leadership. During periods when the team was working exceptionally hard, meeting expectations, and doing everything possible to keep the clinic running smoothly, there was little to no recognition or appreciation. Instead, management and the referral coordinator frequently used the team chat to focus almost exclusively on what employees were supposedly doing wrong. This often happened even when staff were following established workflows and procedures. Over time, the constant criticism created an environment where employees felt discouraged rather than motivated.
Additionally, concerns that could have been addressed privately were often brought up in the main group chat, indirectly calling out one or more employees in front of the entire team. Rather than having respectful, one-on-one conversations to coach or correct an individual, messages were broadcast for everyone to see. This approach came across as unprofessional and negatively affected team morale. Constructive feedback is important, but public criticism should never replace respectful, private communication, especially when the goal is to develop employees rather than embarrass them.
Training was another major disappointment. After more than 10 years in healthcare, I can confidently say this was the weakest onboarding experience I've had. My trainer handed me a stack of papers, told me to "read these over, start doing some work, and if you have any questions let me know," then walked away. There was very little structured, hands-on training or guidance. Thankfully, my previous experience allowed me to adapt, but I genuinely worry about how someone new to healthcare would succeed with that approach. Effective training should involve mentoring, demonstrations, and ongoing support—not simply expecting employees to teach themselves while trying to keep up with daily responsibilities.
The benefits were also underwhelming. Compared to organizations like Swedish Medical Group and Valley Medical Center, the insurance options and leave policies were less competitive. While accruing approximately seven hours of PTO per pay period was one positive, that benefit was overshadowed by the overall leave structure. Holidays were deducted from PTO, reducing the amount of vacation time employees could actually use. In addition, employees were required to use 16 hours of PTO before they could access their Extended Illness Bank (EIB), rather than having a separate Washington Paid Sick Leave balance. In my opinion, the benefits package simply does not compare to other major healthcare organizations in the region.
Overall, I appreciate the supportive coworkers I had the opportunity to work with, and they were the highlight of my experience. Unfortunately, inconsistent leadership, favoritism, inadequate training, poor communication practices, and below-average benefits ultimately outweighed the positives. It is disappointing because there are genuinely exceptional employees who work incredibly hard every day, but the workplace culture and management practices make it difficult to feel valued. While I am grateful for the experience and the relationships I built with some coworkers, I found myself avoiding much of the workplace culture due to the environment that had developed. With stronger leadership, more consistent accountability, improved onboarding, respectful communication, and more competitive employee benefits, CommonSpirit/Franciscan Health has the potential to be a much better place to work.
