Pros
Overall I'm VERY proud to have worked at DESC. It's not a perfect organization but it serves the most vulnerable and marginalized members of the community, has a widespread positive impact, and is the LEADER in the region for many reasons. 1. The clientele! Working here is challenging but extremely gratifying and the client you serve will touch your heart. 2. Represented by SEIU Union! Union reps have fought hard to earn non-managerial DESC staff better wages, better benefits, and overall protection. Because of the Union we are able to keep management accountable and uphold the values of equity, justice, and integrity. 3. Plenty of opportunity for career development, growth, mentorship, on-going training, upward mobility on the "social work ladder." I feel lucky to have ended up on a strong team where I felt supported and appreciated.
Cons
The HR department is sour. It's laughable/frustrating how all the voicemails I left went ignored when I needed them to do relatively simple job tasks. Never any follow-up unless you go knock on their door and track them down. I'm very bitter about the laziness, apathy and unprofessionalism. Why? 1. Went a couple months without medical and dental benefits (which I had earned and was eligible for) because one of them put in my SSN off by one digit to the providers. I had to fix the whole thing and jump through hoops to correct their mistake. 2. Had to hold their hand to get my W9 during tax season. Asked again and again for my W9 and was very late to get it. 3. Didn't get any of my PTO paid out when I left. They require a FOUR WEEK notice (which is unheard of at virtually any other company.. anything over 2 weeks notice is courtesy.) I had 17 hrs left on the table when I left, which is just frustrating on principle because I gave them over 3 weeks notice, not to mention my supervisors and project manager had well over a month of informal notice that I was leaving... and in my final 3 weeks I elected to work a bunch of 9 hour days to tie up all lose ends. Employees earn that PTO and DESC needs to stop being so cheap about that. 4. No exit interview!? Called them and left voicemails asking for some follow-up and they never had the decency to call me back. On my last day of work, I found out they misfiled documentation on my insurance, so even though I was insured for the remainder of the month, I wasn't covered for prescriptions. Premara said that this looked like a clear mistake, one easy to fix, and to contact HR so they could resolve it. But HR never returned my calls (shocking).