Unfair and Unprofessional - Anonymous employee Penn Foster Group Employee Review

2.0
May 31, 2019
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-Management understands work/life balance so your hours are flexible, there was no clock in/clock out system so they trust you'll get your work done responsibly. -Benefits were good, I didn't pay more than previous jobs and the coverage is standard. -Working from home is a huge plus, you'll be provided with a laptop so in case of inclimate weather, you don't have to sacrifice PTO. -There is a gym on-site to use on lunch hour, breaks, after work, and even on the weekends. -Dress is supposed to be business casual, but 85-90% of the building wears jeans every day (AWESOME) so don't bother buying new blouses or dress slacks. -There are company wide events to raise money for local charities throughout the year such as bake sales, a chili cook-off, basket raffles, and blood drives.

Cons

Even though this company has many positives, they DO NOT outweigh the negative and toxic working conditions. -There are some employees that have been there for 5+ years without ANY salary increases. And if they did receive something, it was pennies in comparison to what I'm sure they deserve. Human Resources has been confronted on the issue for years and they never give answers. Meanwhile, within the last few years, PF acquired partnerships with Amazon, Allied Health, and bought Ashworth College. Don't tell me that raises for your employees "aren't in the budget" when we all know that the executives are profiting. -Favoritism runs rampant. If you are not friends with someone in the marketing department, or you're not best friends with your manager, then you're nothing. The environment in my department, as well as others I'm sure, was VERY clique-y. If you don't suck-up to the right people, you'll be ostracized. If you're looking for an inclusive and welcoming workspace, then keep looking, this isn't it. -Management is nonexistent and if they do show up, they're useless. Again, favoritism, and even nepotism, play a huge role, you'll never be in the right. Everyday, you are damned if you do and damned if you don't. -There was no proper on boarding training to new employees, you have to teach yourself on procedures of the department no matter how much you beg management to make time for you. And then when you make a mistake just trying to do your job, you will be publicly embarrassed for it, shamed, and treated like a child. -The other reviews are right, there was no room for advancement. Some departments are so different from others, there's no where to go. -There are way more Cons but I'd be here all night

Explore other reviews about Penn Foster Group

5.0
Oct 16, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
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Pros

Great leadership, smart and ambitious team members.

Cons

Work load can be a lot if you're a part of the smaller teams

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Penn Foster Group Response
8mo
Thank you for your feedback and for recognizing our leadership and talented team members! We are continually evaluating workload distribution to ensure employees feel supported and set up for success. We appreciate you sharing your perspective as we work to maintain a balanced and collaborative work environment for all.
1.0
Jun 1, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Flexibility PTO No Weekends or Late Nights Free Education though it may not be useful elsewhere Occasional Overtime Megan is the best manager and most knowledgeable fire everyone else!

Cons

Working at Penn Foster is like being in a high school… bratty cliques filled with drama and bullying. Management won’t do much until ish hits the fan which is what they clearly want to happen. Pay is outdated and doesn’t reflect current real world economy. for instance I’ve worked here for 2 years and throughout my duration I’ve always had to work a second job because they don’t pay us enough to pay our bills! Therefore causing exhaustion and burnout. The promotions/raises we were promised we didn’t receive. Then the excuse became we didn’t guarantee that we could do them in December… okay so the entire department of LSAs are lying? Got it lol. Management is clueless and they don’t listen we know what’s needed to make the company and our department better for students but they still choose to do what they want. We receive useless updates to things that no one asks for which then breaks something else that wasn’t broken! Either listen to the people on the frontlines or go bankrupt and out of business! Bereavement time is not long enough 3 days to deal with the death of an extremely close loved one. 3 days to try to prevent yourself from crying or having breakdowns. I’ve been here 2 Years and have lost two loved ones and still showed up not just for the company, my coworkers but for the students also. That needs to change. Outsourcing to save costs. We’ve started outsourcing work to the Philippines to help with costs. The downside is they speak broken English as it’s not their first language, students call in our chat in and they think they’re being scammed and they’ll literally call in again until they get an American and this is feedback from the students directly! Not only are we outsourcing, but it’s us LSA’s who now have to train them (no additional pay or incentives) for what seems like probably taking our job. We have brought this up to management every Department meeting that we’ve had and they say the same thing, but no one believes that our jobs are not threatened for the cheaper labor. As the previous Department before hours was created, was literally dismantled for our department to be created. Resulting in layoffs of pretty much the entire department so with us having that knowledge, we don’t believe that our jobs are safe, and if you are looking at applying, neither should you. If you have anxiety or any mental health issues, this is also not the place for you if you make HR aware of it, they will do what they can but at the end of the day you will usually still get written up, etc. I have anxiety disorder, and I have had anxiety disorder for years however, this job has contributed to me having more anxiety. For the last two years, I have literally poured my soul & entire being into this job into being someone in this company within this company, and I used to feel like people understood that but then I felt like it fell on deaf ears. There have literally been nights where I have come home and I just cry because I’m so frustrated with things at work, the changes at work, or the lack of listening at work and that’s when I know it’s time for me to go when I am no longer happy clocking into work and ready to help students every day. It went from a passion to just a job. Being looked over at work for special projects, etc. Getting iced out by management where they don’t even mention things to you in a conversation things that they know you would be interested in, but instead they have favoritism so they don’t even choose you or even mention you when it comes to projects because they already have it made up in the back of your mind. Who’s their number two or go to person is going to be.

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Penn Foster Group Response
1mo
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and for the dedication you brought to supporting our learners during your time with Penn Foster Group. We recognize the passion our team members bring to their work, and we appreciate hearing feedback from employees who have invested so much of themselves in our mission. We're glad to hear that aspects of the employee experience, including flexibility and educational benefits, were meaningful to you. At the same time, we're disappointed to learn that your overall experience did not meet your expectations. We are committed to fostering a workplace where employees feel heard, respected, and supported. We welcome feedback and encourage open dialogue between employees and their leaders so that concerns, ideas, and opportunities for improvement can be discussed constructively. We appreciate the contributions you made during your time with Penn Foster Group and wish you the very best in your future endeavors.
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