Library of Congress reviews

- Depressing, dirty, poorly lit, horribly disorganized work environment with numerous health hazards (mold, insects, broken equipment, etc.). I dealt with numerous health problems and injuries as a direct result of working there, as did several of my other coworkers. When I attempted to get management to address these things they told me the problems couldn't be fixed or ignored me entirely. - While pay was good relative to similar positions elsewhere, it was not enough to live in DC. - Management was demeaning and told me from the first time we met that I wasn't actually wanted there, even when I consistently put in high stats and yielded exceptionally good results by their own admission. Other coworkers confirmed that they had similar difficulties. - Management made racist and/or ableist comments about other staff members on a regular, frequent basis. - Training was virtually nonexistent, meaning that not only would you be reprimanded for not meeting your supervisor's unstated expectations but also that nobody knew how to do even the most basic aspects of the job properly. - External threats were poorly handled. I won't talk about ones that happened before my time as I only heard about them after the fact, but while I was there a bomb threat occurred and due to a mix of miscommunication and broken PA systems multiple coworkers were left stuck in the building during evacuation. We were expected to come in and work normal hours the next day with practically no check-ins or follow up from management except for an email acknowledging that we were probably traumatized from the previous day (they were correct!).

The current upper level management (division directors and above) actively resist employee development, preferring to hire from the outside almost without exception. Grad recruit and research assistant turnover is through the roof. Interns are unlikely to ever be brought back for a paid position. Qualified analysts are put into extended “temporary management” positions, before management hires from outside the organization. The “Senior Specialists” are a mixed bag. Most are either failed managers or long term analysts with no people skills. They often end up calling the shots as the upper management hires section managers from outside the organization. The Law division has developed a management culture that resists any collaboration, which can make it difficult to write on topics where legal analysis is required (quite often given the line of work!). At their worst, the upper management work behind employee’s backs, giving them encouragement and good performance reviews face to face, then never promoting or otherwise rewarding good work.