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American Red Cross

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HR Technology - Anonymous employee American Red Cross Employee Review

3.0
11 Jun 2012
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

There is no micro management. Onsite cafeteria. Quiet work environment. Those who are self-disciplined can definitely improve their skills. Nice location in DC with shuttles to the nearest metro stations. Really the only part about ARC that impressed me was their commitment to diversity, with regular meetings for employees who wanted to attend.

Cons

Somewhere in the organization there is trouble transitioning to technology. They use the same checks and balances they probably had in place before email, internet, etc. It's quiet and very very lonely. The only people I regularly spoke to were two people sitting near me, and the people I met smoking outside. On my first day I was given a brief tour, a desk, a computer and a phone. I had computer trouble the entire time I worked for them. My computer was so slow that adding a row in Excel could take up to twenty minutes. From what I saw, my only guess is that managers have just been promoted based on their time with the organization and not based on their skills.

Explore other reviews about American Red Cross

5.0
10 Jan 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Work life balance Mission focused Adequate compensation

Cons

Lack of diversity in some markets

2.0
15 Mar 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

You feel connected to a larger mission, and go to bed knowing you did good work. Most of the volunteers are amazing people. The job is a good stepping stone to other disaster management jobs elsewhere. PTO policy is generous and Healthcare is decent.

Cons

You are INCREDIBLY overworked and GROSSLY underpaid. You get zero work-life balance. Even when you're not on call, you'll still get tons of calls from volunteers with questions and concerns. If a volunteer is unavailable to respond to a fire call or tend to any other responsibility day or night, you're on deck. You're salaried, so there's no overtime pay. Your pay barely covers the basic cost of living in today's economy ($40k-$50k). Diversity is bottom heavy, meaning there are lots of employees of color in entry level or lower management roles, but beyond that there's a steep drop off. Most of the volunteers are great, but the Red Cross is so desperate to keep them, that poor behavior and language (racist/sexist/phobic) is not properly disciplined or responded to, if at all. Employee retention is poor, especially in the Disaster Specialist role, because they burn you out so quickly without decent pay.

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