"Business as usual" - Phlebotomist American Red Cross Employee Review

Although you're collecting blood for the sick and injured it's hard to find a sense of fulfillment in a place where you and the donors are viewed by the higher-ups as just numbers. Mobile blood drives were discontinued in western MA because of money shortage that could have been 100% avoided had management listened to the staff and stopped running ineffective blood drives in towns that notoriously collected far under the goal. When we were told the blood drives were stopping the staff was told to keep everything as "business as usual", but how could be do that when we were constantly being told that there was a perpetual shortage of blood that was only going to get worse? There's a tremendous gap in communication between the collection staff, the relentless and harassing recruitment staff, and management. The hours of operation make little sense (so the company doesn't need to pay us for turnaround time) and it's difficult to balance a work and home life.