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American Red Cross

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Horrific place to work - Development American Red Cross Employee Review

1.0
16 Apr 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

the volunteers are dedicated to the mission

Cons

Poor Leadership - from the top down - fosters blaming, secrecy, sabotage and ego - NO TEAMWORK Nepotism Low Morale Poor Benefits No chance for advancement Fundraisers are essentially raising money to pay pensions and get the Red Cross out of debt Ineffective organization living off of the brand name

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American Red Cross Response
12y
Thank you for your review; we agree that we have amazing and dedicated volunteers and employees. We are sorry to hear your comments concerning workplace environment and employee morale. The Red Cross strives to provide a positive workplace where all employees are rewarded fairly in compensation and benefits, and have opportunities for growth. We agree that new ideas and creativity are vital to the success of our organization, as is a positive workplace environment. Your feedback is appreciated and will be passed on to our leadership team.

Explore other reviews about American Red Cross

5.0
16 Apr 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

My experience working with the Red Cross has been great. The work is fulfilling and the people are passionate. Benefits are good - Kaiser is $6 a month!

Cons

There is work life balance, but there is an expectation to work nights and weekends.

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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