Pros
-Flexible scheduling -Paid sick time and vacation time, a rarity for part-time employment, for permanent employees (I was temporary) -Matching retirement plan, should management keep you on -Easy access to public transportation -Discounts at stores and food court restaurants -Free access to plenty of museums in the L.A. area, and possibly abroad -Free parking
Cons
-There's a severe lack of diversity stemming from hiring practices. Most Guest Services employees are Hispanic females. There are a few token males, blacks, whites and asians, but they're rare. Less than a third of the employees in Ecosystems are male. -Getting to the bathroom is difficult in some areas and there's pressure on employees in certain areas to hold it until their break time. -Speaking of legally required breaks, some employees dilly-dally on their breaks, making everyone else late. Some staff members take double their allotted time and yell whoever covers their area if they call the supervisors to move ahead. Some regularly leave their area to chat with employees in other departments, sometimes gossiping about staff members who tried to do their jobs and had to tell on them for taking a 30 minute fifteen break. Instead of disciplining these hosts, let alone fire them, supervisors and managers place them in areas where they'll do the least amount of damage while they continue to create a hostile work environment. -Absenteeism is chronic and tolerated. Some staff members regularly no-call no-show to the point that supervisors wait until the last minute to switch someone to their area. -Some guest services employees are paid a little more than regular hosts because they are supposed to have certifications, but they don't maintain them. It's a public secret. -Don't hire temporary staff without telling them they'll only work for two weeks. I worked Journey To Space, where there was an influx of new people in the last few weeks before the exhibit closed. There's no point in training them and forcing existing employees to show them around, which takes away from them performing their regular job duties, when they're half-way out the door the second they walk in. -Stop yelling at employees in front of guests. It's unprofessional and lowers the reputation of the Science Center. I'm in awe that I wrote that bullet point. -Tell the CEO to acknowledge gallery employees or at least pretend he considers us humans when touring the grounds with donors. There are rumors that he's fired hosts on the spot without giving them their last paychecks, a violation of California law.