Previously known as The Bridge of Central Massachusetts Inc. and Alternatives Unlimited, the companies merged to form Open Sky Community Services.
Open Sky hires people who are business oriented and have very little knowledge of our current policies and laws. Higher ups make comments such as, “…they’ll let it slide since we already implemented it” in regard to hiring a non-clinical staff for a clinical position. Many people who endure symptoms of mental illness(es) need strong advocates to get their voices heard. The same goes for staff as well as the individuals' served at Open Sky. There is no union for the staff here. Collect the data for the amount of staff fired over the past three-five years.
If Kenneth Bates can be CEO of the year, somehow, then you can bet this agency is all about money. Eliminating previously higher paying positions based on education level is where I became concerned. They won't help with your education, like The Bridge previously did, to attract more qualified candidates. Higher education doesn’t get you any higher of a pay rate than a GED or high school diploma. Yes, all of us social justice warriors who have fought long and hard to make a difference in our individuals’ served lives—they genuinely do not care. Employees have long and strenuous days at some of the programs due to some more chronic individuals served. There is no support for staff. Previously to the merge The Bridge cared about your education level. They would assist with school expenses and you received a slightly higher pay rate. Now, that is out of the window. They want bodies—not employees who care.
If Open Sky has enough money to sponsor the Keva Center, how do they not have enough money to pay their employees $15 an hour?
This company is exactly why mental illness has a bad reputation. When employees ask for assistance with their mental health they are chastised and told to find a way to deal with it. They are provided with a Suicide Prevention Hotline number and told not to kill themselves in front of the individuals because they are the ones who matter.
If you need any more of a reason to question whether you should apply to work here, they have no union. This place needs to be unionized to protect its employees. For example: Staff have had their cars’ keyed by individuals. The company refused to pay for the damages as well as refusing to put in cameras to monitor the parking lots. They fired an employee of five years because her doctor wrote her a note for extended FMLA due to her baby being in the NICU. They fired her. Another employee was hit by a car on their way walking to work. They let him go as well, but at least offered him a chance to reapply. Oh, and DO NOT get me started on their incompetent H.R. If anyone calls you and will not talk to you on the phone about the issue—you are getting fired.
The Department of Labor needs to be contacted. UNIONIZE, UNIONIZE, UNIONIZE!!! They have money for other companies, but not for their employees.
