Pros
-Co-workers. I formed really outstanding friendships with my colleagues (in the rehab houses and in my dept) and met people I'll never forget. Most people who end up working here do it to help make a difference and to give back. -Residents. I will never forget the stories of the residents whom I helped and the personal struggles I saw on a daily basis. Working here gives you an appreciation for life that you don't get anywhere else. -Opportunities for working overtime (literally all the time) if that's what you want. -Pretty campus, clean facilities
Cons
-Insultingly low pay: This is not an exaggeration. Management acts shocked when an employee asks for a minimal raise. Sorry, we need to feed ourselves and pay the bills. The solution they likely will give is to work more overtime or drop out of an essential benefit like health insurance. -Perpetually understaffed and horrible turnover rates. Like, to a dangerous degree. Running on a skeleton crew is how staff members get hurt and residents get neglected. -No work-life balance: To paraphrase someone very high up in QLI management after I asked how they balance their personal life with work..." I don't believe in work-life balance because work is a part of my life and I love my work, so I make that my life." Management thinks no matter what your job position, you should eat, breath, and sleep QLI. If you don't live it, you don't love it. You're not a team player if you say no to something. -Favoritism: Run, don't walk away from an employer who says they treat employees like family. Just like in a family, there is favoritism and you will know if you are a favorite or not. -Nepotism. Yes folks, if you become a QLI favorite, all your family members can work there too, even if they aren't the right fit for the job. -Passive aggressiveness: This comes from all levels of management, leadership, other higher-ups. Don't worry about getting fired. They would never want to pay unemployment benefits. They will just squeeze you out by making an example of you to the other staff. People voluntarily leave after getting the pressure put on them. -The work is hard and never ending. At the end of the day, you put in a lot of emotional and physical work to help run resident programs, therapy schedules, coordination between staff, family, residents, outside parties, etc. It's actually quite exhausting and is not for everyone. Lots of times I felt like I was managing everything on my own since everyone else was so busy with their own responsibilities. People fake it til they make it...or not.