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American Red Cross

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Great people, dysfunctional organization - Anonymous employee American Red Cross Employee Review

2.0
Jun 24, 2013
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great, caring people with a noble mission. A small paid staff that works hard and works well together. Provides a vital service for families in crisis or in a disaster.

Cons

Not enough staff or volunteers to keep up with demands. Local chapters have been gutted in recent years and now have little connection to their communities. Fundraising trumps all other activities. Outdated equipment (computers, software). Now being run like a giant corporation.

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5.0
Feb 11, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
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Pros

Position on G-Levels and on site

Cons

Must renew frequency through Their website

2.0
Mar 15, 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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