Too many elephants in the room... - Anonymous employee Oxfam Employee Review

3.0
May 15, 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Influential well-known organisation. More open that most to new ideas. Great office space to work in. Friendly colleagues. Flexible working. Potential for progression if your face fits

Cons

Managers not held to account and quality of management determines your experience. Some controlling behaviours remain unchecked and poor performance not consistently dealt with. Lots of talk of learning which does not happen. What you say and how is valued more than delivery. Some technically weak staff promoted well-beyond competence/ experience.

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5.0
Feb 26, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great people and culture in the space.

Cons

Not as many people in the office.

2.0
Jan 24, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

working with people who really care about the work and the mission; mostly remote work

Cons

Oxfam America's senior leadership team has presided over three consecutive years of layoffs with little evidence of accountability or learning at the executive level. Despite repeated rhetoric about fairness and equity, leadership decisions consistently undermine those stated values. New initiatives are rolled out frequently, only to be quietly dropped, creating instability, confusion, and deep skepticism among staff. Directors are routinely excluded from key strategic discussions, yet are expected to deliver decisions to their teams with no meaningful context, rationale, or ability to answer questions. The CEO appears insulated from the day to day realities of the organization, reinforcing a growing disconnect between leadership and staff. As a result, employees are chronically overworked, morale continues to erode, and trust in senior leadership has been significantly damaged by unmet commitments and constantly shifting priorities.

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