Does Human Rights Watch pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Human Rights Watch employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.5 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Human Rights Watch. This rating has decreased by 5% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Human Rights Watch?

62% of Human Rights Watch employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Human Rights Watch 3.1 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.3 for culture and values and 2.7 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Human Rights Watch?

Intern (38) , Associate (23) , Researcher (15) , Coordinator (12) , Internship (7) , Senior Researcher (7) , Manager (5) , Associate Director (4) , Development and Outreach (4) , Managing Director (4) , Research Assistant (4) , Summer Intern (4) , Deputy Director (3) , Development Intern (3) , Director (3)

What are the pros of working at Human Rights Watch according to real employee reviews?

"Great people to work with!" ((in 19 reviews)); "Great colleagues" ((in 18 reviews)); "The benefits are good" ((in 15 reviews)); "Flexible hybrid environment, unionized support staff, amazing coworkers, learning every day" ((in 8 reviews)); "Gives opportunity to make a difference in peoples lives." ((in 7 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Human Rights Watch according to real employee reviews?

"It is an unpaid internship and living in New York City is very expensive so you have to find means to support yourself" ((in 16 reviews)); "bad management" ((in 6 reviews)); "My managers & colleagues were constantly working and I felt I had to keep up with the break" ((in 5 reviews)); "The pay is low." ((in 5 reviews)); "“Gotcha” culture of competition and bullying; toxic environment." ((in 5 reviews))

What are employees saying about Human Rights Watch layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Human Rights Watch layoffs and their outlook for job security at Human Rights Watch in 2026.

Human Rights Watch reviews

3.2

62% would recommend to a friend

(180 total reviews)

Kenneth Roth

57% approve of CEO

33% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Human Rights Watch has an employee rating of 3.2 out of 5 stars, based on 180 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Human Rights Watch employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the ONG y Organizaciones sin fines de lucro industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

180 reviews

5.0

Sep 12, 2022

Fabulous place to work with great colleagues

Fundraiser

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Truly one of the best places I've ever worked. The development team has some of the nicest people you will find doing great work anywhere.

Cons

Currently there is a lot of restructuring, for the better, ... and change can be hard. But I would take advantage of the great opportunities it may in store.

5.0

Aug 31, 2022

Great

Coordinator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good benefits interesting work good boss

Cons

Can be a lot of hours

3.0

Aug 3, 2022

White organization that patronizes and bullies its lower level workers

Associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Unionized. Starting salary was great with excellent benefits. I was left to work independently most of the time and had some room to explore and get acquainted with the physical work space. I had an opportunity to travel to NY for orientation and met other staff from across the US. It was a great opportunity to meet researchers with lived experience and a lot of heart/investment in their countries of origin. Occassionally got to meet funders and became familiar with big-money philanthropists.

Cons

I worked with a very small team and in this case it meant less opportunity for support. I experienced passive aggressive behavior from supervisors - there is no training or accountability for poor communication on their end. I received so many belittling comments when I made mistakes within the first 60 days of employment. On one occasion, I walked into a room with a supervisor and another staff member only to receive “the cold shoulder” the entire time I prepared materials with them. I heard of similar experiences with other associates across the org, sometimes being asked to get coffee / run errands for supervisors.

Viewing 70 - 72 of 180 Reviews

Jobs at Human Rights Watch

Administrative Assistant - Human Resources Department

Senior Researcher, Criminal Justice

Senior Researcher, Criminal Justice

Senior Researcher, Criminal Justice

Senior Researcher, Criminal Justice