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

3.0

May 13, 2022

Great mission but poor work environment

Development associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great mission, supporting fantastic work, really inspiring stories

Cons

the work is very adminsitrative. you spend time on calendars and emails, not on the interesting substantive work.

1.0

Apr 14, 2022

terrible, toxic organization

Associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

- well-known organization - brings awareness to serious human rights violations worldwide

Cons

- toxic culture, bullying, sexual harassment - mistreatment of entry to mid-level staff swept under the rug, if not condoned - practice of hiring overqualified individuals and severely underpaying them

5.0

Apr 14, 2022

Excellent place to work

Senior researcher

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Excellent place to work, with very bright and motivated colleagues

Cons

None, its an excellent place to work

Viewing 76 - 78 of 180 Reviews

Jobs at Human Rights Watch

Administrative Assistant - Human Resources Department

Senior Researcher, Criminal Justice