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 (14) , 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 colleagues" ((in 22 reviews)); "Great people to work with!" ((in 19 reviews)); "The benefits are good" ((in 15 reviews)); "Loved working there and learned a lot" ((in 8 reviews)); "Work environment is positive and supportive." ((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 8 reviews)); "Monotonous work, few opportunities for engagement with the advocacy work or research that HRW does" ((in 7 reviews)); "There is little substantive work and support staff are made to feel guilty if they need to take overtime." ((in 6 reviews)); "Excessive workloads, poor managers and chaotic culture" ((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

(179 total reviews)

Kenneth Roth

57% approve of CEO

33% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (179 reviews)

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 179 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

179 reviews

1.0

Apr 4, 2018

Overworked, underpaid, with limited workers (human) rights

Associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

If you have other options take them.

Cons

The below applies for all European offices. Extremely long hours, intense daily schedule, extra hours are NOT paid, taking compensation time for the extra hours is frowned upon and hard to do, questionable and non-transparent ways of deciding what topic the organization deals with. Payment is very low, after covering the living expenses you are left with nothing (working poor). Limited opportunities for professional development. Interns are UNPAID. Internship positions are given out as favours.

3.0

Mar 4, 2018

So-so

Manager

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Compelling mission; dedicated staff; excellently resourced, heavily funded; excellent reputation

Cons

Uneven management, executive director has stayed far too long, unclear employment policies, severe salary discrepancies, research and support staff are underpaid

4.0

Sep 29, 2015

Excellent mission but very top-down

Senior associate

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The staff at HRW are all smart, dedicated, and experts in their field and the mission makes one want to work hard and commit to building the organization.

Cons

While there are a lot of opportunities for growth, this is largely limited to more senior staff, with little potential for promotion or upward mobility at the entry level/associate level positions. Also, there is little transparency in the decision-making process with only a few senior staff being privy to the strategic planning process.

Viewing 10 - 12 of 179 Reviews