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 colleagues" ((in 19 reviews)); "Great people to work with!" ((in 19 reviews)); "The benefits are good" ((in 16 reviews)); "Flexible hybrid environment, unionized support staff, amazing coworkers, learning every day" ((in 7 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 8 reviews)); "The pay is low." ((in 5 reviews)); "Excessive workloads, poor managers and chaotic culture" ((in 5 reviews)); "Long hours and not particularly well compensated" ((in 4 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

May 22, 2017

Researcher

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

High expectations in the company of high achievers push you to do your best work. No clock to punch--you make your own schedule. Amazing co-workers.

Cons

It's a car with an accelerator but no breaks--you work and work and work and work and there's still more work. People pile up vacation days and don't use them. High burnout rates. Tons of document production for internal purposes. Not a lot of room for career advancement.

4.0

May 19, 2017

Amazing organization

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Experts at the top of the global human rights field, unparalleled research and policy advocacy experience and learning opportunities

Cons

The organization grew very rapidly and there seemed to be a growing disconnect between the leadership and the rest of the staff

4.0

May 9, 2017

Internship Review

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great team, very interesting work, people are very friendly and interactive, opportunities for research

Cons

The position is unpaid, which can be difficult in cities like New York and Washington DC

Viewing 142 - 144 of 180 Reviews

Jobs at Human Rights Watch

Administrative Assistant - Human Resources Department

Senior Researcher, Criminal Justice