employer cover photo
employer logo
employer logo

American Red Cross

Is this your company?

Great mission. Poor execution and management - Regional Volunteer Services Officer American Red Cross Employee Review

2.0
Aug 23, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

An opportunity to truly help people through one of their worst days ever. The mission is a good one.

Cons

Morale is at an all-time low, and it looks like it will be that way for a long time to come. Leaders do not lead, but regularly demonstrate demoralizing arrogance and defensiveness. The organization has traded basic leadership skills and positive, motivating, growth oriented culture for a workforce that is regularly beaten and devalued. Red Cross could do a LOT better were it to admit its deficiencies, be transparent in attempts to fix them, and foster a creative approach to problem solving. Definitely not an organization to join if you want to be valued for your contributions.

Explore other reviews about American Red Cross

5.0
Mar 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Flexible schedule, ability to choose healthcare provider, merit awards

Cons

Lack of transparency from leadership, favoritism towards those in their leadership programs

2.0
Mar 15, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

You feel connected to a larger mission, and go to bed knowing you did good work. Most of the volunteers are amazing people. The job is a good stepping stone to other disaster management jobs elsewhere. PTO policy is generous and Healthcare is decent.

Cons

You are INCREDIBLY overworked and GROSSLY underpaid. You get zero work-life balance. Even when you're not on call, you'll still get tons of calls from volunteers with questions and concerns. If a volunteer is unavailable to respond to a fire call or tend to any other responsibility day or night, you're on deck. You're salaried, so there's no overtime pay. Your pay barely covers the basic cost of living in today's economy ($40k-$50k). Diversity is bottom heavy, meaning there are lots of employees of color in entry level or lower management roles, but beyond that there's a steep drop off. Most of the volunteers are great, but the Red Cross is so desperate to keep them, that poor behavior and language (racist/sexist/phobic) is not properly disciplined or responded to, if at all. Employee retention is poor, especially in the Disaster Specialist role, because they burn you out so quickly without decent pay.

1
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All