Toxic Culture with Good People - Publications Department AACR Employee Review

2.0
Aug 10, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Some employees care about their jobs and the mission of the organization. Convenient Old City location. Some departments are flexible about taking earned PTO.

Cons

No professional development. No management training. Extremely difficult to advance. Toxic culture overall. Hostile workplace in some departments; hostile HR department that will laugh at you for complaints, lie to you, and publicly demean you for their own mistakes. Absurdly depressed wages. Extreme top-down management style. Your experience here heavily depends on the department to which you are hired and the head of that department. Publications tries very hard to ensure that employees are at least happy in their positions, but the CEO and HR thwart any opportunity to actually reward employees for their hard work and dedication. Individuals who have been with the company for a very long time act as though they're a part of a cabal, and go on power trips accordingly. There is very little work-life balance, and no work from home or flex time is allowed, even for employees with terminal illnesses that preclude traveling to the office. Our jobs are 100% online. This is because the CEO refuses to allow it for anyone unless she gives them special permission. CEO insists on approving all yearly performance reviews and merit raises, despite her rarely being in the office. This made sense when the organization had 50 people. The organization now has nearly 300 employees. Despite promising to revamp the review schedule, as of my resignation our reviews were over a month late and employees had gone over a year without receiving their laughably small merit increases. If you work hard, you will not have enough work to do for the day, and will wind up staring at the wall for lack of anything stimulating. Individuals who do not do their work will not be punished, and you will be asked to pick up their slack time and time again.

Explore other reviews about AACR

5.0
Nov 26, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

While I understand that every organization faces its share of criticism, my personal experience with the American Association for Cancer Research has been overwhelmingly positive. I’ve found the team here to be dedicated, supportive, and genuinely invested in both their team members and the organization's mission. I enjoy waking up every day knowing that what I'm doing is contributing to the greater good. For example, the leadership is always open to feedback and actively seeks ways to improve processes and employee satisfaction. The organization is in growth mode and scheduled to hire 20-30 new employees in 2026. I'm going to miss it.

Cons

Of course, no workplace is perfect, and everyone thinks that the grass is greener elsewhere, but I’ve consistently seen that those who work hard and don't just put in the minimum effort are rewarded with advancement. The CEO is an example of this, having started as an Editorial Assistant, attended school to expand her education, worked her way up the organization ladder, and has been running the organization for some time. Not surprisingly, those in the organization who are negative and the ones who put in the minimal effort and never progress.

2.0
May 3, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Mostly good people, not a very high stress environment and no work after hours. Good location in Old City.

Cons

Extremely dreary, silent and uninspiring work environment. Minimal contact with coworkers throughout the day. Don’t expect to interact with others very much. Salaries are low and promotions take way too long. Very very heavy top down approach with approvals required for everything. Good place to learn but not to stay for long.

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