Pros
- Upstanding mission. - Minimum 12 paid vacation days per year. - Twelve paid sick days per year. - Eighteen days paid holiday. - Three hours of holiday pay every Friday between Memorial Day and Labor Day. - Health, dental and vision insurance. - Competitive salary. - Six percent matching retirement contribution. - Two thousand dollars professional development stipend. - Metro SmartBenefits® $50 per month. - Fifty dollar reimbursement toward monthly work phone bill. - Holiday gift basket. - Sabbatical opportunity after 7 years. - Flexible working hours. - Talented staff. - Considerate team members. - National professional network. - Moderate care for physical wellness. (e.g. standing desks and coronavirus protection policies) - Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) aware. (e.g. increasingly diverse staff and Board of Directors) - Full-time remote work for employees based outside of the DMV and two days remote work permitted for staff residing in the D.C. area.
Cons
- Though salaried, heavy workloads across the organization result in staff working consistently in excess of 40 hours, working during paid holidays, not taking paid vacation or working during vacation, working through illness and injury, working through sabbatical time, not using compensatory time, and rejecting professional development and networking opportunities. - Although not policy, the organization’s national scope creates an environment where staff member’s work hours expand to accommodate U.S. financial donors and constituent’s time zones. Some staff feel the need to always be available, or “always on”. As a result, staff send emails, text messages, and make phone calls during most hours of the day. - The work pace is fast, the deadlines are short, and the performance expectations are high while managing multiple projects. - Aside from paid outside contractors, the organization has no full-time or part-time support staff. There are no coordinators, assistants, apprentices, interns, or formal volunteer positions. - Adhocracy and “we’ll sleep when we’re dead” work culture. - Frequent shifting of staff roles and responsibilities. - No paid leave for parents or caregivers. - Racial and gender microaggressions. - No persons of color in the executive leadership team. - No pay transparency. - No anti-retaliation or whistleblower policy. - New benefits and organizational policy changes are not put in writing and are not easily accessible for new or seasoned staff. - In practice, the organization places the greatest value, emphasis, and investment of time into the financial donor’s experience versus the nonprofit’s impact on communities and the environment.