Pros
Paycheck was always on time
Once probation is over, PTO is good (stock up and cash out)
Medical, dental, vision isn’t bad (about $100/m)
Gated parking
Admin keeps candy jar full
Staff are pretty good at backing each other up
Cons
In one word… management
Everything seems sweet and nice from the outside, but none of my friends or family believe the stories I tell them about working here.
Managers have habitualized yelling and snapping at staff (privately and publicly) or summoning them by shouting from down the hall- saves a phone call or 10 steps on the Fitbit I guess.
Support ends at the front door, even for the favorites. Management has always given in to guests/patrons after you explain the rules and policy you’re forced to stick to. After, manager might tell you that you were wrong to stick to the rules. “should just know when to apply them and when not to”. Fun times!
Management has openly stated they wish some staff would leave/retire, or directly ask the staff member “are you looking for another job?”. If you make the mistake of telling management you’re uncomfortable- maybe a staff called you a name maybe they’re talking in detail about sex maybe they’re doing something else - (if you are a favorite) you’ll be soothed but if your an unfavorite “maybe you don’t fit in” or how they do that same thing on the regs too and shrug their shoulders
If you still choose to work here, be sure to keep your workload at 75% at all times, as management will drop massive stressful projects last minute without asking if you have the flexibility.
HR is non-responsive but does not appear to spread gossip.
And half the staff is actively looking for new work. If you choose to interview, ask “why did this person start looking for a new job”, don’t ask “why is this position available” or you may find a few months later that they lied or withheld valuable information as to why you got the job, why another didn’t, and why it the previous person began the job hunt.
Also, ask “what’s the retention rate for the department” not “heats the retention rate for the library” as you will get two different answers, as they try to not count some staff- where the most turnover is found. People have walked off the job due to management, and lots have already left, more coming. So ya, I bet there’s lots of job postings… just not from COVID, it’s from managers.
Library assistants and the librarians do the same job but way different pay. No growth unless someone moves, retires, or dies.
I don’t regret taking the job, or staying, as I’ve learned a lot about working with difficult people, working in a negative work environment, and working in a workspace that has virtually no communication outside of complaints and gossip.