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Patelco Credit Union

Engaged employer

Hard place to work. - Anonymous employee Patelco Credit Union Employee Review

2.0
Dec 27, 2015
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Some people are left that are smart and kind. Benefits are still good. Coffee is free. So is the water.

Cons

The CEO Leads with fear and intimidation. She has not yet figured out how to lead a team. Instead, the management tactic she employed was to fire or force out anyone she perceived as not on her team, i.e. there before she was hired. Once she realized that the "off with their heads" strategy was resulting in a lot of potential lawsuits, tactics changed. They seem to have stopped firing people and just made the place so unbearable that anyone who worked there before the new CEO arrived would quit. See the steady stream of departing "team members"...That said, the pay is good when you're higher up, so people hang on to the jobs they have. Work /life balance is a joke. It all depends who you work for, and what level you're at. Too many fire drills. Too many failed attempts at launching projects. Everything is late or worse, launches before it's ready because someone promised a date and then was too afraid to admit to the CEO the problems encountered along the way. So many new people that no one knows how to do anything. Those of us still here end up patching things together just to keep the lights on. Some managers that are left are good and treat you right. They manage to shield you from the stuff going on above so you can actually do what you were hired to do. Others just pass the craziness on down the line. Anyone with a brain is looking, and that's why there are so many openings.

Explore other reviews about Patelco Credit Union

5.0
Mar 2, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Upfront job structure and compensation schedule. Room for upward growth.

Cons

Smaller entity; new opportunities not always available

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Patelco Credit Union Response
2mo
Thank you for taking the time to share a review and for taking care of our members. We understand how important growth opportunities are and hope you were able to take advantage of the professional development resources while you were on our team. As we continually strive to help our team grow, we will keep your comments in mind.
3.0
Jul 1, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Their vision and mission are great and Patelco is really about helping members, however the work life balance is horrible.

Cons

Work–life balance is essentially nonexistent under the current PTO structure. The system is outdated and unrealistic. Staff are required to submit all time‑off requests at the end of the year, as if everyone can plan their personal lives twelve months in advance. Each region can be more than ten branches, yet only three employees are allowed to be off at any given time. If you need time off and those three slots are already filled, your request is automatically denied. Because branches are expected to cover one another for vacations, call‑outs, and general staffing gaps, PTO is restricted to protect coverage rather than support employees. This approach prioritizes administrative convenience over real people with real, unpredictable lives. It is built around coverage, not humanity, and work–life balance becomes collateral damage. Leadership repeatedly emphasizes that “business needs come first,” but for a company centered on helping people, you would expect a stronger commitment to supporting the well‑being of its own staff.

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