americorps member

customer service representative

phlebotomist

product technician

registered nurse

American Red Cross

I agree that the Red Cross mission sounds nice, however, blood collection services is a totally different part of the company which barely reflects the red crosses mission. By working here you can expect to receive minimal help from management when you need it, and extreme criticism when bringing up significant issues or safety concerns. Your 40 hours a week are not guaranteed and go by seniority, and your time that you are supposed to be home can change on the fly. Let’s say that you are supposed to be out of the blood drive and back to the garage by 6 PM. That can very easily turn into 730 or 8 o’clock because the volunteers leave as soon as the last donor is on a donor bed and if that’s a slow donor then you’re just waiting. Unable to clean up until the last donor is off of the bed and God forbid they have a reaction which means that you are staying even later. First time donors are always the last donors of the day. Scheduling is ridiculous. When donors view available appointments on the Red Cross app , it is generally more appointments than the staff can handle in a day. The area coordinator for donor appointments generally schedules Red Cross staff at around 120 to 150% capacity for the day. As red cross staff you are expected to pick up that slack , and if you fail to do that, then you’ll be disciplined. As far as training goes that is around six weeks along where your first week is teaching you how to use a computer. After that you go into blood safety and donor employee relations and it’s not until your last three or so days of training that you even talk about phlebotomy, or what that procedure looks like. So you get three days of training on how to put a needle in somebody and you’re expected to come out the other side knowing what you’re doing and making very minimal mistakes. Additionally, HIPAA is not trained on and donor confidentiality is a joke. The employee dynamic is embarrassing and donor. Details are divulged openly amongst each other. Donor privacy is not taken seriously and details about donors, personal lives, medical, history, or appearance are openly discussed and joked about  in the workplace in front of other donors. Monthly reviews are embarrassing. In fact  you are judged  based off of your success rate with phlebotomy down to the very last percent. If I am 98.5% successful with my phlebotomies given that there are bad veins once in a while, you are heavily criticized for that and your job is threatened. The Red Cross is very harsh on every detail of your performance and less concerned about donor comfort, safety and satisfaction . As far as the union is concerned, the only thing that you can count on with the union is that they will take your dues out of your paycheck every two weeks. Do not rely on this union for assistance with job security, for clarification and training requirements, for explanation of benefits, or to be there for you when you need them to be. Management refuses to take responsibility for their actions and on multiple occasions have refused to admit that they said things that were said in a public setting. This is a huge political game that is only concerned about being able to produce the highest numbers in regards to donations received and “lives saved”. If you do intend to work here, I strongly recommend that you do not, especially if you have children at home. You will not have the necessary time that you need to make appointments for your children, pick them up or drop them off to school, or be there for any extracurricular activities that they may be involved in. If a day does end up, running later than expected, you can absolutely be sure that you will not be able to leave earlier to tend to your children. Lastly, as far as pay is concerned, you get your general yearly, raised, based off of inflation, but do not expect any additional pay while you are here. While picking up a couple extra responsibilities can grant you an additional one to three dollars an hour, the responsibility and politics that become involved. Once you start picking up those roles is not worth it . There are many employees in the Green Bay area that have worked with the Red Cross for over 20 years and still make the exact same pay that you would be starting at. 

Overall, I enjoy my job at the American Red Cross. The job makes me feel very good. Talking with donors all day is awesome, and knowing that the blood is going to change someone’s life gives a great sense of purpose. 

A typical day includes showing up to a center, loading up many heavy carts into a van, then driving to the location of the blood drive. That alone can already be 1-4 hours. You then spend about 1 hour setting up the blood drive. A blood drive typically lasts around 6-8 hours. You do the opposite at the end. Pack up for an hour, and return to the center to unload supplies and send the blood with a volunteer driver. A day can easily be 10-14 hours. This makes scheduling appointments very difficult. 

The work/life balance is very poor. You could clock out one night at 8 and in the next day at 5:30. The schedule varies very much, you won’t be working consistent hours. Another issue which I dislike is the amount of callouts due to stressed staff makes everything very difficult, quite frequently. If a staff calls out, you might be sent to a different blood drive, or be short staffed for the drive you were originally doing. This happens too often and just makes the problem worse. I get frequent calls from the scheduling department about schedule changes and that just means more inconsistent hours. 

Now, there is room for quick advancement. If you show you can be consistent, friendly, and stay with procedure, they will help you get additional training to charge drives/operate apheresis machines. 

The benefits are very good. I am satisfied with the benefits I receive versus the amount of money taken from my paycheck. The Red Cross also tries to keep their pay competitive, adjusting pay to similar positions in the area you are working. Lots of overtime equals higher paychecks, but at the cost of physical and mental health. 

Since starting, my mental health has slowly gotten worse. I don’t have time to take care of myself and it seems my life revolves around this job. It is rewarding, but that can only go so far in helping with your mental status. Physically, I feel fine as I am young. I frequently see older people struggle with the fast paced environment and physical demands of moving a lot of heavy equipment multiple times a day. 

The attendance system is also not very favorable. In order to try to reduce call outs, they punish you severely if you call out. If you get sick, have an emergency, or for any other reason call out, you get a point. It doesn’t take many to get disciplined and too many results in the loss of your job. 

The turnover is very high due to the reason listed above. People don’t know what they’re about to get into. 10-14 hour days, frequent traveling, and overnight stays. The people that do stay are awesome though. You get to know your coworkers very well and you develop good relationships with them and donors. 

Overall, if you are young, willing to work very hard, and want to feel purposeful in your job, at the expense of declined mental/physical health, it’s an okay job. Just know what you are getting into. 

A typical day @ work
This entails scheduling appointment with perspective donors. All calls are logged through the rotary dialer as donors are summoned at their home or work place etc.  After the donor is identified they are thanked for their commitment and service told of the present need for a donation and are asked for a new donation. After scheduling ,the donor is prepped on the prerequisites, asked if there are any referrals, reminded of appointment that was made, given notification telephone number and website if they should cancel and given an impact statement followed by a thank-you close.  Any questions that arise during the call are answered immediately. 
What you learned
As a scheduler you learn how valuable the time and efforts the donor puts forth.  Their questions are vital as they shape the ARC. Also we learn how to create better experiences for the donors from their questions and concerns.
Management
Management is always there to better our working situations. I am fortunate to be working with one of the nicest Supervisors at the ARC that everyone cherishes dearly. The creative ideas coupled with changing environments keeps our spirits high and our motivation ongoing as we press towards our goals, the hospital patients. Management enjoys their jobs and we enjoy our managers. Certainly a person to pattern yourself after and a pleasure to work for.
Workplace culture
Down-to-earth, hardworking, some college students, retirees, all make the ARC workplace culture.  We work together despite our diverse backgrounds get the job done and then enjoy a ARC pizza every now and then.  Its an environment in which the hospital patient gets the seniority and everyone come thru the door with a big heart.  Dress for success or casual everyone' job is equally important everyone assists each other in that our team goals are met.  
Hardest part of the job
Hardest part of the job is feeling the pain of unsatisfied donors whether their pain comes from experienced or non-experienced technicians your heart goes out to them.  Any complaint or concern that a donor has effects me but I quickly rely on my rebuttal skills coupled with any deescalating abilities I have acquired over the years to better remedy the situation. Putting the donor back on track and helping them to see the importance once again of donating after an unfortunate experience is one that has been challenging but of great importance. 
The most enjoyable part of the job
The most enjoyable part of the job is working with so many people that dedicate their lives to saving the lives of others.  I don't think donors realize how special that they are and sometimes I stop and tell them usually when they get really upset with the world for not donating. Its really an honor to schedule an appointment with a donor that is not completely well and finishing up an antibiotic prescription.  Its as if they wouldn't miss it for the world.  Certainly a pleasure to work for them and it makes it all worthwhile.

. Positive values
A positive mission statement outlines the goals and demonstrative behavior that exemplify the highest commitment to quality and service to each other, the company, customers and shareholders. The company sets out to achieve its goals in ethical, honest ways with an elevated sense of purpose to improving the planet and humanity.

2. Relaxed and productive atmosphere
People enjoy coming to work and feel appreciated, acknowledged and rewarded. Signs of fear, domination, bullying, sexual harassment, and intimidation are absent. Creativity, productivity, and thinking outside the box flourish.

3. Commitment to excellence
Employees give 200%. They strive to be the best and to deliver top-quality products and services. They take responsibility for their actions and decisions.

4. Open and honest communication
Everyone communicates in a cards-on-the-table manner, solving difficulties in a positive way. They don’t play nasty revenge games when given difficult feedback. Instead, they view feedback as an opportunity for growth.

5. Cooperation, support, and empowerment
Can-do, go-the-extra-mile and win-win attitudes are evident signs of workplace wellness. Employees have a sense of camaraderie, cooperation, and empowerment. Healthy competition exists without vengeful, spiteful backstabbing.

6. Sense of humor
Employees keep things in perspective, have fun, and laugh. Laughter generates endorphins, our natural antidepressants.

7. Compassion, respect, and understanding
Kindness and understanding prevail when employees face challenges such as accidents, illnesses, personal tragedies, and natural disasters. People will usually go the extra mile for others when they’re treated well and with understanding, compassion, and respect.

8. Flexibility
The company and its employees embrace change, accommodate new trends and technology, and incorporate new skills. They know if they don’t, the business will end up a dinosaur. As the saying goes, “Change is the only constant.”

9. Positive reinforcement
People need acknowledgement, appreciation, and gratitude to be motivated. Genuine compliments, rewards, bonuses, raises, promotions, and certificates of achievement are oil in the machinery. The company thanks employees regularly in these ways.

10. Emphasis on health, family, and environment
The company offers comprehensive health insurance, with weight-loss, smoking-cessation, and substance-abuse programs. The corporate cafeteria features a healthy menu, and the company gym is stocked with exercise equipment.

The company offers reimbursement for childcare and/or on-site childcare. The office itself features natural and recessed lighting with incandescent bulbs rather than halogen or fluorescent. The organization is environmentally aware by encouraging solar power and recycling.

Find a p

Typical day, drive to the center to load supplies and equipment in a truck that should be decommissioned, clock in at an un-godly hour. Double check to make sure your mobile wasn't cancelled and no one told you and then all your supplies were even ready for you and that you have the proper paperwork for your mobile. Drive to the location of the mobile which could be close by or in surrounding states. Unload 50+ pounds of equipment and dolleys and then setup in a room which most of the time is not prepared for a blood drive (ie tables and chairs may be crowded in the room). Sometimes deal with hard to please, nit picky blood drive coordinators and donors who tell you how to do your job. Break down equipment and hope the people you are working with will pull their own weight and help that day. Sweat profusely. Sweat a lot. Load the truck which may break down on you on the way back to the center. Unload equipment and supplies, drop the blood off at the lab located in house. Clock out when it's dark outside already, you've missed the day and your children are all grown up. 
You normally work 8 - 14+ hour days. 8 and 9 hour days are few. 10+ are the norm. Work/life balance is poor and hours are not guaranteed. If your big on being with friends and family, this isn't the job for you. Its impossible to make plans and keep them because even on your days off, you get called in 90% of the time. And god forbid you call in or do the right thing and request PTO. You have to put in a request 5 weeks in advance and even then, they will "partially" approve you. They do that to hold you in case some thing comes up and they have to staff you. And you have to have a "valid" reason as to why you want to use the time you earned off. You will also work every weekend. 1 if not both days.
Management is a joke. Too many chiefs and not enough Indians. You can't rely on most of the supervisors to complete a request for you. They ask the world from you and in return, they can't even come through when you need them to. Its imperative you keep all communications between you and your supervisors saved and on paper because they will play you and pretend you contacted them about nothing.
Insurance plans are ok, not great but ok. Pay starts you out at 11 or 12 an hour. 
I will say that it's a great learning experience and you do work with some awesome people daily. The camaraderie is amazing. You get to travel all over Oklahoma and surrounding states and meet some great donors. You have to have a certain attitude, thick skin, and personality to make it. It is SUPER hard work. The chance of injury is very high. You deal with a lot frustrating people and situations that could get the best of you.

Working for the Red Cross is so much more than what people expect. Most of the employees are unhappy and spend the day complaining. You’re expected to drive box trucks, unload/load equipment weighing up to 200lbs, you only get a 30min “lunch” break before your drive/day begins and you only get a 15min break during the drive which is normally at the end of your shift. You only get scheduled around 35hrs a week. If your drive cancels you’re just out of luck and pay for that day. The scheduling is unfair, the same people get scheduled to be drivers all the time. You get assigned to go to an over night drive occasionally and they do not ask before hand if it’s okay. Some days you work from 7-4pm, some days you go in at 2am and get home around 3pm and some days you work from 1pm to 10pm. The schedule is random. I don’t get how staff with families and kids do it. Management only cares about the numbers and goals. You’re disposable and just an employee to them, not a human being. They lie to interviewing employees about what the job involves and most of the employees end up leaving once they realize you have to drive and push a cart of beds up an inclined ramp that weighs about 200lbs. The amount of restrictions from medical injuries that employees have is ridiculous. You accumulate time off but good luck using it. Most requests are denied even when requested 5months in advance. Overtime is denied even when it’s just 1 hour. Half of the equipment doesn’t work. Like the blood pressure cuffs have holes causing leaks or the Velcro doesn’t hold and when the item is pink tagged and sent for repair, give it two days and it’s back on the road in the same condition. They hire people with no experience or people that have never worked in the medical field and expect us to train them. Sorry, this job is not meant for everyone. There are cliques and favoritism, drama and gossip which makes it feel like high school at times. The scheduler is spiteful if you complain about your schedule, the next one that comes out is worse than what you complained about. 

On the plus side, you work with different employees everyday so if you don’t like someone, you rarely work with them. The benefits are decent but not great. The pay is about $6 higher compair to what I was being paid as an 7yr experienced phlebotomist at a local hospital. If you have no experience, they will hire you.

Basically, if I knew what I know now, I would of never took the job. And if I knew I would get paid the same somewhere else, I would quit.

This company is looked at as so prestige and it's really the opposite. I thought this was a great job to have until I quickly learned that they value the the customer, the product, and that only. Nothing else matters. The employees that work in the labs to make this place money are treated like grunts. There is no room advancement because the turnover rate is so high due to the fact that people can't handle the ridiculous unexpected demand of this job along with the way they treat you. They want you to treat your job as if it is important, but they don't make the employee feel important. If you treat your employees like scum, you get scum performance. They really should value us more so more people can find meaning in their work instead of feeling another gear in the wheel for a paycheck. We're saving lives, right? No department of shift values another until it's too late. There are people who have been here longer than 20 years in the same position micromanaging everyone instead of becoming the manager that is supposed to do that. This is more of a WAREHOUSE job than the healthcare/hospital service job they make it out to be. They constantly increase the workload and change procedures while expecting you to remain mistake free. They also lie to cover up the real reason behind the increase in workload (centers shutting down that never shut down 2 years later). It never ends. If you want to see the inside of the American Red Cross for what it really is besides volunteering, donating blood, and disaster rescue, go ahead and apply so you can be amazing at the quality of this money hungry non-profit organization that doesn't pay anyone what they deserve except upper management (Supervisors, directors, etc.). Just keep in mind, people that work at establishments that may cause someone to need the product we create to SAVE LIVES probably make more than you will at the American Red Cross. It's hard to believe this place runs this much business and can't pay anyone over 13 an hour starting out. This is a great job if you have no college education. If you're gonna take this low of pay, work in a real lab with transferable experience. This job is "too medical" for a higher paying warehouse position but "too warehouse like" for a better laboratory position. Almost all of the lab employees dislike this place. It really need an audit, but even that wont help because everyone fakes happy when someone who matters is here. I won't even get on the culture here. Just don't expect any proper form and function. People here do whatever they want. I guess that's the only pro.

The American Red Cross (ARC) is a wonderful place with great contributions to humanity.  

Working with ARC was a gift that never stops giving.  I learned many things about the organization and all that they do.  They have been the back bone to many disasters and are always there when needed.

As Executive Assistant I worked with four CEO's.  I had only been in this new position for a couple of months when the reorganization started.  The reorganization initially was not transparent to the employees, thus the trust and dedication diminished.  Employee moral definitely needed help!

I worked in the Blood Services branch of the American Red Cross. This is different than the Disaster Services that the community constantly hears about in the news.  Blood Services is undergoing a change that is needed due to the financial world conditions.   The American Red Cross is a non-profit organization and feeling the financial crisis like every other business.  People are not as giving and do not want to give their blood as freely.  To process a safe blood product is costly, and the medical field is not using blood as freely as they did either.  Doctors realize that not doing blood transfusions, it is sometimes safer for the patients recovery in many cases.  The American Red Cross is in agreement, and acknowledges that cost effectiveness and health safety  is most important.  Everyone involved,ARC, the hospitals, insurances and the patient, is becoming more financial conscious, and feel the financial crunch.   

The American Red Cross is taking the approach to educate people about the importance of their blood donations and working on keeping the supply and demand in check.  Balancing the budget and following their vision, has required the ARC to look at the way they do business and reorganize.  

Although, it was difficult to see so many dedicated employees dismissed due to downsizing.   I commend the ARC for taking this bold move.  I realize, in order to keep the business going, it has to happen. The American Red Cross is a Nationally recognized humanitarian organization that has been around for 100 years and will continue to be at the forefront of every disaster.  

It was an honor to be employed at the American Red Cross.

I been there for 13 years and out of the 13 years there has been poor management every 2 years we had a new manager. There is a high big turn over now which always leads us to short staff. Scheduler for donors was always higher than we can collect blood from.  Staff scheduling is very poor because of low staff per blood drive. Hours are crazy. For blood mobile drives you have to use your car now and get paid for mileage. We use to have a company can but the van was never kept up with maintenance and staff didn’t care and would throw garbage everywhere. And you have to drive through out the whole South Bay Area up north to Mountain View, San Jose, Cupertino, Gilroy  Santa Cruz, hollistor, Monterey and king city or solid as area. You would only get paid from the time you get there and until you leave and that can be up to 6-8 hours. But if you are the driver who drives the big box uhaul trucks and or big long loading van you get paid from the begging to the end. It’s not an easy job because it requires a lot of lifting, bending, twisting and repetitive duties. Which possibly could lead you to tennis elbow or tendinitis, carpal, tunnel, and ect injuries. Everyone is unhappy to work at the mobile blood drive and donors can see it. Red Cross pays really poor from starting minimum wage like 16.50-19.00 if you drive the big box truck but then you do have to be signed off from driving and getting a license. Management doesn’t care about their employees. You work every Saturdays. Schedule is from Tuesday through Saturdays but always have a sick replacement on call or no assignments for that day which can you you to have short hours and working only 4 days a week. There is no guaranteed 40 per week. You get paid less and it’s not worth it. People come and go they just get a lilttle experience in  veinapuncture . But the training that Red Cross has doesn’t count as a phlebotomists working in a lab. Basically anyone could do this job without a license. It’s hard work and I myself is tired now. The only reason I stay is because of the benefits and it’s good if your like me and have a son or I need to see specialist it’s worth it. I liked the job in the beginning but now it’s getting worst after so many years. And then most donors I liked and established relationships with them but they also complain too about why is Red Cross doing this to us and volunteers too. It’s all politics. It needs to change. Reason why I stay is I don’t want to quit because I need medical and I’m not settling for less because of my job injuries

Recruitment was the worst, nonstop calling people who don’t want to be bothered and often would not answer their phones. Incentives for donors were nonexistent and not fulfilling. Who wants to spend 2+ hours waiting to donate blood or platelets and only get a $5 gift card? The company is cheap and management doesn’t care about anything aside from the number of conversions you got by the end of your shift. You can leave for appointments or if you are sick, but nobody is willing to cover you (if you even have someone who can do so) and you must make up the hours regardless of PTO use for “recruitment purposes”. Phone system sucks and driving to different locations where people are rude, unwelcoming, and uninviting make it hard to do your job if at all. You are required to work one day a weekend so you can never do anything outside of work. Everyone is overworked and completely underpaid. They take advantage of people and when you complain that the work environment is no good they either ignore you or put the blame on you. Worktime, calls, and time spent going around to “recruit” is monitored.  PTO hours are available for use after 3 months, which is typical, but are only accumulated in small chunks starting at 3.0 hours and then the longer you stay with them you could reach 4 hours. Sick days are non-existen, not to mention you get NO PAID HOLIDAYS. You must use PTO (if you have any) if you want to spend any time with your family during the holidays. Management will automatically take PTO hours from your balance if you are sick, without telling you, and even if you state that you will take a no-pay day. During obvious staffing issues where the center needed to be closed or appointments rescheduled due to wait times there was no support from management for this position or for the phlebotomy staff- constantly dealing with donors who were upset or rude. No chance of working from home even when the center is closed for a day, especially not when conditions outside in the city are dangerous (social injustice protests, winter storms, increase in crime) so be ready to work and be completely alone for your 9-5 in the building. When asking for help from management they will push you off to someone else (who will do the same) so they don’t have to deal with it.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Americorps member 25 salaries reported	$1,892 per month
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Phlebotomist 2 salaries reported	$21.50 per hour
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Registered nurse 1 salary reported	$38.00 per hour

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