team member

swim instructor

associate

assistant manager

general manager

Big Blue Swim School

People who work here are generally pretty nice and work together, and management is effective, but it's hard to get over all the little things that you have to deal with. The school takes pretty much every child that applies, so you'd have to deal with children who are terrified of the water and children who don't want to be there and children who just want to mess around and children with learning disabilities, all thrown together in the same class with one teacher. Management is sympathetic but there's not really anything they can (or will) do. Hours are weird (mostly mid afternoon to evenings and weekends) and it's hard to have a life outside of work.

Dealing with the swim outfits is annoying, especially the middle of the winter where if your outfit rips (and it will because the chlorine content in the pool is so high) you either have to order online or buy expensive ones from sports stores. The pool deck is kept hotter than 90 degrees so it's hard to lifeguard without falling asleep, but the lobby and the break room are kept at a cozy 70, so when you get out of the water and off the pool deck it's freezing.

This location has had a lot of management changes recently, and a lot of people left because of that. They're always hiring new people because people are leaving so frequently. A lot of the coworkers are are nice and fun to work with and are very supportive. But for some reason this job occasionally attracts very negative people who bring down everyone's morale. People also frequently call off over the weekends, so even if you get to do something that's not teaching, you might have to teach anyways, even if you're not supposed to be teaching more than 25 hours a week.

Managers frequently have poor communication. It's pretty common to get positive feedback day-to-day but only get midling-to-poor feedback during quarterly performance reviews about things that managers haven't told you was a problem, but it still impacts your bonuses and raises. Also previously management was only hired from within the company, but now general managers are generally hired from outside the company, thus restricting the amount that you can move up from entry level.

Also we're not paid a huge amount. It's not terrible, but for the amount of responsibility we take on and the kind of training we're expected to have, a couple dollars above minimum wage doesn't cut it. Also we're paid twice a month instead of biweekly, which is incredibly frustrating to deal with.

A typical day at work includes managing the pool deck, swimmer evaluations, overseeing lessons, and making sure everything is running accordingly. This includes lesson safety, correct curriculum, and organization of lessons.
 
What I learned from this job is developing professionalism in any work place, how to confront difficult work place situations, and how to create professional relationships with my coworkers that have turned into life long friendships. 

The management team has been nothing but supportive to not only me, but my family as well. They have been understanding of any personal issues I have going on and needed breaks. They take what I have to say seriously and are open to any opinions or suggestions that I have. I was welcomed with open arms when I started and for any role that I transitioned into. Communication within the management and leadership team is constant and transparent. What I learned while being a part of the leadership team is how much they care not only for the facility, but also for the staff. Any interaction that I have overheard when a customer is expressing a complaint about an instructor, they are all so quick to defend them under any circumstance. 

The workplace culture is positive and uplifting. Almost everyday during pre-shift, the environment is full of energy and playfulness. All staff and instructors almost always get along and it especially shows when on lunch break or during pre/post shift.

The hardest part of the job would be the busier days. It can be hard to properly execute shift planning when it's busier than normal or when there is an unexpected last minute call out. We then have to change all of our shift preparation and plans last minute. This can cause some disorganization during shift and last minute changes. 

The most enjoyable part of the job is the overarching sense of community within the staff and working with the kids. Like I previously mentioned, some of my professional relationships have turned into life long friendships and I can see that is the cause for others as well. Another enjoyable aspect of the job is seeing the difference we are creating in these kid's lives. One of the most rewarding feelings is giving a student a warm welcome and seeing their face light up. The reaction when they enter the pool deck and hearing their name being shouted across the pool from their favorite instructor. Knowing that these kids are not only going to remember and cherish these experiences, but also simultaneously learning the safety of swimming is what's most important. 

First: “WE ARE SELLING YOU” best Sums up how you will be seen as an instructor: not by your personality, but whether or not you met a quota that was not discussed to you during the interview or during training but in the pre meeting before every shift on pool deck. You MUST stay in the water and soak in water (5hour shifts sometimes 7hrs with a 30min break and another 4hours of class remaining) Those waters are treated by strong chemicals poured out of the bottle directly into the pool with people in it-simply so they can profit and not have to shut the pool down and loose money. When you are so physically disfigured that a parent asks a manager about a lifeguard on deck who is a red as their lifeguard shirt and constantly itching, bleeding and or some other dermatological ooz- the best answer they can give the parent is “I cannot disclose that employees personal medical information” because they cannot allow the parent to know the same pool they are paying 94-118$ a month to allow their kid to be taught there- also contains dangerous chemicals put in the pool which would NOT be dangerous if they were handled PROPERLY: but the management seems to streamline people to the position in which they are IN CHARGE of chemical levels without  comprehensive training and more of a ‘meat grinder on high speed’ mentality where they stuff all the information in a shorter period of time than being an instructor and hope the information isn’t left on the floor. The main goal is to make as much money as they can so they can sell the product line and teaching apperatice to franchisees so they can delegate what they deem safe enough for their profits. I do not recommend working for this ‘up and starting’ company. Your well being is placed aside because the company offers you benefits- EVEN if you cannot afford the specialist appointment because Managers are subject to change your hours without your concent and at times at the employees expense. Your worth is not up to par with what Big Blue Swim School wants to cash you out as: so it will ring you out like a MOLDY STINKY TOWEL.
Also
Most locations do no contain OSHA required chemical checklist in their break rooms.

COVID has really shown Big Blue’s priorities, and it’s not the employees, possibly not even the kids. Their promotional “we take care of our employees during COVID-19” is a joke. Management is frustrating at best. 

Even before COVID-19, the kids were okay to work with, but if you have a difficult one, there will be very little assistance given to you. Lifeguards are stretched too thin, and bathroom breaks for the employees are nonexistent, while they insist you drink water during your shift to prevent dehydration. Sick time was given, but they told you to come in if you couldn’t find a substitute teacher, no matter how you’re feeling. But it wasn’t all bad. Free lunches on weekends, fun coworkers, and the occasional slow days were nice. 

Post COVID-19, all the difficulties got exasperated. Face shields, but no masks in the pool area would be understandable, except they’re allowing 3 kids (potentially all from different families) together in a 6 ft lane. They advertise it as 7 ft but I highly doubt them. You still don’t get any increased bathroom breaks, despite the fact that they want you to frequently wash your hands. 

The employees are stretched thin working as custodians even on all their other (wet, dry, life guarding) shifts, even the afore mentioned slow days were filled with busy work. Where you’re either spraying things down or cleaning lane lines, which is pointless. The cleaning is mostly performative, seeing as the social distancing is minimal and masks are non existent. The diluted Cavicide spray they use is completely ineffective, the way they are using it. 

Which brings me to the biggest problem, upper management. After having worked with HR, I’m extremely disappointed in their chain of command. Managers and general managers can be frustrating at times, but HR completely disregards anything you say, will talk you in circles, and then ghost you. It’s extremely frustrating and unprofessional. 

I had high hopes at the beginning of the pandemic, but any and all expectations were completely dashed and I am now unable to recommend them to potential employees because of the way current employees have been treated. 

At the Saratoga Springs location, a typical day at work isn’t bad, until a coworker calls out and you’re required to fill in for all of their duties on top of your own, which wouldn’t be too bad but it happens daily with no help from management.
It’s easy to learn basic skills like reception and obtain cpr certification through free programs.
Some of the management is good, and most of it is bad. There is little communication to staff, and little desire to solve frequent problems. At times you will have to frequently contact management if they don’t respond to any of your concerns or they’ll forget about it, especially with payroll. Management has caused issues to the payroll many times and I recommend checking that you have received the correct amount every check, especially if you cover shifts or have worked different roles that pay more than usual.
The workplace culture isn’t too bad if you make friends, but rumors spread like wildfires and there can be quite a bit of gossip. 
The hardest part of the job is getting to work expecting to have your scheduled out-of-water shift, but then having to take over a full schedule of in-water classes because someone called out. Refusal to do so will get disciplinary action, so you have no choice even though they tru to make it feel like you do.
The best part of the job is helping the kids successfully swim, they get so proud of themselves and get very excited to share their accomplishments with others. You have the opportunity to really make an impact on their lives.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Honestly they were extremely accommodating with me, seeing children progress from the small things to ultimately passing their level meant a lot. Definitely for people who want to start working with kids or if they want to test the waters if they can actually deal with kids.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Right of the bat once that honeymoon phase of finally securing a job you can sense the lack of coordination and communication between management. Favoritism was also super evident even if they tried to downplay it. I won't comment about families and kids because at the end of the day if you expected calm classes then you set yourself up. There was intense pressure about their commitment promise though. Some of these kids just suck.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Environment was friendly I did voice my opinions about certain things and I never felt any sort of animosity towards my coworkers, but one would say otherwise. I was either close to a few coworkers or just minded my business I don't think the culture should have been that serious to develop any sort of tension.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Walk in, clock in, and leave your belongings in a smelly break room. Set up the pool, mingle for the 10 minutes before classes begin. Teach, break where some would swim laps or try, teach the last classes as the coldness of the pool comes back leaving you shivering. Break down, clean the bins, get your belongings and post shift. Change and leave.

My experience at the company was a mixed bag. At the beginning (0-3 months) everything was fine. I was trained with the teaching curriculum and lifeguarding, I had plenty of control over my hours and was excused about being late because I was in college which I communicated with them and at the time of me being hired I was explicitly told that they could work around my school schedule. I loved my time in the water, my time with my students and the overall experience, however the management and the policies make the use of your PTO and the need for personal days. They will excuse from work to use PTO if you give them a 30 day advance notice, if not you are gonna have to ask other employees to see who could cover for you, and if you need to take off mid shift you'll have to wait and see if you can be taken off the schedule unless it's extremely dire like vomiting and issues like that. The job responsibilities aren't too bad they are manageable and fair. After my 4 months they started to get really strict on my attendance being strictly on time and slowly I began to lose all of my flexible scheduling. I loved the work I did at big blue but it complicated to much with my school life even though they offered flexible scheduling.

If you are a new instructor thinking about working at a swim school, DO NOT come here. They will throw you into the pool as soon as a class doesn’t have an instructor, with no proper training. All you’re told is “you’ll be fine!” And that they will help you from where they’re standing at outside of the pool. A circus runs smoother than this school. The turnover rate is HUGE and as soon as you’re hired you see why. There’s people “training” to become new instructors 24/7. Best part is, when you bring up your actual concerns about the children’s safety, they get rid of the problem, which is YOU for complaining about their poor structure. If you want to be a swim instructor, go anywhere else. For an athlete, the owner has no clue on how to properly train children to swim. The curriculum is so confusing, and most levels are basically just relearning skills that were already taught at a previous level, just incorrectly. For example, teaching kids “big arms” like windmill arms for freestyle, to then RETEACH the whole thing with the true form, crawling freestyle arms? Or teaching them a “balloon face” to then teach them “three seconds underwater” i the next level which is literally the same thing!!! Every other school does not work like this. You learn something then move on to the next skill. Children here don’t even know what treading water is. Don’t walk, RUN away. 

When I first started the location wasn't open for lessons 7 days a week. I worked 6 days a week to be able to be full time as soon as possible. It was 6 months until I finally got a second day a week off. Normally that wouldn't be so bad but this job is extremely exhausting and the location doesn't have many out of the water shifts. Being in the water constantly exposes you to all kinds of illnesses due to parents bringing sick children. I ended up having to take sick days constantly due to severe bronchitis and constant ear infections. 

While I was with the company they completely redid their curriculum.  The changes made the lessons flow much better and it was very easy for the students and their parents to see progress. 

They applied the system to the staff, identifying 5 big blue principles and then judging your daily performance based on those principles. It sounds like a good idea in theory, but the classes with the rowdiest students are the ones you always get a talking to about. It is very frustrating for the staff. 

The work/life balance is almost nonexistent if you are in the water for 80% of your hours. Often I would go home and crash because I was so exhausted. I couldn't do much on my days off because I was so tired all the time.

I used to LOVE working for big blue. I had over an hour commute each way for work and I would more than happily do it. I used to love my managers and co workers. I loved the kids. It was all amazing until management changed. People who worked there for 5+ years even ended up quitting because of how poorly we were treated as staff. Management would discuss person business of employees with other ones. Favorites were chosen. We were told by our general manager that we were getting raises and then it was never mentioned again for over a month until we had a staff meeting and I brought it up. After that happened everything turned into chaos. I felt targeted by the managers after speaking up for myself and my fellow employees up until the point I put in my 2 week notice. Once I did put in my 2 week notice management felt like it was okay to discuss my personal business with other employees, and so I didn’t even finish out the duration of my notice. Very very poor management and an extremely disappointing way of treating your employees. Especially ones that were there for almost 2 whole years. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Team member 95 salaries reported	$18.17 per hour
Swim instructor 63 salaries reported	$16.60 per hour
Associate 11 salaries reported	$14.50 per hour
Assistant manager 13 salaries reported	$48,962 per year
General manager 10 salaries reported	$68,650 per year

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