server

maintenance associate

caregiver

housekeeper

cook

Watermark Retirement Communities




typical day at work
- you’re coming into drama with the managers and HR 

the hardest part of the job
Do not work here unless you are ok with managers that treat you less than human or even a child. If you enjoy feeling constantly stressed and overworked this is the place for you. 

They are constantly short staffed and will tell you, you have to stay. 

When creating schedules they won’t always consult you if they give you more than your actual schedule. 

The managers are in a lot of heat and will lie about what they did and put it on you. 
If you work here I suggest having them text you everything or you text as a reminder, so they can’t say I didn’t say that later. 

They will say to communicate with them but will never bring problems to you. 

If you do anything they don’t agree with even in personal life they will try to get you fired more than once. 

HR isn’t actually on your side and no matter what will side with the managers and laugh in your face even though you’re talking about something serious. 

HR will also become aggressive with you if they feel personally targeted even when the situation has nothing to do with them. 

HR will act as your manager and get you in trouble. HR will say that the dining team isn’t working hard but is downstairs in their office all day and sees nothing! 

HR and the Managers are trying to get certain team members to quit. 
HR and the rest of the Managers will assume based off your facial expressions that you are unfit for your job. 

This job will switch you around to different positions and use it as a punishment. 
Even when they are understaffed. 
They will let the rest of the team suffer if they have a problem with other team members and won’t call them. 

They’ll nitpick at every small thing and try to make you comply with anything they say or do. 

If you get hit by a resident and don’t want to serve them anymore they will report you. They will only care about said resident hurting you when it starts to affect them. 

They will short-change your check and try to make it seem like they didn’t. Even if you have proof

The managers will say you aren’t doing your job well and pick up after you the entire shift not realizing that the rest of the team isn’t doing their jobs correctly. 


the most enjoyable part of the job 
— when the managers don’t bother you and talk mess about eachother to you. When the managers communicate and both know what’s going on so that team members doesn’t suffer due to their dislike of one another. When HR isn’t cussing out people. 

I can only speak to my personal experience in the Rochester NY market, but this is the most chaotic and dysfunctional place I have ever worked. My experience was filled with systematic miss management, investor conflicts, poor customer service and unacceptable business practices. I personally experienced bullying and harassment to a level that is totally unacceptable in any modern day workplace. This was routinely witnessed and documented (with no intervention from upper management). I was also micromanaged to a degree that few would find acceptable as a manager. The level of service being provided to elderly residents is woefully sub-standard for cost being charged, the reputation in the community is just as poor and there is no discernable effort to truly change or fix any of these issues. I was embarrassed and ashamed on a regular basis to be doing my job as I feel our residents were often being underserved, despite the best efforts of my immediate co-workers. I don't believe Watermark understands the challenges of the Rochester portfolio or marketplace adequately and have serious doubts that they will be doing business in the Rochester area much longer. I also found them to be completely dishonest. They preach beautiful philosophical aspirations, corporate operating principles and culture that have absolutely NO basis in the actual reality of the workplace. They also routinely  misrepresent Job descriptions in the interview process and completely oversell the stability of the company. The turnover in the area is very high and the company reputation is very low. I will say that on my level they did pay well and my immediate coworkers and team were outstanding. I developed relationships with many of the amazing residents that were of such great value and I enjoyed interacting with industry professionals in the area at networking events. Ultimately, I didn't trust that the company was doing the right thing for its customers and after 20 years doing business in Rochester I don't believe they are going to make it, they are focused on all the wrong things and are unable or unwilling to change. Outside of Rochester, this company might be all it aspires to be, but in Rochester they are no where near who they say they are culturally.

Watermark is a great company on paper and in philosophy.  Their approach to senior living is how it "should be" but the breakdown is in the local operations within the communities in Rochester.  What corporate sees as the functions within the communities does not actually happen day to day within the properties, sadly.  They "say" that they want their residents to THRIVE within their communities but then they nickel and dime them (ie: charging to deliver a dinner down the hall to a 96 yr old when they have just been released from the hospital).  Mind you, these residents are paying between $3k-$4k a month for rent.  It's just wrong. Corporate does not provide the staffing and support to ensure their staff and residents thrive, forgetting they are a senior living community not just residential living.  These residents are in the last 10 yrs of their life trying to live their best life and all Watermark is worried about is the penny they can make off their residents.  The operating principles that corporate "plugs" are not reflected at local level.  If the company operated the way they say they plan to it would be a great place to work but unfortunately corporate is located in Arizona and regional management are not local either so they have NO CLUE what is happening in their communities.  They manage their properties from a zoom room.  It's sad. There is almost ZERO support for staff from the corporate level and every community is at the "mercy" of the Executive Director, which can be catastrophic.  In my experience it was, slowly watching the best community implode from the inside out and corporate was not involved enough to even realize it.  Being an employee of senior living, it is a "care" community but WRC locally looks at it like it is general leasing with no regard to their aging residents.   

Unless you like to be fake and have people be fake to you, I would not work here! The management listens to the scheduler over the other care staff because they can't think for themselves. She's just a med tech who can touch the schedule, which she blatantly abuses. She's a high school drop out with a domestic battery charge on her record that's easily found through Google (mugshot and all). 

The best way to get in is if you know someone. As long as you're fake to the scheduler and take her rude remarks and disrespect, you'll get your hours. If not, the management won't listen to anything you say even if it's concerning the health of a resident. I don't know a single staff member that hasn't bad mouthed her yet she's regarded as if she's a nurse, which I like to remind the families that she has no title of authority. She's an hour late basically every day. She'd rather ask other people to do her job for her so she can take her precious smoke breaks and go on her many vacations a year unlike other hard working, looked over staff. 

Many people are quitting and it's only going to get worse if management keeps staying in their office like they do instead of seeing all their residents decline with their own eyes so they can make sure they're actually getting the care that they've been deprived of. I find rehab centers and nursing homes to be more tolerable than this place. They're also very late on almost everyone's yearly raises. You don't get a raise for being med tech. Management allows them to play the "I'm just a med tech" card so good luck if you need help with your residents. There are only a couple that will actually remember they are to care for their residents as well. There are still current staff members I know that have left a one star review. Almost everyone is actively looking for other employment.

A typical work day is overseeing and caring for a 3 level of care geriatric dementia  facility. Supervising energetic CNA's as well as making sure the facility runs smoothly, with little to no help from management. Resolving family members issues, documentation, treatments, orders, and providing safety single handedly. Impossible workload to perform effectively/efficiently. The hardest part is not being able to provide good, quality care do to high workload. The most enjoyable part is the understanding loving residents, who show such concern for the nurses who they know are doing their best. HR is awful, they do not provide a safe environment. Do not listen Or provide a fair and unbiased resolution to employee complaints or concerns. Too many management clicks. They choose to listen to their friends within the company rather than conduct a fair and thorough investigation. Turn over in director and executive director is high I had 4 directors within a year, and 3 executive directors. Kitchen staff unfriendly and unprofessional, kitchen itself is horrible needs a good inspection. I have realized working for this company that they are not true to their core values and that just putting a mission statement on paper and not being true to their goals is disheartening. This company could be a wonderful place if they would just follow their own guidelines and Do The Right Thing!

This place has terrible management; currently as of 9/25/2018. Mainly the DON and E.D. in admins office are absolutely ruthless toward their employees... They will bully their caregivers especially CNA's that are trained to know right from wrong -- to go against RESIDENT RIGHTS! They will fire you if you don't abide by their unethical demands. As a former employee I was terminated due to not agreeing with my instructions to "force care even if the resident refuses" that "needed to be done no matter what" despite this resident being combative, violent towards staff and reported multiple times that she refused the care that was offered -- and ignored reports from management that she needed psych evaluation. No matter what you tell the DON, they will scoff at you, write you up and eventually terminate you -- even though you just are being mindful of your license and what you were TRAINED TO DO LAWFULLY. LPNS beware too. They will demand the same unethical demands of you or else face termination like I had to face. I believe thoroughly I was also bullied and forced out due to my salary as a CNA being quite high. Once you start making $16 an hour there as a veteran CNA, they would much rather find ridiculous reasons like I was put in to fire you and replace you for someone less experienced for a less wage... Don't work for this place unless you want to face mental stress and unlawful-shady-situations by management.

When I first started working for the Fountains it was a great place to work. The training was excellent and so were your co-workers. The Director for the Inn and Memory care was great as well. When they opened the memory care is when it all went bad. They were not prepared for it at all. And making one person run both was just nuts. I don't blame that Director at all for leaving. The next one we got did the best she could at some things but not all. Her pick if people to hire were awful. They were only there for the money. All the good employees left. Nobody was getting trained properly. We had new people training new people. There were a couple residents who didn't even make it a month of living there before their families moved the right back out. Medication are not being properly given and the care of the residents is highly lacking. Not getting clothes changed, not getting showers, and being left in soiled briefs. They made that Director step down and got another one. This one has no experience in running that department. Yea she has management experience for housekeeping....big difference there. She should NOT have that position at all. The residents are wonderful and so are their families. They do not deserve that treatment at all. Those in the AL see what's going on with the lack of staffing and care being done. I feel they just need all new management for the whole building. The executive director is worthless. You can go to her all you want with complaints and nothing ever gets done.

What is the best part of working at the company?
I found the variety of work involved in multi level care  (independent, assisted, and skilled nursing living) to be fascinating and fun. I enjoyed the challenge of problem-solving to help things run smoothly. Watermark is also very focused on Covid safety protocols.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
I was a concierge at the front desk and expected to be the first face of the company, particularly for potential sales,  while also answering phones, directing vendors, and carrying out Covid safety procedures, which guests and vendors were not always excited about! If I had had more pull in my position I might’ve asked for more supports or more say in procedures (doesn’t every employee in the world wish for that ?!). 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The environment and culture was a lot of fun and staff was supportive of each other. A good staff vibe. Of course I always had opportunities to interact with residents in independent and assisted-living while emotionally and practically supporting guests coming to visit residents in skilled nursing. Lots of people-interaction and all staff are pretty much on their feet and moving around during their shift, so not locked down in a cubicle, for example.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
A typical day for me was lots of activity, problem solving, physical movement, mental stimulation.

Was a good place to work before a toxic, unnecessarily authoritarian manager was hired by corporate. One individual can ruin moral and increase turnover exponentially. They made pointless changes, then continually changed those pointless changes to give the impression of progress. Meanwhile, simple things that would have actually improved the job like supplying a little bit more silverware for quick resetting were ignored. This person manufactured false reports to intimidate employees, they threw people's stuff away, they followed employees into the bathroom, they spied on employees, and so much more. We were always understaffed because no one wants to work there. We are often not treated kindly by workers from other departments, particularly by caregivers. The management culture was one of short-term, superficial changes that out of touch corporate people love, all while the business keeps losing money and workers. 

Maybe this is what one would expect from a company that makes it's money selling grossly luxurious living to wealthy seniors who really mostly need family and connection. That is one of the good things: the residents could connect with each other and with us. I'm left feeling that all of the luxuries are a distraction and all this money attracts the worst kinds of people. 

When I started at the fountains i really enjoyed working there I had a wonderful director who was always willing to help out. I loved the team that we had it was awesome! I would punch in go over the daily 24 hour report, count out medication with third shift and then i would to proceed start my medications and getting the residents up and ready for the day, I would assist with bathing, grooming and dressing, i would help serve breakfast and lunch in the dining room helping those residents that needed assisting with feeding, I would pass medication thru-out the day and assist in activities or any outings on that day... 
When we came under a new director is when things started not going so well there was no communication between staff or management, most of the valuable employees left and our team was breaking up, i still went in and did the same routine just this time with less staff and less help from management. This director hired people who didn't have the heart for the job and the team work went out the door. 
The fountains has very lovely residents and families that are there and I will miss them all very greatly I am also so grateful the fond memories i have from this place. It has taught me so much and has made me a better caregiver for it!

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Server 99 salaries reported	$18.42 per hour
Maintenance associate 38 salaries reported	$22.88 per hour
Caregiver 111 salaries reported	$19.24 per hour
Housekeeper 46 salaries reported	$19.35 per hour
Cook 67 salaries reported	$21.61 per hour

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