Pros
I initially started as an intern and then worked part-time at nights/weekends for about 9 months until I finished my Masters degree and found a better job else where. Here is my detailed analysis and experience: Pros: +Good experience to gain +Ability to learn and understand different aspects of homelessness types and disorders +Few of the volunteers who donate give little extra gifts like chocolate bars to staff
Cons
Cons: (Brief version): -No quality of life; high stress, low pay. Most are there to find a better opportunity -You will work holidays and odd hours (management will call you in to work, if you decline, you fall out of their favor) -Low pay, high workload -You do not get holiday pay if you work certain days, it will be your regular pay and additional hours if you pass their probationary period -High stress, most coworkers leave for other better jobs in 6-9 months or less -Cut throat environment; you will be written up then terminated even if you make an honest mistake. -Your coworkers will document everything YOU do wrong and report it to management -You are easily replaced -No employee manual/guideline on situational events/incidents. It means every action you take in an incident will be documented and used against you -You will only work with the homeless clients with serious behavioral, assaulting, and violent tendencies. You will be routinely threatened of your life, in fear for your safety and at times physically touched/pushed by the homeless clients. Management will not do anything to protect you; it is better for them to terminate you than to resolve it. -Abuse from management, they do not care for your input, most are promoted through tenure (years in) and play with their phone most of the time or shop online on the company computer. They only interact with you only when you are to be punished or reprimanded (write up). (Detail version): • Quality of life – you will work odd hour and days (especially weekends), long hours with close deadlines that give you little time to do anything else • You will miss major days to celebrate and have time off with your family and loved ones • The work you do will not matter as you are quickly replaced. Remember you are working in a homeless shelter, not for Red Cross or a Church. • Pay: one the lowest and not livable in the Bay Area, you’re better off working at Starbucks with tips. o You will be underpaid and overworked, the money you get (almost minimum wage) is not worth the stress, abuse and intimidation working with the homeless clients. You will be threatened and you are expected to “handle it” and not take it “seriously” even though clients who get exited from the program wait outside across the street to hurt you. Your best bet is to call the police for escort, have the client to send to jail or removed far away to prevent them from coming back, where some clients still do since they target certain staff members. • High turnover rate and being burned out, you will get depressed by the same clients who are known drug abusers or have mental disorders with little to no treatments provided. This means you just watch them abuse themselves and at times abuse you (profanity, racist remarks and derogatory statements) with no repercussion on the client. Most clients do anything they want and test you by lighting up their cigarettes or them asking you to smoke a “joint” with them, or having a drink with them. All of which are prohibited inside the homeless shelter. • The agency only needs people to monitor and manage client “needs” in order to get funding (money to operate) by the state and county. That means you are only documenting what client needs and referral resources if they ask for it. It also means that they are there to mess with you until they: exit their self or the client gets exited by becoming violent or gets caught doing something illegal in the facility, i.e. physical fight against staff. • Low standardsin the hiring process: this means they will hire anyone and everyone. It means that they will hire the lowest standards of people who are on the same standards as the clients. • Internal Politics– especially if you are of color and a minority, you will not advance. Ever heard of white privilege? It means the top senior executives have $200k/year salaries while you are below the $28k/year trying to make ends-meet, including overtime. • No set training or manual for employees to follow, most of it is guess work (street knowledge) while following certain values (common sense) of learning how to “cover up” your actions. Because as mentioned previously, management’s only job is to document what YOU do and use it against you to terminate you. • No support structure, you are alone. Although your superiors say they are there to help you, they get impatient when you ask them scenario questions of a possibility. This means that your superiors are not experienced enough to understand your work/position and also indicate that they do not care about you. They are just there to collect their monthly check. Remember: your superior’s job is to fire you through documenting every little thing you do wrong, not offer you advice on how to be a better employee. • Management is impatient and hides in their offices most of the time, they do not understand or want to know their employees, and they shut their doors closed most of the time. Even when you see them shopping online, they say they are busy unless they are expecting someone (an auditor). • Management lack engagement with employees and lacks to acquire feedback on operations improvement creates a disconnected structure • No policy enforcement on clients means the clients (homeless) will do whatever they want. This includes illegal drug usage, selling prescriptions, drinking open containers of alcohol, assaulting and even punching staff (I was a victim of) with no management support. In fact, I as an educated female of color with a Masters degree was physically assaulted and pushed by another participant. Instead of management being asked if I was alright, I was punished through a write up as the agency found it better to put the blame on me rather than trying to resolve the matter. • Most of the coworkers lack the ability to be effectively communicate and engage in teamwork. Everyone shows up to work their 8 hours, leaves and does not care to assist. • Lastly, If you are the type to sincerely help people, this is not the job for you. Your soul will be sucked out of your body, your hard work will not be acknowledged and your position be disposed like garbage by management the minute they feel you are not to their standards. You will have no rights as a person. Your dignity will be stripped, humiliated and spit on by those you think you can help. What is worse is that management and few coworkers ultimately want you to fail so they can replace you with fresh new hires who do not know what they are in for (the abuse).