Direct Support Professional - Anonymous employee Anderson Center for Autism Employee Review

Pay, staff, benefits, helping others

Hours, pay, can be tough

The orientation process is one of the best I’ve experienced. It is thorough, organized, and does an excellent job preparing new employees for their roles. Many other agencies could benefit from modeling their onboarding and orientation program after it.

-Management routinely delays vacation approvals, even when requests are submitted months in advance. Time-off and leave requests are often handled in a way that feels controlling rather than supportive. I was even contacted about returning to work while attending a funeral during an approved bereavement leave. -Work-life balance is poor despite the Monday–Friday schedule - Employees with less than one year of service are frequently mandated, often feeling they have little choice but to accept extra shifts or are threatened to be terminated (ya know , if you can’t handle their needs and demands as a facility) -Employees who consistently help with overtime often find themselves expected to do even more - Management decisions frequently appear to be driven by emotions and favoritism rather than clear, consistent policies -Toxic management culture across multiple programs, including Day Hab, campus residences, and community homes -Low employee morale, high turnover, and little effort to retain experienced staff -New employees are often treated as interchangeable regardless of their experience or qualifications