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Harvard University

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Not worth the easy work schedule - Anonymous employee Harvard University Employee Review

2.0
Dec 30, 2015
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Subject matter can be interesting; easy hours; everyone gets a week off between Christmas and New Years; your relatives back home in Indiana will be impressed that you're working at Harvard.

Cons

Uncompetitive salaries and benefits; no equity; no career opportunities for most fields; highly de-centralized structure: If your boss is crazy or abusive there is generally nothing you can do about it (Harvard rewards tenure with management positions, thus managers are often untrained, incompetent, and unfit to manage anyone.) Generally dysfunctional and infantile atmosphere (not uncommon at higher education institutions). During the recession Harvard chose to lay off long-term employees rather than dip into their $20B. At no time did President Faust ever officially address her employees. It was an unconscionable choice.

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5.0
Jul 13, 2026
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Pros

Light work if you have the right team

Cons

Low pay for amount of work

2.0
Jun 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
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Pros

Great Union and benefits for non-profits/higher ed. Wonderful colleagues outside of leadership!

Cons

GSD Development and Alumni Relations (under current leadership) is an incredibly toxic work environment. I didn't realize the intensity of the toll it took on my until after leaving, and I am not one to leave a negative review, but as they are hiring for several positions currently, I wish to share words of caution with applicants. Cons: - Absolutely not a safe space for anyone who is Black, brown, trans, queer, working-class, or disabled - 100% top-down direction. No room for personal exploration, initiative, or creativity. - Minimal guidance from leadership - Frequent pivots, even in the late stages of projects - Petty, immature talking behind your back by leadership - No upward mobility unless the Associate Dean or Dean like you - Deeply disingenuous comments, reflections, and feedback from leadership - Complete lack of transparency on direction, goals, etc. - Small mistakes are made cornerstones of performance evaluations, while leadership routinely missteps. Leadership never takes accountability. - Top-down policy decisions, completely lacking detail, thought, and care outside of legal ramifications - Ever-changing in-office requirements

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