King County reviews

Very strict about PTO and sick leave. Completely inflexible on start and end times to accommodate for transportation schedules, or families with children and school schedules. There are many aspects of my position that could be hybrid, which would make work life balance much easier, but they refuse to accommodate. Employees are forced to take a mandatory one hour lunch instead of optional 30 minute, and then allowing people to end early if it suits them that day. If I worked only 5 hours , instead of my usual, 8 + a mandatory hour lunch, I am forced to take an hour lunch unpaid, and use 4 hours PTO instead of not taking my lunch and using 3 hours PTO. It really feels like they have you handcuffed to your desk and even your unpaid lunch is not your time it’s their time.

Not able to function as an admin. Rules and policies keep changing and are not enforced consistently. The animals are running the zoo. They are penny wise and pound foolish. People, projects, and programs are chronically underfunded and set up for failure. Much project management devolves into bullying of staff who are trying to contribute. An authoritarian system with managers desperately trying to impress those above them and dumping stress on those below them. The managers will say they favor work-life balance and employee health, but their practices are too often the opposite, causing burnout.