Pros
The mission itself is meaningful and impactful.
Cons
At the root of its mission, STARS does incredibly important work. The individuals responsible for saving lives in high pressure situations deserve recognition for the skill, quick thinking, and dedication their roles require. That side of the organization is admirable and worthy of respect. What is not openly addressed, however, is the workplace culture that exists behind the scenes. While many people view working at STARS as a prestigious opportunity, the reality for a some employees is very different. There appears to be a deeply rooted culture of bullying, hostility, and toxicity that management is aware of but unwilling or unable to properly address. This is not an isolated experience. Concerns around workplace behaviour, including insults, name calling, intimidation, retaliation and the treatment of new employees, have been echoed by multiple people. The issue seems embedded in the culture itself rather than tied to a few individuals. STARS has a reputation for being difficult to get into, and understandably the work itself is demanding. However, the high turnover rate does not appear to stem solely from the intensity of the job, but also from the workplace environment employees are expected to tolerate once they arrive. It is disappointing to see an organization with such an important mission overshadowed by compassion fatigue, poor workplace culture, and repeated reports of bullying. There is significant potential within this company, but meaningful change would likely require leadership to seriously investigate these concerns instead of continuing to overlook them. Documentation and firsthand experiences exist to support these concerns. Hopefully, stakeholders and leadership will eventually take the time to genuinely examine the culture within the organization rather than focusing solely on the public image of the mission.
