The Work First Foundation Reviews

- This is the worst job I’ve ever had. So much of this job has been marked by shame — I constantly felt ashamed of my inability to support clients in meaningful ways, conduct research with the intellectual rigor that I felt that it deserved, or meaningfully address injustice while at work (particularly once the COVID-19 crisis began.) - Calling the leadership incompetent frankly feels generous: when concerns were raised, they were brushed off and complainants were retaliated against in small but insidious ways. - Family and friends encouraged me to quit early because they saw a marked difference in my emotional well-being during this fellowship Some FAQs, answered: “What is it like working for the Work First Foundation?” I don’t know! When I signed on to the fellowship I thought I was hired by the Work First Foundation — I was wrong. On the first day of the fellowship, I was asked to fill out an America Works application (as one of the many documents I filled out while onboarding) with no explanation. Work First Fellows are employed by America Works. They spend a full year working as trainers or case managers (inexplicably called “Career Advisors” or “Career Architects”), though they’re compensated less than the trainers and case managers who are employed directly by America Works. I still don’t know what the Work First Foundation really does. “What is the research program like?” The research project received about the same amount of effort as I put into my least favorite final papers in college. I was able to carve out about one hour every couple of weeks on the “research” for 10 months of the fellowship. Once COVID began, the plan was to have a remote symposium, an hour-long zoom meeting where fellows had less than five minutes to discuss their research, in early June. This came and went, and it became clear that it was cancelled (though this was never explicitly communicated.) Instead, we were told to turn whatever research presentation we had prepared into something for a Work First Foundation promotional video. I was repeatedly asked to “manage my expectations” when I asked for a rigorous research program, any mentorship or oversight (seriously, there’s no accountability — I could have ignored my research project for the full year and then written a paper the night before it was due, and nobody would have known), tools or training in data analysis, database/library resources, or thoughtful feedback of any kind. “But at least there’s networking and professional development, right?” I wish. There’s a piece on the WFF website that discusses mentorship and networking opportunities for fellows. Let me be clear that the only mentorship I received was from the coworkers I saw daily, who stepped up when they saw the fellowship disintegrate (by the end, a third of us had quit. More than half of the NYC fellows quit. This is a year-long program with a clear end date and a bonus if you can make it to the end — is nobody troubled by this?) There were a few hour-long meetings and a couple of external events, but that's all. “That’s ok — I just want to help people. Can I do that with this job?” Maybe? I was once told that it was “cute” that I wanted the people I serve to feel empowered to name systemic injustice. If your idea of helping people is placing them into inflexible, low-paid, and dangerous jobs, often without benefits, though, maybe this counts. After the COVID-19 crisis began, I was told to avoid bringing up social distancing, hand-washing, or anything that might discourage clients from taking jobs at places like Amazon. I saw staff members at America Works mock clients and ignore clients’ complaints and boundaries. “Wait, then what’s up with all of these positive reviews?” Good question! I’ve heard rumors (though cannot confirm) that CURRENT employees of America Works and the Work First Foundation are ~strongly encouraged~ to write positive Glassdoor reviews. If I had known that when I was considering this job, I would have taken a look at whether reviewers are current or former employees. There’s something fishy about the fact that current AW employees have no issues working there, but reviews from former employees are overwhelmingly negative.

-I ran one of the biggest and most successful programs in our regional office and was not compensated for it. -I was constantly put in ethically and legally ambiguous situations with our partner agency. For example, the contract I worked on required the person in my role to have a MSW and 5 years of experience working with the specific population. I was a recent grad with no such experience. The Site Director gas lit the contract leader into keeping me on the contract and made ME explain to him why I was qualified - even though I was asked by the SD to work on the contract. -Absolute ZERO built-in support for mental health services - which you will need!!! -Benefits are trash. It would cost the same amount to put a spouse and multiple children on my new employer's plan as it did to pay for myself at AW. -Mental health was at an all-time low. -CEO only sees clients as an opportunity to generate profit. Similarly, my Site Director once infamously told all new staff that this is "not about the clients, it's about the bottom line." Here's what I'm getting at: If you are interested in helping people, go to school to get your MSW or BSW and apply to work at an government agency. AW profits off of the government contracts they procure and you will feel major pressure from upper management to meet billing goals. Look up salaries at government agencies - you'll find that they make double what you will ever make at AW, and you'll have government benefits. Ultimately, do NOT accept your offer here. This fellowship preys on bright young people who feel like they won't get a better offer elsewhere. Leverage this offer at a different organziation/company and keep applyig. You can do it!!!