Are non-profits more cushy?

[Anonymous]

I've transitioned recently from a private to non-profit agency. All our funding comes from state and federal contracts.

My previous job was pretty strict and there was a lot of accountability. At my new job the start time is 08:30 and I've noticed most employees (aside from the program supervisor) trickle in between 9 and 9:30 and nobody asks questions. People often leave as early as 15:30. Also, I don't have an assigned desk. Employees share desk space and get oddly territorial about their preferred desks so new employees use the crappy computers that don't print or can't open word documents. And nobody talks. I'm used to working in a fast paced, collaborative environment. I'm not used to a workplace where employees have so much independence and flexibility.

[Anonymous]

Probably underpaid wage slaves who don't need a military style discipline structure and just want to get on with the day.

People don't like going to work and sometimes it manifests itself this way. It's not a big deal, just relax.

[Anonymous]

What do you mean by 'cushy'? I have worked for a non-profit for the past 10 years. I have an assigned desk, which is in my own office. We are funded by federal funds and foundation funds. We all work 40 hours +. But, work life balance is respected and encouraged. That's the trade off, to me - nonprofits pay you less, but the work life balance is perfect (for me, at least). My boss is flexible, which means i can take off when I need to without an issue ( doctor/dentist/kid stuff). I am often late due to kid stuff, but I make it up at night or whenever I can. people don't sweat the small stuff. The office is super congenial, and I consider my coworkers my friends.

[Anonymous]

I think there's more flexibility.

I've worked mostly in non-profits & large Us. The bureaucracy of universities is soul-crushing.

[Anonymous]

There are different types of nonprofits so they can't really all be grouped in the same category.

The ones that I've worked in the past tended to pay less but they compensated with better work life balance and benefits. So it means shorter hours for the most part but people couldn't just come wandering in whenever they felt like it.

Do the people who come in late or leave hour work flex hours or something? ie the ones that come in late, leave late too?

At a corporate company I worked at before, there was one manager that used to try to implement strict working hours. But a lot of staff just ran out the backdoor when they needed to go.

So it's probably more the specific organization and culture rather than industry type.

[Anonymous]

It really depends on the non-profit. I work somewhere with great benefits, and decent pay, but the hours are awful. We are basically expected to be on-call all of the time. Part of me wishes I worked in the private sector because at least I'd make a lot more money.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, non-profits are weird. Lots of intern power and responsibilities and most division heads who never leave. I think people work in non-profits precisely because its flexible - they're trading in higher pay for that. I worked at a couple but my favorite non-profit was 7 people. And the President never showed up before 11AM, always left by 4PM, and took his wife on 'research' trips overseas.

[Anonymous]

There's no way to generalize. So many kind and styles of noon profits. I worked at a non profit think tank with an intense boss who expected us at our desks from 8 till 6, minimum. Leaving at 6 on the dot regularly would get you a side eye and not great report. We often worked weekend and holidays and were expected to stay up to date reading a lot on weekend and holidays if we weren't all together in the office. Pay was not good but the mission was great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's no way to generalize. So many kind and styles of noon profits. I worked at a non profit think tank with an intense boss who expected us at our desks from 8 till 6, minimum. Leaving at 6 on the dot regularly would get you a side eye and not great report. We often worked weekend and holidays and were expected to stay up to date reading a lot on weekend and holidays if we weren't all together in the office. Pay was not good but the mission was great.

+1. Corporate trade associations are also technically non-profit. It's really all over the map.

[Anonymous]

I think nonprofits may have some more flexibility, but there is still accountability. Since a nonprofit is funded by State/Federal/Private agencies, you may get audited. You don't want to get caught with your pants down in that type of situation, and want to be able to say you've been working consistently, etc.

[Anonymous]

I temped at a non-profit and hated it - couldn't leave fast enough. I loved the work - it was ground-breaking and in the news and fascinating and I CARED. Plus there were snacks at every meeting.

But there was zero structure. Ex.: There was no template for how to send out a letter. So each letter this nationwide place sent out looked different, which to me is unprofessional. Their IT guy only works 2 or 3 days a week. How TF can that possibly work? They have no janitor, no mail room guys, no copy room people. So I lost time getting work done because I was doing bullshit things like fixing the copier everyone on my floor used. And the pay was HORRIBLE.

Because of all the negatives I listed there was a LOT of turnover.. Yet another thing that lowers productivity.

[Anonymous]

Most hospitals are incorporated as non-profits. So is Doctors Without Borders which sends health professionals into war zones to provide care. Does that sound cushy to you? You can't generalize so much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most hospitals are incorporated as non-profits. So is Doctors Without Borders which sends health professionals into war zones to provide care. Does that sound cushy to you? You can't generalize so much.

Yeah, I just spent a week in Nigeria for my cushy non-profit job.

[Anonymous]

As PPs have said- you can't generalize. I've worked in non-profits my whole career (over 15 years) and there are very different offices and types of nonprofits.

However, those I've worked at- mainly community-based direct service non profits- have this in common- there is more flexibility in some ways but most staff work a lot of hours, because they care about the mission and the clients. Deeply.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I temped at a non-profit and hated it - couldn't leave fast enough. I loved the work - it was ground-breaking and in the news and fascinating and I CARED. Plus there were snacks at every meeting.

But there was zero structure. Ex.: There was no template for how to send out a letter. So each letter this nationwide place sent out looked different, which to me is unprofessional. Their IT guy only works 2 or 3 days a week. How TF can that possibly work? They have no janitor, no mail room guys, no copy room people. So I lost time getting work done because I was doing bullshit things like fixing the copier everyone on my floor used. And the pay was HORRIBLE.

Because of all the negatives I listed there was a LOT of turnover.. Yet another thing that lowers productivity.

Haha! Guilty. This is every NPO I've worked in!