VICTORIA COOL AID SOCIETY Employee Reviews

What is the best part of working at the company?Great coworkers mostly. Also a lot of flexibility if you’re a casual. What is the most stressful part about working at the company?Navigating poor management staff, especially in crisis situations What is the work environment and culture like at the company?A lot of smoke and mirrors and virtue signalling. A far less progressive company than they make themselves seem. What is a typical day like for you at the company?Shelters are more stressful, whereas housing tends to me more chill

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Great coworkers, awesome connection with clients

Housing & Shelter Support Worker (Former Employee) - Victoria, BC - 13 April 2023

I love my positions with coolaid and REES. I worked for coolaid for 2 years and felt good working overnights and outreach. I can see how long term employment can lead to burnout and dissatisfaction with the systemic issues we saw daily. You need to be able to set boundaries and say no in this job unfortunately.

Pros

3 day work weeks, 12 hour shifts, overtime

Cons

Overnight shifts

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Love my job

Housing Support Worker- Travelodge (Former Employee) - Victoria, BC - 11 April 2023

I love my job, specifically the sites I've worked at. Some people would say it's stressful, I personally don't find it is most of the time. You need to either be good at building relationships with clients or have thick skin and a basic understanding that what a client is going through most likely doesn't have anything to do with you. There isn't really anywhere to go here though- no advancement. Benefits are good, wage goes up every year, union protects those who need it most lol. Staff shortages have lead to hiring pretty much anyone.

Pros

Good management, competitive wages

Cons

Staff shortages, no advancement

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Management can't be trusted

Mental Health Worker (Former Employee) - Victoria, BC - 17 March 2023

I loved my actual job. Enjoyed interacting with, supporting and getting to know the clients. Most co workers were very supportive, knowledgeable, and enjoyable to work with. Management/HR on the other hand; were not trustworthy, consistent, or fair. Staff shortages caused an occasionally stressful workplace, and passive aggressive pressure from schedulers and upper mngmt to work extra shifts.

Pros

Challenging work, lots of paid training, good benefits, flexible work schedule, supportive collegues

Cons

Lack of consistency with site policies, some sites have ventilation issues, uncommunicative/supportive mngmt, staff shortages

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Just plain amazing!

Former Senior Support Worker (Current Employee) - various sites - 15 March 2023

The Victoria Cool-Aid Society is a remarkable organization that truly makes a difference in the lives of those in need. From the moment you walk in the door, you can feel the energy and passion of the dedicated staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to help the most vulnerable members of our community.Working at the Victoria Cool-Aid Society is a truly fulfilling experience. Every day, you have the positive impact on the lives of others, whether it's by providing a warm meal to someone who is hungry, a safe place to sleep for someone who is homeless, or simply a listening ear for someone who needs to talk.The atmosphere at Victoria Cool-Aid Society is one of support and collaboration, where everyone is committed to the same mission of helping those in need. The staff and volunteers are passionate, kind, and always willing to go above and beyond to make a difference.In addition to the fulfilling work, the organization also provides excellent support and opportunities for growth and development. The leadership team is committed to creating a positive work environment, and they actively encourage staff to learn and grow in their roles.Overall, working at Victoria Cool-Aid Society is not just a job, it's a calling. If you're looking for a career where you can make a meaningful impact on the world and work alongside some of the most dedicated and compassionate people, then look no further than Victoria Cool-Aid Society. It truly is an amazing place to work!

Pros

every thing about it is a pro

Cons

i would be lying if I wrote a con

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Insights into VICTORIA COOL AID SOCIETY

Based on 15 survey responses

What people like

Inclusive work environment
Supportive environment
Feeling of personal appreciation

Areas for improvement

Sense of belonging
Trust in colleagues

Can be emotionally draining but overall rewarding

Mental Health Worker (Current Employee) - Victoria, BC - 3 March 2023

Is not for everyone but for someone who is selfless, empathetic and compassionate. The position is autonomous and self-managing. Needing to make decisions quickly, setting appropriate boundaries. It is important to trust your instinct in this position.It's not a job you do for the money but because you care about connecting with others, with the hope of changing lives. I do Love the work not the graveyard hours, which is where you would most likely start. Good luck!

Pros

Connecting with others, making a difference

Cons

A general dissconnect between the company and their employees.Can burnout without enough self-care.

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Great place to work if you like working with marginalized population

Mental Health Worker (Current Employee) - Victoria, BC - 25 February 2023

I’ve been with Cool Aid for a year and I love the past paced environments. Most staff are pretty cool to work with and the clients can be challenging but also friendly. I like working the 12hr shifts and being off for 4 days if I want and can pick up overtime if I want. You do respond to overdoses and work with people who have trauma so if you like a fast paced job, I would recommend. It’s not a job if you like slower paced unless you work in some of the senior sites. The money is great but Victoria is still expensive to live in.

Pros

Lots of overtime, the people

Cons

Short staffing at sites and you can get moved to other sites at the start of your shift

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Coordinators and Managers are not qualified

Housing and Shelter worker (Former Employee) - Victoria, BC - 6 January 2023

Management does not know how to deal with difficult situations/residents, etc. Instead, they do nothing and blame employees for problems. Managers literally do not know what to do when things start to go sideways at a site. The only way to get management to pay attention is to involve the union. So employees either learn to live with bad working conditions or get into a formal adversarial situation by involving the union.

Pros

Friendly coworkers, many good tenents/residents/clients.

Cons

Poor support workers are often not qualified to support tenents with complex issues, poor support from management

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Awesome place to work

Shelter support worker (Current Employee) - Victoria, BC - 2 June 2022

Awesome company to work for, highly suggest working here if you have the qualifications. Clients are great, coworkers are great definstely feel part of a team.

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This is a difficult work environment.

Crisis Intervention Worker/ Team Leader (Former Employee) - Victoria, BC - 15 December 2021

There's no way to make this sound nice. It's a tough environment... angry people, smoke, smells (cleaning product and b.o.). Lots of cleaning and lots of complaining. The shelter is a tough place to work in. When I was there it was 12 hour shifts.

Pros

You have to like this kind of job, or you won't find any "pros"

Cons

Long hours, very bad air quality. Angry, drunk/high clients. Angry staff/ co-workers. Apathetic management. The pay stinks. Long hours.

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Excellent place to work, lots of room for advancement.

Junior cook (Current Employee) - Victoria, BC - 17 February 2021

Great place to work, lots of positive aspects. Clear working directions and autonomy. Team work and flexibility. Ability to complete tasks without feeling pressured.

Pros

Team atomasphere

Cons

None to think off

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Lots of autonomy and opportunities for training and learning. Vast job description and responsibilities..

Senior Resident Support Worker (Current Employee) - Seniors Housing - 4 September 2020

This is not a job for the faint of heart. That being said, my overall experience has been a positive one. There are opportunities for growth on a daily basis. Very supportive Team Leaders and co-workers. I've learned not to reach out to management and to rely on my self and my co workers. I've been with Victoria Cool Aid Society in supportive housing for 9 years.

Pros

No micro management, lots of flexibility breaks and time for appointments. Management promotes self care.

Cons

Some buildings are extremely unsafe due and understaffed. This is a factor in staff having PTSD

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Very difficult place to work

Residential Support Worker (Former Employee) - Victoria, BC - 1 June 2020

It is a corporate culture that breeds contempt and unhealthy competition. Managers are absent, and when present have this blame the employee for everything attitude. NO managerial support and dangerous working conditions that see you exposed to various forms of smoke, abuse from management and clients. You spend a large portion of your shift navigating clients that are allowed to run roughshod over you and you have no recourse or manager that will stand up for you as an employee. The senior management are so disconnected from what is going on at the ground level, they will not even come to see what workers have to deal with on a daily basis, that we are treated as disposable employees. No attempt is made to listen and hear what is being said. Its all about making it easier for them, yet we as the workers on the ground doing the grunt work are ignored and treated like trash. No room for any form of generative discussions because no one would listen. Very punitive managers and human resource workers.

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Health Services has its own unique culture within the organization

RN (Current Employee) - Health Services - 4 May 2020

Been here almost 20 years. Great work environment with supportive team. Interdisciplinary team with acknowledgement of importance of each individual role.

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All the negative reviews are accurate

Resident Support Worker (Former Employee) - Victoria, BC - 25 February 2020

Cool Aid is not a "great place to work", despite what they say on their job ads. If you spend any time with people who work in housing it doesn't take long to see how unhappy people are. It was rare to hear a positive comment about management or the company overall. It is a very negative environment. Management is completely out of touch with the front-line, possibly also out of touch with reality. The incompetence of management is appalling, it's hard to believe the organization is able to function at all. They are constantly hemorrhaging workers. They will hire pretty much anyone, some of the people who work there are lazy at best, harmful to coworkers and clients at worst. Pros: Money is better than similar organizations, some coworkers are great people, 12 hour shifts mean you only have to go three times a week. Cons: Management from the bottom to the top are almost comically bad at their jobs. They are also mean-spirited and compassionless. Workers are completely disposable. Clients can be very abusive, and management lets them get away with it. Beware if you are a person of colour, you will likely endure racial slurs. Also women staff put up with harassment. Some of the buildings are hazardous in several ways and you will likely be subjected to second hand smoke (cigarettes, meth, heroin etc.) Apply at own risk!

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Miss Queens

Resident Support Worker (Former Employee) - Victoria, BC - 24 February 2020

I enjoyed my time at Cool Aid, I'm trying to get rehired presently, like working in the housing program end of it, working with some coworkers and a few team leads rbl, however, was awful.

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Horrible Leadership

Front Line Worker (Former Employee) - Housing & Shelters - 9 November 2019

Management is incompetent, not trustworthy, and never held accountable for their many screwups. The CEO has blinders on and can't seem to see that the organization needs to stop expanding and instead focus on taking care of what currently exists. Buildings are unstaffed, staff are untrained and you are expected to do the job of at least two people. Work here and you risk getting PTSD.

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Horrific

office (Former Employee) - Victoria - 4 November 2019

Masters at passive aggression, back stabbing, lying, manipulating where the CEO and Directors are so disconnected with clients, workers and general operations - if there were an award for for incompetence, plain negligence, nastiness in all levels of their work force, double speak - They would win hands down!

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Like a roller coaster

Worker (Former Employee) - Victoria, BC - 20 September 2019

Never know one day to the other how a manager will react to you. They lie and lie some more. Very two faced. Don't waste your time here. HR department is run by a crazy lady. To much negative vibes and bs all the time. Tenants over run the place and its unsafe.

Pros

other staff, sometimes

Cons

Lie Lie lie

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Good for experience

Client Support Worker (Former Employee) - Victoria, BC - 24 July 2019

A good place to gain experience, training and education working with marginalized sectors. A good place to build teams but also encourages initiative and creativity.

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Not always honest

Emergency Support Worker (Former Employee) - Shelter - 5 July 2018

In some of their job ads they state: "Cool Aid is a great place to work! We foster personally impactful work in a culture that embraces innovation, teamwork, inspirational leadership, and knowledge sharing. We are taking concrete steps to address local issues by undertaking relevant and important work in the community, guided by a powerful mission, strong history of service, and a great culture of caring for our clients. Along with being an intrinsically valuable workplace, we offer various training opportunities and are continually rated high in Culture and Diversity, Pride, and Teamwork and Camaraderie in our Great Place to Work Survey." The last survey was anything but rated high in Culture and Diversity, Pride, and Teamwork and Camaraderie in our Great Place to Work Survey!! It took a real nose dive! No trust in Management. Zero transparency. If you truly want help people find another way to do it. This place is not it. Ideas fall on deaf ears...