New York City

"Your experience will vary widely based on your agency/manager/team. You accumulate sick time pretty quickly which can be used when you and your family need medical care. For maternity leave, you can use Paid Family Leave and FMLA separately, which can last 18-20 weeks (mix of paid and unpaid). There are no premiums for health care coverage and co-pays are low. However, the network is limited. Overall, the City is an inflexible organization but the 9-5 culture is good for work-life balance."

"It’s a hard place. Extremely judgmental of anything that isn’t what higher ups think. They think salaries are great when they’re not for the direct service staff or competitive with even other City gov agencies. No annual cost of living increases. Any cost of living increase depends on the union renegotiating contract.Extremely hard to get a salary raise based on merit. You are supposed to live on the mission and never ask for more money."

"It is a very misogynistic environment and not healthy for women. Majority of women are only promoted for what they can do and offer the men in leadership positions. "

"New York City Fire Department review They provide equal opportunities. However, the culture is very male dominated and it can be difficult to get others to embrace female styles of working habits. But it’s possible. The culture is centered around the idea that more work, longer hours, is the path to better compensation and advancement opportunities."

"Keep in mind that for some levels you have to take a test to move up. For other spots, after you send in your resume, you sometimes have to wait patiently for years before you are moved up. "

"Make sure you talk to your union to know your benefits."

"NYC does not currently offer unionized employees paid parental leave. You must use accrued vacation/sick time. Official policies can be strict and very un-family friendly (no remote work officially permitted, alternate work schedule difficult, cannot work split shift, cannot easily switch between full-time and part-time employment). Some policies, however, are very family-friendly (35 hour work week, 12 days sick leave/yr which roll over and generous vacation leave)."

"Nepotism and favoritism is normal, promotions are not based on merit. "

"I would say to negotiate for raises, because these are not offered as they are in private companies or even non profit organizations. There are no bonuses either. I would put yourself on the map by doing a very good job and asking for equal compensation as your peers are earning, or whatever you think you are worth. Then, I would assess whether this is a place that will truly value your contributions and reward you accordingly (if not, find another place). "

"This is a great place to gain litigation experience but highly draining"

"We do important and good work helping families changing lives."

"Very flexible with schedule adjustments"

"The management at the Appeals Division is all male although many attorneys are female. The management's favorites get more attention and better cases, and most of the favorites are men."

"I've worked here for 5 years and there is a good mix of women of all ages. However if you are thinking of starting or having a family, it might be hard sometimes since during the financial plan times there are long hours and you might have to come in at weekends. Not the most ideal work life balance but the office does provide a great place to start your career."

"Great opportunity, but limited flexibility depending on unit and assistant director. "