RNLI Employee Reviews
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I was lucky enough to be accepted onto the summer graduate media engagement programme. I was flown to Poole for three days if training which was incredible. I absolutely LOVED this role and I’m gutted it was only a temporary role!
Pros
World Class Training, Supportive Staff, Great Experience!
Cons
It was only temporary!
My experience at the RNLI was that of the shop floor of the ALC. I was so excited to work for a cause and for a place that I knew I’d really be making a difference but it soon became apparent that it was a tough place to work if you actually wanted to ...... well work. Management positions are awarded to managements friends and not the ones that deserve it. The management do NOT listen to anyone that has first hand, on the tool management and only really care for KPI’ and the obvious hard work of a few goes ignored. I was there for a couple of years and I think I saw a manager come to the shop floor maybe 2 times and not once did they thank the hard work of the absolutely amazing talented trades man that they have working away to make sure that these amazing boats get put out on time. If you needed a technical drawing changed, good luck. The engineering office is so backed up and understaffed that it could take weeks or months to get any changes arranged. The ability of some trades are completely overlooked. A great example of this is engine rebuilds. When an engine is taken out of a boat, you would think that the incredibly well qualified mechanical technicians would get to work on these said engines but instead it is given to sub-contractors to do. This resonated strongly with a lot of staff who knew they had the ability to refurbish an engine and most of the staff completely willing to do this. The best thing that kept me going was the people I worked with. It was an amazing team effort to push these boats out to a super high quality. Your opportunities are - more...
Pros
Free coffee
Cons
Too many to list
I had the chance to work at the RNLI twice. Sadly I left for the same reason the second time. There is a bullying culture within the RNLI. If you agree with your manager everything is fine. If you question whether Etsy HQ is really in the best interests of the volunteer crew and supporters you are quickly shunned. Millions could be saved by removing paperwork activities going back to the 70s
Pros
Fantastic Charity
Cons
Bullying - old fashioned
If you're the sort of low-life that wants to do absolutely bugger all at work but spend your day stood around chatting and still get paid extremely well by a charity. Latch on.. You are the sort of limpet the RNLI East Cowes factory is populated with.
Official response from RNLI
25 August 2020The RNLI Inshore Lifeboat Centre in Cowes has always received excellent scores in our employee engagement survey. The most recent survey included high agreement with the statements ‘I would recommend this organisation as a great employer’ (88%), ‘I feel motivated to go the extra mile to help the RNLI succeed’ (86%), and ‘I speak positively about the work of the RNLI’ (97%). I am sorry that your view and statement does not reflect this majority view, reflected in the strong loyalty and commitment of our employees.
Worked as a boatbuilder, don’t care about you as long as the job is done. Cell leaders are brainwashed by the clouts upstairs, if a job has a mistake they will punish you big time for it wouldn’t recommend the place unless you are a robot
Pros
Half day on a Friday
Cons
No respect
Official response from RNLI
22 July 2020We are sorry that you feel this way about working for the RNLI. We strive to create an inclusive workplace where individuals are given the support they need to do their job well. In our recent staff survey, feedback showed an 83% positive response to the statement ‘I find my line manager supportive’ and a 90% positive response to the statement ‘My line manager demonstrates they care about my safety’. If you would like to talk about your feelings/experience further, please do get in touch with our People Team by emailing people_advisers@rnli.org.uk
It’s a worthwhile and rewarding charity to work for where you actually see the difference they make.
There is a big ethos of getting it right rather than that’ll do. If you’re not sure about something you’ve done being done right, you’ll not get criticised for re-doing it until you’re happy with it.
People are going out in our Work, risking their lives to rescue people in the worst weather.
The last thing they need is something failing In a force 10 storm, due to it being a “that’ll do” job.
Pros
Pension is amazing! Really do look after their staff.
Official response from RNLI
16 July 2020Thank you for your great review and shining a light on how you and your colleagues contribute to saving lives at sea - I'm sure your views are shared by many in the All-weather Lifeboat Centre (where we make the Shannon Lifeboat).
Staff morale in the place is so low because of the balloon-heads at payroll.
They mess up everyone's wages, lie when I phone them and basically are laughing at everyone when we try to get our wages that we have worked hard for.
Get rid of the imbeciles at payroll and we will all be so much happier to be there.
Pros
Some decent colleagues.
Cons
Payroll gets away with murder
Official response from RNLI
16 July 2020Our payroll team, along with the rest of the organisation, has been facing a complex series of unprecedented challenges due to the impact of COVID19. Every effort has been made to pay our employees on time and correctly, however some errors have occurred.Paying employees correctly is incredibly important to the RNLI, as it is for our employees. The payroll department have been working hard to correct any errors made and have been communicating directly with those affected.Your frustration is understood, but please bear with us while this is rectified. If there is anything outstanding, please speak directly with the payroll department or your line manager.
You could choose your shifts, however we had limited lifeguards so people were always having to cover. Pay is good for a teenager still in education. You learn responsibility, concentration, extremely valuable First Aid and life saving techniques.
The organisation is fully funded on the back of donations, which they manage well each and every year. I feel strongly about the RNLI as they save lives, most of the time at the risk of their own.
Pros
help a very worthy cause
Cons
very slow pace
Try to get out to the coast to the stations when ever you can really makes the job, good training in ERP provided, a bit ex Navy but ok overall, decent budget too.
Wonderful working environment and thoroughly rewarding. Providing support to a great lifesaving institution that gets no government support, and is a wonderful community organisation.
Training is long, detailed and intense, but once completed it gives you the ability to practise and perform lifesaving techniques on a daily basis giving everybody a confidence in their ability. Due to the friendly environment that is established from day 1. The RNLI are always happy to help come together to solve issues by working together as one unit.
Beset with issues but reliant on historical good will to maintain their supporter base. Very much rewarding of sycophancy over substance which has resulted in the better, skilled staff leaving and leaving them with a skills void which is easily seen in the difficulties staff have had in maintaining volunteer relationships.
Frequently funds were misused by management for personal gain but this was very much the norm and not challenged,. Salary was good although recently they have reduced many wages and the pension is world class.
Can honestly say it was an absolute pleasure to work for the RNLI. Supporters (customers) were all lovely, colleagues really include you from the get-go, management are clear in what they want and understanding if you have any problems, I had no problems whatsoever from them - I only wish I had worked there full time instead of on secondment!
Feel very rewarded and loved. this is a voluntary role.. it offers good reliable training and good personal gain. brilliant organisation to work in and solid life experience.
I enjoyed working at the RNLI, wish I had never left there, the job and people that were there were lovely, I left for a permanent job, if offered the chance I would go back there
Too many in charge walking about not making decisions and getting paid a lot to do this. Lots of public money wasted, needs exposing. Middle management overpaid
The RNLI was a happy and easy place to fit in to however the role I worked in was stressful, fast paced and overly unorganised. Despite this working for the charity gave me positive vibes whenever resolving an incident.
I worked there for 3 years for Interserve I liked it, would go back if I could. Very clean very good management sometimes if it was busy then it could be stressful but that goes with most jobs.
Pros
good place to work
Cons
none
Built solid relationships with the coastal teams. Thoroughly enjoyed working with such welcoming people focused on making a difference to peoples lives.
The workshop is divided into Teams.Some of the work was working with my colleagues but other work relied on me setting my own pace to complete work. There were targets but they were achievable. The Management were very supportive