A typical day involved juggling competing priorities with limited clarity or consistency from management. Workstreams often shifted without notice, expectations were unevenly enforced, and communication frequently occurred in public channels rather than through clear, respectful one-on-one discussions. Employees were expected to respond immediately while simultaneously being criticized for not anticipating undocumented expectations. Processes, especially around performance management, leave, and accommodations, changed midstream, making it difficult to do the job effectively or confidently.
There was also an unhealthy emphasis on metrics, such as your Teams status, call queues, documentation tags, and hour tracking that was weaponized against employees. Because of this, learned how easily internal practices can diverge from an organization’s stated values. We quickly became fluent in CYA and navigating unclear or inconsistently applied policies. While there are opportunities to build technical and operational skills, much of the learning comes from managing risk rather than growing professionally.
Management quality was inconsistent and appeared to lack accountability. Some managers are capable and well-intentioned, but there is little oversight when others engage in dismissive, retaliatory, or unprofessional behavior. Concerns raised through appropriate channels, including HR and compliance, were often minimized, delayed, or redirected without resolution. Leadership frequently deferred responsibility to third-party vendors rather than owning core employer obligations, which created confusion and eroded trust.
The culture emphasizes the mission externally but struggles internally with psychological safety and equity. Employees who raise concerns, request accommodations, or flag compliance risks may find themselves subjected to increased scrutiny or disciplinary action shortly thereafter. Public call-outs, exclusion from decision-making, and dismissive communication were normalized. An internal "culture survey" sent out a year or two ago still had only 50% saying they would recommend working here, and nothing concrete is ever really done but making a show about caring about employee feedback. This creates a culture where people hesitate to speak up, even when doing so would benefit the organization.
There was also no meaningful career progression, compensation review process for raises, or training budget. Practically, though CHN talks about advancement, this left many of us feeling stuck in our positions and lead to quite a bit of employee turnover. Coupled with the turnover in upper management, including multiple CEO changes, this lead to an organization that just felt incredibly unstable as a whole.
For me, the hardest part of the job was navigating a work environment where policies are applied inconsistently and protections feel conditional. Employees managing health issues, leave, or compliance responsibilities face unnecessary barriers and shifting requirements. The lack of a clear, stable process, particularly around accommodations and performance feedback, adds significant stress and detracts from the ability to focus on meaningful work. In addition, poor communication between internal teams and between CHN and external Planned Parenthood affiliates often left employees holding the bag, such as patient access reps getting yelled at by customers when they didn't know an affiliate was closed.