area coordinator

engagement manager

support worker

endorsed enrolled nurse

business support

Brotherhood of St Laurence

A brain drain has occured over the past year as a new management broom has come in and some of the organisation’s best and most passionate advovates for an Australia without poverty have quietly left (or been made redundent).
While BSL talks about being a supportive and caring organisation in all its inward and outward comms, the reality is very different. This is not surprising given the BSL now seems to see its marketing department as the very centre and purpose of the organisation.  
Much time and money has been spent on a lame new “look” over the past year which includes a photograph of its new CEO plastered over every single communication. 
The tone deafness of a “brand” featuring a privileged, middle-aged white person looking like a deer caught in the headlights as its poster child is not surprising given that a senior staffer recently gave a talk at one of Melbourne’s most expensive private schools telling 14 year olds the most important advice for future success was to start developing their own ‘personal brand’.
This corporate-first attitude is rife throughout the entire organisation with its HR department is there to protect the “brand” and the senior management before any employee concerns. 
Anyone thinking that a welfare organisation is a kinder, more collegiate  place to work should go in in with their eyes wide open and be prepared for a management that talks the talk in (endless) daily meetings but just doesn't walk the walk. 
The BSL board apparently has no idea of what’s going on. Has it not noticed the brain drain? Covid has provided a opportunistic camouflage for many of senior management’s most egregious decisions.

I worked several different low-end casual research roles within RPC/SPARC over a period of a few years. 

Good luck getting a job there without a Masters (I have one). Once I got my job, I got stuck doing clerical/admin work that didn't utilise my skills and expertise. I felt pigeonholed as someone who was only capable of that sort of work. 

There were also some periods of sporadic or no work which caused me serious financial and psychological stress. I should've been made a permanent employee but was never given such an offer. 

They tended not to hire internally for mid-level positions. I couldn't get positions that were one pay grade above where I was, and was even discouraged from applying for such roles. 

At the point in time that I left there were a number of highly-qualified people stuck in entry-level admin assistant roles - people with five or six years of university doing simple clerical work.

After my role was cut I had difficulty finding work for a long time because I was in such a bad psychological state after years of insecure work at an organisation that didn't value me. 

I only work every Wednesday as a voluntary receptionist, I learned a lot of things like answering telephone calls with etiquette, preparing power point presentations, greeting the customers assisting other members in the workplace. To my co workers they are friendly people since I'm from Philippines I don't feel hard to be friends with them. They are so understanding and they help me if there is some tasks that I don't understand. I didn't experience any hard job at Brotherhood of St. Laurence.The most enjoyable part of my job is giving me a tasks about Microsoft office for example creating excel, typing documents and creating power point presentation and some brochures and invitations using publisher.

What is the best part of working at the company?
This experience held a lot of milestones, voluntarily working as a Mentor , has a lot of self pre and post managing, yet , not to forget that this was acknowledged by the BSL Team along their appreciation. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Can not say stressful that much, but as a volunteering position,  a budget would be handy , to overcome if there are obstacles. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Was good and healthy. We spent most of the working hours away 
 ( in pandemic ) , when I met with my clients , we were out. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
I zoom meet my clients - then we plan an activity - then we meet again as  it goes .

I have been working at BSL for about 8 months on contract and have LOVED every minute of it. The team is fantastic, collaborative and our Director and Head are personable, professional and knowledgeable. The organisation is supportive and flexible and respects all employees no matter their seniority. I have learnt so much at BSL and couldn’t recommend working at BSL more!

The LAC role is one of the hardest I've had. Management skills of some people are extremely poor, culture in the office I worked in was like being back in high school. Jumped through hoops to get the job, and at the end of the day it wasn't worth it. I worked with a high percentage of people who left because there was no work life balance and the stress of the job was too much, only for the managers to be u supportive and say "well that's just the job" as opposed to helpibg their staff develop strategies to alleviate it.

I'll like to work with coworkers with more fun at work ,cause all works and no play makes jack a doll boy as the saying goes,I like a work place that supports its workers with empathy for them to deliver there Day to day work loads.             It's makes me more happier in a work place if there is team work,I also like a workplace that gives acces to workers to further studies to face the challenges of life in the work force

Overall i learnt a lot while volunteering for the Brotherhood, it taught me to adapt to a new environment and taught me good customer service and routine. 
Thinking back at the hardest part of the job there really was no hard part it was always a happy friendly Environment that i enjoyed. 
The most enjoyable part of the job was knowing i was somehow helping our Community and meeting all the locals from the town.

Good communication between work co-ordinators and carers.  Salary was very good, petrol paid for travelling between jobs.  Always opportunities for further education/learning. Meetings held on a regular basis.

I thoroughly enjoyed working at the Brotherhood of St Laurence. It was a very busy position however there was always a lot of support for each other. There was a great amount of training provided and great benefits for the employees.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Area coordinator 2 salaries reported	$91,226 per year
Engagement manager 2 salaries reported	$65,500 per year
Support worker 2 salaries reported	$36.14 per hour
Endorsed enrolled nurse 1 salary reported	$80,028 per year
Business support 4 salaries reported	$71,276 per year

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