Duke University Employee Reviews for Staff Specialist

"Dream job for many years that left a bad taste at the end."

What do you like about working at Duke University?

"The setting was nice. It was close to home, and it was steady employment that I thought I would have until I was ready to retire."

Do you have any tips for others interviewing with this company?

"Do not make the mistake of thinking that a liberal-minded workplace will allow its employees to also be liberal-minded. I worked for the Religion Department where outsiders thought freedom of religion was encouraged exponentially more than at other employers. But that was not the case. Only the big 3 monotheistic religions were looked upon favorable, and if you weren't a member of one of them or were sympathetic to anyone outside of those 3, you'd best keep quiet about it."

What don't you like about working at Duke University?

"I have only my department and what I've heard from people I knew in other departments so this may not be entirely accurate. What I did not like at all about this company was that when it was time to start laying people off due to the downturn in the economy, supervisors did not take into account family situations and how it might affect people before laying them off. Many single income households (including mine) lost everything because Duke laid us off rather than encouraging early retirement for those who were due soon or had even already put in their retirement packages for the coming year. Or they flat-out lied and told some of us that our positions were being eliminated for us to find out later that they really only wanted someone in the position at a lower pay grade."

What suggestions do you have for management?

"Treat faithful employees like they matter, especially when they've given many years of good service, and don't blindside them with a layoff. My boss let me work all day then hit me with a pink slip an hour before the end of the workday, so I had very little time to clean out my work area, and then had to leave without saying goodbye to a lot of people I had developed friendships with over the years."