travailleur social

mental health technician

community relations specialist

program coordinator

intern

Metis Nation of Ontario

The Metis Nation of Ontario is a larger employer with over 30 offices across the province. There are different branches that cover a variety of different programs. Each branch has it's own management style. Some are better than others. While some branches have their own challenges, it should not be a reflection on how the whole organization operates. 

I have been with the MNO for several years and have been happy with my role. Leadership has been encouraging and gives direction in a way that supports staff and is collaborative based vs punitive. 

I think some of the reviews posted are fair and speak on their experience working within their own branch but I do not think that it speaks for the WHOLE Metis Nation of Ontario.

If you want to work in Education, Communications, Housing, Lands & Resources, or finance there are some great positions and opportunities to grow. Yes, sometimes things can move slow within the MNO which can be frustrating however, they are looking at solutions to help with the bottleneck that can cause delays.

The MNO is going through growing pains, there have been some amazing things that happened in a very quick time period. What worked 10 years ago does not work today and they are working on fixing those issues. There have been very positive changes over the past year. 

We get 2 weeks vacation to start but we also get another 2 weeks off at Christmas that is paid. So you essentially start at 4 weeks vacation.  Every holiday weekend the offices close early and we have cultural holidays such as Louis Riel Day and Indigenous Peoples' day off. If you travel for your role, they do cover expenses which is helpful. 

Each office has it's own vibe. My office is very welcoming and we are respectful of each other. Sure there are times when somebody does something that can be annoying, but that is common in every office in the world. 

I'll be honest, there were times that working for the MNO that were not so great. Moving into a role that was a better fit for me was made the experience better. I have more positive days than negative days. I truly enjoy working for the MNO.

What is the best part of working at the company?
My position was permanent work from home and that's what I had always wanted.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Having multiple last minute jobs dumped on you with an hour left in the day. Having more random projects assigned (as permanent ongoing) that take up 50% of your work week and not included in your reviewed work plan. Also being forced to get vaccinated or get fired. So I guess the worst part was getting terminated (as a Healthy Choices Coordinator, for making my own healthy choice) when I was great at my job and really got along with everyone.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The individuals I worked with were great but overall the mood and work-passion was pretty sour. Like on zoom meets with 10 people or 400 people everyone just looked like zombies and didn't participate.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
I would sign on, look at my plan for the day and know that I'd only probably get one or two things done because other things would be dropped in my lap whether I had deadlines or not. I would plan my day to have the last hour be something calm like the reading I was assigned and in the end the last hour was always filled with a bunch of nonsense tasks and I never got a break. Was always catching up with the next thing on the list or the next deadline. Evenings and weekend I would just crash and didn't have enough energy or stamina to hang out with friends or family. It was a pretty sad time.

A typical day at work:
-Fairly hands-off  management, you're very trusted to work on your own and manage your workload.
-Depends on the Branch you are in, as your experience can be wildly different.
-People work really hard, and that can lead to a bit of an 'exhaustion' culture.
-I disagree with a lot of the other reviewers on the toxic work culture. Yes, there are toxic people like any workplace, but you can easily rise above it

What you learned:
-Great onboarding with online training, lots of systems training
-You need to learn to ask for help, you don't ask you don't get it
-It's really important to understand Métis culture if you are not a Métis individual.

Management:
-Your mileage may vary, some managers are really strict, others really lax. I would say, ask what they're management style is in your interview
-Most management is overworked and stretched thin
-Management really cares though, and wants the best for their clients and staff at the end of the day
-They work with HR a lot to get the right answers for people

Workplace culture:
-It's really changing...they are a non-profit, but recently got Self-Government rights
-Varies per branch you are in
-Overall, it's pretty good. You need to be persistent and patient here.

The hardest part of the job:
-Being self-motivated all the time

The most enjoyable part of the job:
-The latitude to do your job

What is the best part of working at the company?
Vacation package was fair, they also have a lot of extra holidays that other companies don't give. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The managers (only in specific branches) were horrible. Micromanaging, cold, and at times unprofessional. Some had zero empathy for the difficult working conditions that frontline staff faced. Debriefing was actively discouraged and treated as gossip. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Not much of a work culture because the teams are spread across the province. Everyone in the satellite offices had different management, different rules with little consistency, very siloed. Debriefing almost never happened without the presence of HR, that itself was telling. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Stressful, not because of the clients, but because of the relentless paperwork and refusal by the company to adapt to modern technology like online files. Everything was still being done in paper files in addition to digital, making twice the work for everyone. Time spent doing redundant admin tasks took away from the quality of service offered to the clients.

As the Metis Nation of Ontario (MNO) continues to Nation-build through the advancement of Self-government, MNO staff are on an exciting journey with MNO citizens through an extensive consultative process. MNO citizens are informing a "refresh" of important governance documents while honouring the legacy nation-building efforts that have created a solid foundation and robust nation representing over 30,000 citizens. The MNO is currently navigating through the opportunities associated with building a fast-growing organization with approximately 38 offices and over 400 employees who support and facilitate the delivery of much-needed programs and services to MNO citizens. The Nation is thoughtfully managing change bringing the best of the past forward as it creates the desired future for its citizens and future generations. The culture at the MNO is rooted in tradition while also embracing progression to achieve a desired future for all citizens as staff, citizens, elected officials, and government who are working harmoniously to achieve. 

In the best interest of the clients, I enjoyed my work with the MNO as I felt like I was making a different in their lives.

Unfortunately, the management is not supportive and very power-hungry. The organizational structure is very much focused on an overall image rather then best-practices. Everyone feels like they are walking on eggshells which creates a lot of tension. There is clear drama between managers and directors, which can be felt and affects everyone in the work space.

For an indigenous organization, I would have liked to see more radical practices and cultural competence, including white-privilege awareness. The MNO is completely oblivious to the white staff ration it has and how this impacts the work that they do with indigenous populations.

In respect to my personal and professional values and ethical practices with indigenous populations, I chose to not continue my employment in this organization. I wish I would have read the reviews on indeed prior to my interview, and made a more careful consideration.

I recently joined the MNO in February of 2022 and it has been the best decision I ever made. I joined the Early Learning and Child Care Team. The most supportive and accommodating team of people I have ever worked with and for. The HR department was organized and prepared for my onboarding and were able to troubleshoot quickly any issues that I had. My people leader and supervisor are amazing, I could not say enough good things about them and this incredible team I work with! The work/life balance is like nothing I have ever experienced, it is so wonderful to have this as I have young children at home and I do not feel like my work takes any time away from them. I love the job I do everyday. I feel as though I am making a difference in the lives of Metis families and I learn something new everyday! The MNO also offers a ton of paid time off throughout the year which allows even more time with my family without the financial worries of taking time off! Making the move to the MNO Early Learning and Child Care team has truly been the best decision I have ever made!!  

This organization has evolved in a very positive way over the last few years, and has been especially supportive towards staff during the Covid-19 pandemic, making staff safety a priority.  The overhaul in the compensation package a few years ago increased the pay to better suit the responsibility of the workload. The early closures before long weekends and time off to be with family for holidays and Christmas is much appreciated.  I feel the work I do in the Healing and Wellness Branch is important, appreciated by both Clients and the organization, and my job satisfaction is at an all-time high.  I recommend the Metis Nation of Ontario as an employer!

I worked at the MNO for roughly 5 years but for more than half of that time, I was ready to leave. Good employees are overworked and used with no incentive or benefits in overtime, while employees that slack are tleft alone. Although the MNO provided me with a wealth of knowledge at the beginning, the management is unorganized and does not support their staff. I had to leave because I was essentially getting paid nothing for working over 40 hours a week. Upper management can’t agree on anything and decisions are bottlenecked at the top. They can’t make any decisions in advance, then they think about it for days, give you an answer hours before something is due, and then you are left struggling to save they day, but they think that’s “no big deal”. 

I literally get so frustrated thinking about this place and I am SO happy I left this toxic work environment. 

I would absolutely NEVER recommend MNO to anyone. Do not waste your time.

Unfortunately, leadership within some areas of the organization has contributed to a workplace culture that can feel isolating and divisive. Employees are discouraged from collaborating openly, and there is a lack of trust among team members.  Rather than fostering teamwork, communication, and problem-solving, workplace issues are often escalated, creating unnecessary conflict.  It's quite awful.

Long-term employees and institutional knowledge are not always valued appropriately, and staff are afraid to raise concerns or provide honest feedback.  Accountability is not applied consistently across all levels of the organization, which affects morale and confidence.

The organization has strong programs and many committed employees, but it would benefit from leaders who prioritize collaboration, transparency, trust, respect, and effective conflict resolution.

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Intern 37 salaries reported	$54,026 per year

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