I would like to start this review off by stating that I can ONLY comment on my experience working in the Planning, Property, and Development Department. I have worked a variety of jobs starting from factory work all the way to construction project management. It is unfortunate that a place like the City of Winnipeg, that used to be known as a great place to work, has become a thankless workplace filled with bullies, liars, and spineless management. The lack of support and succession planning within this department is mind boggling and is the main reason as to why I left. Current management does not want to see staff grow and succeed and they trap you and once your wage it maxed there is no growth. Because this is a union environment you either have to wait for someone above you to quit or die in order to move up and even then candidates are not selected based off of their skills and capabilities, but by the number of years that they have put into the city (which can be a LOT and a long wait to be able to advance if you’re even given the chance. Current management would rather see external staff in management jobs instead of providing current staff the opportunity and support to grow and advance. They also try to cover up hiring mistakes by bullying people out of positions so that they can accommodate unqualified staff. If you are not awarded a position, you will never get a straight answer OR be told things like “the only reason you received an interview was because it was a
1.0
Customer Service Representative | Winnipeg, MB | Mar 21, 2023
Stressful, and kinda like the flinstones.
I saw adding machines with paper rolls because they wanted to "keep records" of the transactions despite the windows calculator being able to export a list of the performed functions.
The company directory is just Name. First/last, last/first, and all manners of initials are glommed together in one stressful directory.
I explicitly asked if there was on call work. I was told no, and then magically I was on call for three weeks at a time, 24 hours a day to basically drive out to 7-11s to reset Transit iPads.
One month in I had to learn a whole new job to cover for someone's stupid vacation, as if it were my problem.
When i worked at handi-transit, they were very disrespectful if my personal time and constantly called me from 6am to past midnight expecting me to come cover for people. If i didn't answer, they would call again, and text, and email, and text again. They would also change the schedules, sometimes overnight and acted as if it were my responsibility to check the schedule between bed time and my afternoon shift.
Everything is worded to shift responsibility off them and on to everyone else. They talk about efficiency, but would rather waste FULL DAYS doing manual math and needless reports all while poo pooing automated spreadsheets that cut the workload by hours at a time.... But chose to nickle and dime me over phone use at the office, meanwhile management walks around chatting and hanging out like its some kind of club. They protect their slow way of working an
I worked as a CSR for 311. I learned a lot about the City of Winnipeg. The job itself was very stressful. You had to answer calls for all the City Departments. Citizen who called were generally upset about something. They called expecting to speak to a member of a certain department and instead got a 311 operator. The pay did not match up to the amount of information you had to know or access to relay to the citizen. (26 or so different departments to answer for) The pay at $13.90/hr was not a living wage. The benefits were great but it didn’t make up for the low pay. The training was long but very little training on the phones. My training class started out with 25 people. By the time I left the job 6 months later, only 4 from that training were still working at 311. The hours were all over the place. It made it difficult to arrange around a school schedule or to have another job. If you want to get your foot in the door to work for the City, 311 is not the best way. It is an ok job if you are very young or this is your first job. But if you are supporting a family, not good. They required (at the time) 311 operators to work at 311 for a year before applying for other jobs at the City. The management and higher ups seemed very unhappy and the atmosphere at 311 was somber. There was little interaction with coworkers and generally a depressing place to be. It was not a great experience.
Productive workplace with great benefits and opportunities for advancement.
Typical Day
A typical day of work started at 7am with a meeting and discussion of the work to be done, a drive to the site, safety audit, and working until around 1pm at which point we took lunch. After lunch we cleaned up the site and drove back to the yard for around 3pm, or just after, unless there was approved overtime available.
What I learned
I learned how to repair roads, sidewalks and curbs. Framing, dismantling, and finishing concrete. I also did asphalt work when required.
Management
Excellent management that will always work with you to explain expectations and work through interpersonal conflict between employees respectfully and professionally.
Co-Workers
For the most my co-workers were great, there were a few egos here and there but generally once a positive work ethic was displayed an individual didn't seem to have too many problems at work.
Hardest part of the job
Id say teaching new employees or employees from other departments how to work in street maintenance while meeting the expectations and time frames was the hardest part of the job.
ProsAmazing salary and benefits, straight forward expectations, good people.
Consseasonal indefinitely, short construction season.
Labourers and Gardeners can either get along or not at all it seems, although I enjoyed the company of my co-workers.
I had a good time with my co-workers who weren't management for the most part, the wages you get are decent too and there's a chance for Sunday premium work if applicable/chosen. However, laziness is the name of the game with city employees and the gardening job is nothing more than taking care of glorified flower beds like grandma does. We spend over $1,000,000 on water alone for the flowers we plant each year, which is honestly a horrible waste. I planned on quitting in my final 3rd year there but was unceremoniously terminated less than a week before the end of season after word got around to my boss that I was going to quit. This then screwed me out of E.I. benefits for the winter, and I struggled immensely that winter just to get by and find a job.
Just goes to show you, don't trust anyone when it comes to the City of Winnipeg employees.
ProsHigher pay than most ($19-20/hr), mostly good and friendly workforce, easy and simple tasks, lots of time to relax and literally do nothing
ConsHorrible management, cliques are everywhere, city politics messes with workflow and dealing with the public can be dangerous
Working for the City of Winnipeg for 3 summers was great for the most part. The second summer I received 2 flat tires while driving a patch of gravel road. Having received no previous disciplinary actions the supervisors removed my driving privileges and stripped me of my seniority.
Receiving a call from the city to go back to work the next year I was reluctant but went ahead with it. Before my first day I was told that i had been let go the previous summer and that i couldn't come back, told I could come back because of a clerical error they had made, then told i was on the "naughty" list for something i had previously done but they weren't sure what it was as they had thrown out my file. I was then relocated to a different branch furthest from where I lived.
The staff overall was very respectful, organized, and hardworking. The supervisors for the most part lacked professionalism, competence, and organizational skills. Some of whom could not read, operate a computer, and would brag of the work they did in the good ol days where they would slash open chemical pesticides into and emptying there contents into ditches while they smoked.
Call center at water billing had some of the worst workplace culture ive ever experienced. Management run by S.Atkinson offered no positive feedback and an environment constantly under appreciating its employees. The job itself is incredibly stressful and you’re under constant abuse from citizens. In return you are: charged for your own christmas party ($16-25 a person), the clerk c’s payed their own money for employee appreciation lunches, you arent allowed to use the bathroom on the clock and they will not take dr’s notes if you have a health condition.
Benefits are meh. Bare bones and not 100% coverage.
Would not recommend. The opportunities to advance are competitive and based on seniority. If you’re looking for entry to work in the city youll be stuck in the call center for years before getting a new position
Wish I could go back.
I was on the research side of the entomology lab, collecting specimens and removing wasp nests, and I loved it. I felt so incredible out in nature, dealing with what I enjoy most--bugs.
Sadly though, life with the City was not to be. As a seasonal position, you had to reapply every year, and HOPE you got in. I was lucky enough to be there 2 years, but by the third I had another job offer elsewhere and couldn't work there. When I reapplied the year after, they never responded to my application.
I've heard that things have changed much in the way of management and how the employment structure is set up, meaning different departments and job descriptions. I would definitely go back to this job in a heartbeat-- if only the City would ever mail me back.
Prosbugs, research
Consearly morning or later in the evening, no 9-5 day here.
I worked at Transit for 27 years. To enjoy the job you have to learn to just drive safe and be friendly. The scheduled time on a route are a guideline. Many factors interfere with being on time. A driver must relax,be composed and friendly under trying circumstances.
I loved working here. Great coworkers. Loved interaction with 99% of the public. The 1% can create issues.
Generally very supportive management. At least when I was there.
The training used to be top notch. Friendly,relaxed, supportive.
Split shifts take getting used to. But u can make them work to your benefit.
If u like to drive and enjoy meeting all sorts of people I say go for it.
Retire with a good pension and benefits.
I loved it there.
ProsNot stuck in an office. Meet interesting people
ConsA very small percentage of the public, u can't please.
Working for the City of Winnipeg in the aquatics department has taught me a lot about how to be a supervisor with staff in the same general age range as myself. This has been a challenge at times because I want to have healthy working relationships with my coworkers where I am comfortable to see my coworkers outside of work, but also be able to know that when I am at work there is a level of respect and boundaries that cannot be crossed in the workplace.
The most enjoyable part of my job is the people that come in the building. At times the patrons can be a challenge, for the most part the children just want to get in the water and have fun, parents want to see there children succeed in swimming lessons, and the seniors just enjoy talking to the staff.
ProsGreat benefits
Conspromotion opportunities
2.0
Multiple different positions - seasonal/permanent | London | Nov 23, 2021
Great jobs for Students - Bad jobs for people who are passionate about Work
I've had quite a few positions. It started out great. I was young and the seasonal jobs are perfect for students and young people. Pay is great compared to any other job you can find doing similar or more difficult work. I had a lot of fun the years I was a seasonal worker. However, it wasn't challenging work at all. You don't need any knowledge, experience, skill or beneficial personality traits. I was always under the impression the City was a "career" - not just a job. But over the years of being subjected to stupid rules, disconnected management, watching people that didn't deserve promotions being promoted, learning to not question anything because logic doesn't exist within the City and seeing countless employees that should be fired welcomed back to the same position... I decided to pursue other career options due to feeling highly undervalued, unappreciated, virtually invisible and disrespected.
Your work ethic doesn't matter. Your skill level doesn't matter. Your ideas and desire to change things for the better doesn't count. The amount of work you do in a day doesn't matter. You can get away with doing absolutely nothing every day or taking on the work load of 3 slackers - you'll be treated the exact same. Between you and the employee that does absolutely nothing and management all hate - that person will get the promotion if they have more seniority than you and HR & The Union will make sure of it. Everything takes forever so if you get an interview - expect to
ProsGreat coworkers, good overtime if you want it, fun/easy summer work, decent salaries, looks good on a resume
ConsTerribly coordinated, awful management, senior people who don't care, completely unfulfilling, rules/methods that are senseless, no desire to change anything from upper management
Toxic and overwhelming hierarchy of employees and employers
A good place to meet new people, get out of your shell, especially during or after highschool / during post secondary yet the communication from my perspective is very off setting. From a lack of ever seeing your supervisors to the grueling work enviroment and the lack of belonging / purpose for those that fever pass the honey moon phase. It essentially become a corporate ladder grind once you pass your first summer and no matter how much love, care; connection and effort you put into it all it truly dosent matter as the City of Winnipegs Rec Tec scene is full of cutt throat indifference robotic superiors that dont care for your personal struggles. They will cut off your strings holding you up high the moment you start to actually act like a human being and its rather sickening knowing that after all the time and sacrifice put into the COW that your fate can be sealed without any second chances possible. The HR department in particular is rather arrogant in the Hamilton building of Grandiose abstractness. They will fire you after learning you fought cancer before smiling as you exit through the elevator and they get ready for the vacation they barely earned in a sheer mock of frivilous work ethics in their part.
If you like gossiping and quiet quitting esq work enviroment and to be a glorified custodian like most of the co workers ive met then this is the place for you. The summers do pay well also.
ProsLack of supervision
ConsLack of flexibility with canvas/ lack of vacancy
Wouldn't recommend at all. If you are not a City of Winnipeg's partner, spouse, family member, or friend, you will not, REPEAT, not be respected or experience any advancement. Education, hard-work, and experience are ideals not recognized at this organization. Also, systemic favoritism, despite claims of being a "Respectful Workplace".
I remember junior high as being more civilized and being way more respectful. Though, if you are young, connected, and/or male, you will see advancement, no matter what your experience and/or education level is.
There are some that have to be productive all day, those that can goof off, play on their phones, and have almost continuous parties and/or get togethers on taxpayer time. It's the worst ideal of a clique you would ever see.
ProsMoney, regular pay, benefits, and not having to have too much interaction with a toxic supervisor
ConsSystem discrimination and an unfair work experience. No rewards for educated, intelligent and hard-working employees. Too top heavy with unqualified individuals.
Questions and answers about City of Winnipeg
How is feedback from management delivered at CITY OF WINNIPEG?
Asked Apr 20, 2019
Terribly
Answered Jun 12, 2023
No feedback
Answered May 24, 2023
What is the promotion process like at CITY OF WINNIPEG?
Asked Nov 10, 2022
no existant
Answered Sep 11, 2023
No promotion
Answered May 24, 2023
How often do you get a raise at CITY OF WINNIPEG?
Asked Nov 9, 2022
rarely
Answered Sep 11, 2023
Annually
Answered Jul 10, 2023
What is the work-from-home policy at CITY OF WINNIPEG?
Asked Nov 19, 2022
There is no policy to work at home.
Answered Aug 5, 2023
As a seasonal skilled labourer? That is impossible
