server

registered practical nurse

cook

support worker

housekeeping aide

Cogir Senior Living Canada

If you want to start a job in food service, this one is trial by fire. Nothing I have experienced in this industry since then has been so stressful. I'm almost glad this was my first serving job; it makes everything I do now seem easy in comparison.
The company itself was fine. But my specific location suffered greatly. The dining room managers were hired and then fired or quit within 3-5 months. Nearing the end of my career there, I knew my shifts would be difficult. You have a full house every night, serving upwards of 30 people per seating (of which there are two, half an hour apart, during which time you need to clean despite residents puttering about unable to take their time due to there being zero time). You are told about parties or groups of people the day of your shift, and are unable to prepare.
Speed is everything. If you're not fast, you'll drown. The residents are what you expect them to be; sometimes cranky, sometimes kind, usually easy to work with and interesting to talk to. But the coworkers. If you don't get along with someone, they will turn their back on you. You'll walk out 40 minutes after your shift has ended because they will refuse to pick up a single fork for you, while they're sitting there on their phone with an hour to go before they clock out.
But in the last months of my time there, our duties were switched. They would rotate every night to promote fairness, but it wasn't fair at all. Regardless of your specific shift (5-8, 5-9, 4:30-8:30, and 4:45-8:45), you were given tasks that were impossible to complete in your allotted time. It was physically impossible for me to serve my section, clean my section, and do my duties. Dinner service ended at 7:30 (the kitchen closes at 7, residents leave around 7:30, and that's if you're lucky; when the patio is open, they stay until 8). I was told to clean my section, reset my section for breakfast, clean half of the kitchen, take the laundry downstairs, and put out jam caddies, all in half an hour as I left at 8. Surprise: I never left that job on time. Second surprise: the 5-9 was perfectly able to finish all of this, and I was questioned as to why I couldn't manage it as if they didn't have a whole hour on me. And when I voiced my concerns, my manager told me to try my own hand at doing her job for her and creating a schedule that would work.
A minor annoyance: if there is any food left over and you would like it, you must pay for it. They will throw whole sheet cakes in the trash. This may not seem like much, but every server I've asked about this agrees that you usually get one staff meal per day and this policy does not match the rest of the industry. There is huge waste, and in my time there, they forbade residents from taking to-go containers up to their rooms.
The people there are vicious, the good ones quit because they know they deserve better, and while it isn't their fault, the residents being rude to you can be the final straw and make you hate this job. They do not listen to the residents complain, and the residents will burst into the kitchen in retaliation. I will never serve in a retirement home ever again. Not even a different company, different location, different COUNTRY. I will never do it again, because this place ruined it for me.
If I could give them 0 stars, I would. I pray that they've changed.

To Start this review off, this was my first job out of school and I was hopeful knowing about the respectable reputation this company had or so I was told. In the 6 months I was there my perspective completely changed. I was trained by two people during a one week span and and those people will remain nameless and as far as I knew it was a very straightforward job. It helped I had previous Revera experience as a student so I had an idea coming in. My first issue arose three or four days in when a couple of colleagues were chatting in the office about their respective programs and they both said to each other that they would not share their program idea with the team stating that it was there idea and that they were "taking it home with them". I was immediately concerned, I thought we were a team right? My team was very individualistic and not team forward. They would always look out for themselves and not help each other out. This is one example of many.  I also found our programs not long enough to stretch out for the whole afternoon and would have to go above and beyond to add to the afternoon programming to stretch it out. This was only met with negative reviews from the PSW's on the floor saying its "boring" what I am doing. I did not realize that I was there to entertain them. The reception from the residents was almost always positive.  The lack of team work and negativity from the PSW finally got to me and I decided to speak to my manger about my team and concerns with the programming in regards to the PSW's.  In regards to the team my manger was bias because she was promoted from this team(within) to manger and said that I know these people and am surprised to hear any of this and made up excuses for the team or blame the residents for issues I brought up about my team. For example a wheel chair bound resident was told that she could not participate due to the fact she was in the wheel chair and was told to leave. My manager upon hearing this blamed the resident. Isn't this discrimination. There are more like this. She then told me to ignore the PSW's and not engage with them. The  meeting left me thinking my manager did not really care. Over all by the time my probation was up I was anxious and stoped looking forward to working and felt like I had to look over my shoulder constantly. I honestly became complacent in the end. I regret not going to my ED who always said the door was open. There was alot of clear favouritism in this job and toxicity. I would not recommend Revera to anyone especially this site. This was a small snippet of my time there as there were many more incidents. 

Working in the Director of Health and Wellness role, particularly as an Associate, has been a challenging experience, and I feel it's important to share my perspective. From my start in December 2024, I quickly realized that work-life balance is more of a concept than a reality here. This position may sound appealing to those looking to advance their nursing careers, but it has proven to be quite the opposite for me.

Initially, I was hopeful about transitioning into this role after working as a long-term care nurse during the pandemic. Unfortunately, I encountered significant stress from the onset, largely due to a challenging relationship with my direct supervisor. I often felt overwhelmed by constant communication—frequent calls and messages, even late at night—about tasks that could have waited. This environment fostered feelings of anxiety and diminished my confidence.

Training was minimal, and I found myself juggling multiple responsibilities without proper guidance. When my supervisor faced a health crisis and was absent for six weeks, I was left to manage duties that were beyond my scope, which added to my stress. Upon her return, I had hoped for a more collaborative environment, but unfortunately, that did not materialize.

After reporting my concerns to HR, I was transferred to another location, which initially felt like a relief. However, it soon became apparent that my reporting had consequences, as I felt targeted and closely monitored thereafter. The relocation also posed logistical challenges, especially as a new mother, which added to my frustrations with the company's lack of support.

The culture within the office often felt toxic, with unclear delineations of responsibilities leading to an overwhelming workload. The high turnover in the ADOC position indicated a deeper issue, as many colleagues left due to stress or returned to floor nursing roles. I, too, experienced mental distress from the demands of this role.

My situation culminated in my termination following a visit from upper management, which I perceived as unjust given my need to take personal days for family illness. The lack of transparency and support during this process left me feeling disheartened.

In summary, I would advise potential candidates to thoroughly research the company culture and speak with current employees before applying. The environment here can be demanding and may not prioritize employee well-being. If you value a supportive and professional atmosphere, it may be worth considering other options.

As someone who worked in the kitchen to a 250 people crowd and had to do most of the work alone, I can say that there are pros and cons. Many more cons. 
Pros: the people who work in the kitchen and the serving staff are very friendly and welcoming, the residents are great and have many stories to tell.
Cons: management is a tight-knit group that does not care for the needs of the "lower" staff. There`s no focus on the training other than having you work 2-3 days without the need to pay you for the work. The long hours are common in the kitchen, but if you need to come earlier to prep or stay later to clean (which is common as they do not have a prep cook or a dishwasher - which is why you are by yourself completely,) you are supposed to not clock in before your time and then clock out and come back to finish your job. Whenever a problem is put in front of the supervisor, no matter how small or large it is, management says that you are wrong, even when the entirety of the staff is saying the same. The proof on that issue is that they were not capable of keeping anyone on that job for more than a month up to the point that I was hired (this information came only from the other kitchen workers). When you work in a kitchen, the hours are long, but one of the perks is that you get to feed yourself as there are no breaks in that 8-12 hour shift. At Revera if you try to feed yourself you get charged (an absurd amount for the food that is available). At the end of breakfast, lunch, and dinner, whatever food is there is supposed to be thrown out and no staff is allowed to eat, otherwise they will get charged for the food that is going in the trash. There is an outstanding lack of trust on the staff that makes everyone hostile, the management works the staff like horses that do not deserve to be treated the same. For a multi-millionaire corporation, they pay very little for an understaffed and dirty workplace. The kitchen is disgusting hroughout the day, even having bugs being found often and drainage issues throughout. The kitchen workers may try to clean but they are not allowed to do an extra hour of paid work to get that done so instead of allowing us to clean or hiring a cleaning crew (two options any food-related workplace should follow) we simply have a disgusting workplace. Lastly (on this review) if you are extremely sick or have a family emergency they do not have anyone to cover for you because you are by yourself. So, if you want to work here, make sure you have no family to take care of and that you don`t get sick.

Revera Inc does not value people but only physical assets and investments that make money. Revera answers to shareholders and will work the books and staff relentlessly to show profit. Shady deals occur behind closed doors and projects are often secretive in nature.  Front line staff and department managers are often not informed, but always expected to solve problems they did not know existed. Suites are often not ready or deficient when a resident moves in.  
Managers are transferred without notice, term contracts are not renewed before deadline, staffing hours are adjusted almost yearly. Front line managers and Executive Directors will be pushed out the door or terminated to appease a complaint as it is the cheapest thing to do. Outdated or broken essential equipment is a big problem. Investment in proper equipment and training is not priority. 
Regional Directors use managers in the region to assist homes with vacant positions but will dismiss their efforts when either location does not achieve top notch reviews. Front line managers are expected to assist with vacant positions at their home base but will be stepped on or over when their extra efforts are no longer needed.  Management turnover is almost as high as front line staff. Front line staff often fail as a Department Managers due to inadequate training and support.
The culture established by this company and its major competitors is starting to resemble how gas companies and telephone companies price fix the market to control other businesses from stepping in.

To be a “receptionist” at Revera you will need to have a very thick skin. I’ve been yelled at, in person or over the phone, by family members of residents, for issues that are completely out of my control,  one too many times now. I will be looking for work elsewhere, and never again in senior care. You are not a receptionist, you are more like a unit clerk in a hospital. I have a serious problem with “receptionists” being asked to find replacements for LPNs and HCA’s that call in sick or just don’t show up. One LPN actually said to me, I mean, you are just sitting here doing nothing. WE are so busy. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. There is not one single moment of my day that there is not more that I need to get done. If you are an LPN or an HCA this would be a great job for you. Expect to be making deliveries at any time, any where in the building. Be prepared to take orders for meals over the phone and physically rush them to the kitchen to be prepared after the cut off time for trays. The Covid screening for visitors entering the building MUST be done accurately every single time, no matter the phone calls, or the number of people at the desk at any given moment.  If you are tough as nails, and have the right answer for everything, this is the job for you. On weekends, there is no management on site. There will be many situations you will need to figure out all on your own. There is no possible way to cover all these things during a training period. I’ve been a “receptionist” at Revera now for 9 months and every single shift I have a situation I have no idea how to handle. I have never received any feedback from my manager, so I guess? the decisions I’ve made are ok? I’m telling you right now on a scale of receptionist jobs, this one is HARD, and STRESSFUL. If you like that sort of thing, congratulations, you have found your best work. 

A typical day at work entails preparing the dining room by first filling up the empty glasses with ice-cold water and putting the bowl containing creamers on each table. The amount of tables in the dining room are approximately 35, each containing 3-5 residents. There are usually four servers at any given time during the Breakfast - Lunch shift(s) and four-five during the dinner shift(s). Each server is assigned a section which contains about 8-9 tables. I take the orders of my tables and bring it to the chef. The chef then prepares the food and my issued order and I take it back out to the residents and etc. Sometimes, I assist the chef when the residents order an alternative to what is present on the menu at that time. After serving, I then clear plates and proceed to do one of the five duties:

glasses: clear and arrange the glasses, take off the dirty table clothes and nap kins
cups and saucers: clear and arrange the cups, saucers, any plates and creamers/butters, put on the clean table clothes/napkins
dishes: wash the dishes brought in
put away: put away the washes dishes and wipe the doors/counters
pots and pans: wash the pots and pans, sort out the cutlery, take out the garbage, mop and sweep

The hardest part of the job is pleasing the residents: when you fail to notice a late-comer (resident who comes down late to eat) and end up serving them quite late or when you fall behind on your assigned section of the dining room

The most enjoyable part of the job is making the residents happy and communicating with them. They have many stories and secrets to tell and it's just amazing! It's like having a room filled with lots of grandparents; each with whom you have a different and unique relationship with

Overall, Management is very rude and doesn't seem to care at all for employees. Everything is to their convenience and not their employees. 

The Coordinators will schedule you less than 3 hour shifts (averaging 1.5-2.5hrs) if you are hired part-time. 
They're scheduling is very poor or does not exist. They will schedule you for maybe a few hours every week, however, they will call you on most days and say "here, these are your hours today" and expect you to work them.
By definition, you are obliged to remain free during your hours of availability every day, even if you weren't scheduled.

I don't have a life because I am just waiting for a call to say I have to go in to work. You don't have a choice in the matter, they will penalize you if you refuse work. 

Multiple times they will give you an hour or more break between clients. You don't get paid for this time. 

Management doesn't listen to employee concerns. They will tell you this is how it works when you express your concerns. No concern for ensuring employees are happy with their job. They don't tell you anything during orientation, just let you figure this all out yourself.

Very very unorganized, they will also call you after your shift and say your clocking in/out didn't go through and get you to do it again at home on your own time. This can take a lot of time depending on how many clients you saw. This happens 80% of the time after I work. 

Please please don't work for the Home Health team. Save yourself the trouble and just work in one retirement/nursing home. 



I worked for this company for only a few months before searching for other employment. All the workers told me how horrible it was when I first started and I quickly discovered why. They cut their benefits, cut hours but expected the same service to the residents. The rights of the residents were not even a thought in this companies head.  At lunch you had 2 hours to serve a 3 course meal to approx 45 residents, clear,clean table, wash the mugs,plates,glass ware, bowls and cutlery. by yourself with help only from the one other server is they were done their half of the dinning room.. The residents right to enjoy a meal were not met and they constantly complained you would serve the soup, give them a choice of the entree serve the entree and then the second you put down the last one you went out with the desserts put them on the table and than you walked out right away with a cart to stop clearing because at this point you only had 40 mins to, clear,clean, wash dishes and set tables. 
When I first started there I had heard that a bunch of people that had been there for years quit and in the short time before I left 3 people quit. Multiple people including myself had left at the end of their shift in tears because of the high stress this job caused. The residents at this establishment deserve better. This company does not care about the residents. All they care about is saving money at the expense of their residents.

Overall a highly toxic work environment full of gossip and bullies.
Some employees *timed* other employees that went to the washroom. If they took "too long" then the employee timing would complain to managers. 
On hire I was told a raise and review would happen after three months,  I was also told I'd get a $2/raise after probation. Probation can be longer than 3 months as it's based on hours worked not calendar time so benefits, review and raise didn't happen when expected. As for the $2 raise?.... it's a $0.60 raise. 
I was hired to work 30 hours/week. There were times I worked double, but was constantly short paid, so I have no clue if all my hours worked have been paid. I was bullied by another staff member-to the point of seeking counseling from the company's e.f.a.p program; their advice was to form an exit strategy and get out. I was bullied for 6 months before Management finally stepped in. By then it was too late for me, I was mentally and physically exhausted  and felt broken down. The breaking point for me was when I had a death in the family and I was told no other cooks would cover my shifts so I could either stay at work (missing funeral and prayer services) *or* they'd accept my resignation.  I was basically forced to resign my job while watching my mom have a breakdown after this death. I would never recommend Revera as an employer and after the way they treated me I wouldn't put a family member in their care either.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Server 130 salaries reported	$18.99 per hour
Registered practical nurse 118 salaries reported	$28.03 per hour
Cook 88 salaries reported	$22.49 per hour
Support worker 86 salaries reported	$19.68 per hour
Housekeeping aide 78 salaries reported	$19.36 per hour

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