Vantaggi
Exploring Grand Canyon North Rim. Meeting interesting people from all over the country and world. Making friends faster than normal because you're working, eating and living together. Meeting lots of interesting retirees who just want to relax, do an easy job and enjoy the park. Having an RV is the best way to go. You can be alone and at peace in your home. Some of the dorms aren't bad, but you might have to share with at least 2 other people. Most couples will have a private room in an older dormitory. If you live in the dorm, bring your own pillow and linens, shower curtain and ear plugs. 20-40% employee discount, depending on the item.
Svantaggi
--Minimum wage. The majority of positions pay $10/hour, without benefits. The managers get paid more and don't pay for housing. One manager's salary was $15/hr plus free rent on a cabin. Some other positions include half rent. The best paid positions are the tipped ones: servers and porters. --Quality of Staff. I was disappointed to find such a large number of losers, people who would have a hard time getting hired anywhere else due to bad behavior or substance abuse issues. There was a high turnover rate. --Smoking/Drinking. The employee pub is a very popular place and there was a lot of excessive drinking. The company should put more effort into fixing up the makeshift gym instead of concentrating on the pub. The number of smokers outnumbered the non-smokers or maybe it just felt like it because the smokers, including managers, violated every rule, particularly the one that states smoking can only take place 25 ft from the buildings. Despite the fact that signs were posted everywhere, on a daily basis inconsiderate employee smoked next to the buildings, near the doors and windows, and threw their butts on the ground (despite the fire danger). --Room and board. Company policy for dormitory dwellers includes being enrolled in the full meal plan: 3 meals a day 7 days a week. In 2017 the cost was $13.50/day for room and board, which was $405/month. Even if I didn't eat 3 meals/day everyday I paid for them. A lot of the food at the Employee Dining Room was frozen then fried, and there was always so much meat. The times we got soups and special salads or the occasional baked tofu or bean salad, everyone was happy. Why not more often?? Most employees wanted healthier, fresher food. You don't have to be a vegetarian to want a healthy, balanced diet. --No Communications. The wifi is the worst ever. It's very difficult to get online. Staying in touch with family, friends or potential employers (for post season jobs) is extremely difficult. Cell phone service is super sketchy. Basically, you have to go to the rim at the Lodge to get reception. Being cut off like that for a few days is okay, but it's unreasonable over a 5-month period. --Isolation. For shopping and medical issues, the best place is St. George, 3 hours away. --Safety violations. The employee shuttle vans were broken down pieces of junk that shouldn't have been in service. Many of the seatbelts were broken and were never repaired during my stay. One van couldn't be put into PARK; the drivers had to put it in neutral and set the emergency brake when they stopped. Another van had a sliding door that couldn't open, so everyone had to enter and exit from the front seat. --Neglecting historical buildings. The Lodge is run down and being neglected so badly. Everything is so dirty. How difficult or expensive is it to hire one employee to do nothing but clean and polish the lodge? Cabins are also breaking down and neglected. Many guests complained about the bad door locks and the holes in the cabins where rodents enter.