Pros
unionization, research wages higher than other hospitals
Cons
My last job at CAMH was so harmful that I wasn't able to work a job for almost 2 years to recover my mental health. There is a strong sense that the management of this hospital in all departments view the patients as people who need help and the staff are "not supposed to be like that" (as in: also have mental health that deserves to be protected or considered and NOT treated like a robot who can take any amount of bullying, overwork, disrespect, etc.) while also promoting anti-stigma messages of "mental illness can happen to anyone". I suffered a significant trauma, which the Ontario government has protected paid leave for. My boss illegally prevented me from claiming the time off. I then went on a short-term disability leave and my boss constantly e-mailed me demanding me to return to work earlier, and when I ignored her (bosses are not allowed to contact you while you are on a leave and you are in your right to not communicate) she sent me an e-mail threatening to call the police on me "for a wellness check" because I wasn't responding. When I eventually returned to work, she did not coordinate at all a transition to work meeting with HR and occupational health and threw me immediately back into my responsibilities. She was also completely hostile to me (which is horrible for someone who had to leave from getting PTSD from a trauma to come back to at work). I went to the union to file grievances: about illegally withholding protected paid leave, for contacting me during my disability leave to coerce me back to work, for not coordinating a return-to-work transition, and to request a mediator to discuss her hostile communication style which was not conducive to morale and returning to work comfortably. The union got back to me and instead she requested to dissolve my contract. Treating someone who has just been through a major violent trauma as if they do not deserve to work and they do not deserve to be treated with respect exacerbated what I was experiencing and really messed up my life. Extremely ironic for a work place about treating mental illness. This person is now a high-ranking member of research management hospital-wide and it tells you everything you need to know about the values of this toxic work environment. I agree with the other comments saying this place rewards bullies. It's a company-wide values problem and it is sickening.