A Deeply Unsatisfactory and Frustrating Experience at TTC
As a former employee of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), I feel obligated to share my disheartening experience working for this organization. I had high hopes when I joined TTC, but my time there was riddled with issues that ultimately led to a deeply unsatisfactory and frustrating experience.
The management at TTC was severely lacking in both leadership and support. There was a clear absence of proper communication channels, resulting in misunderstandings, inefficiencies, and a general sense of chaos. Furthermore, supervisors showed little interest in employee well-being, with concerns and grievances often going unheard and unresolved.
Training and development opportunities at TTC were virtually non-existent. New employees were thrown into the deep end with minimal guidance, and there was no ongoing training or professional development to help them grow in their roles. This lack of investment in employees' growth created a stagnant and uninspiring work environment.
The workload at TTC was unreasonable and often unmanageable. Employees were regularly expected to work long hours without any recognition or compensation for their extra efforts. This excessive workload contributed to an unhealthy work-life balance and a high level of burnout among the staff.
Workplace safety was another significant concern during my time at TTC. Proper safety protocols were often overlooked, putting employees at unnecessary risk. Additionally, the equipment and tools provided were freque
completely fulfilling job, financially, and socially
A typical day at work included meeting with fellow employees, who were generally very pleasant, although some felt the job was difficult. I did not find this , since my enjoyment of the public was about to begin. I did not find it hard to deal with any member of the public, and there were so many people that came by the Collector Booth,that had problems, and difficulties. Directions, cost of fares , routes, directions to places in the city, and general information regarding the use of the Transit System.i enjoyed all the questions and was able to give answers to most questions., as I feel it is my nature to be able to help others. I made friends with many of the passengers, and am still in contact with many of them. The hardest part of the job, was when a difficult passenger , would have unreasonable requests. My co workers, were, as i was, all in the same situation, and so my sympathies with their problems were easily understood. Management at the TTC was very supportive, should a problem arise, and were always available for consultation should a difficulty occur. I respected the management, as they knew the limits of what the commission could do to help difficult situations.
I learned, that the general public needed assistance, in understanding the operations of a Transit Situation, and needed direction as to destinations, and services available to them, as Transit riders Also I learned,that any person using a public service, is the same as you and I, t
Points positifsWell Paid for what we did, Enjoyed the public interadction
Points négatifsSome Booths were either too cold, or too Hot. Nothing else
If it wasn't for the pay, benefits and most importantly the pension, no one would do this job.
Long hours, terrible shifts, stressful work environment, micromanaged and as contrary as it sounds, no management support.
At the TTC you are just a number. Through your entire career you will be defined by your badge number as everything is based on seniority. As a new hire you will get the worst shifts. Expect no family life, no personal life, no stat holidays for at least 5-6 years if you are lucky. Don't expect regular weekends off until you get to at least 15-20yrs. Worst are the split shifts. 4 on, 4off, 4on. That's a 12hr day but you get paid for 8.
An example: I would report at Cowell at 4:30am. Take the blue light bus to Kipling to take the train out at 5:40am. Will be on the line until 9:40am and have a split until 1:40pm. 1:40pm to 6pm on the line again. That is a long day and you don't get paid for all of it. You get paid only when you are operating
Another downside is customer abuse. Worst for bus and streetcar operators. By the time help gets to you, the person is gone. Last time I had an incident, the management response was " with your experience, you should have been more aware of your environment." Someone swung a skateboard at my head when I stuck it out to check the platform when opening/closing the doors FFS!! Plus if we don't do that, we get written up and suspended.
That was the straw that broke the camels back for me.
After 10years I have had enough. M
Points positifsMoney
Points négatifsLong hours, split shifts, no weekends, micromanaged
TTC has always been a fantastic place to join at an entry level position and work your way up through the ranks. Unfortunately, the past few years the organization has become incredibly bloated and top-heavy to the point where nothing actually gets done and most managers simply trudge through a brutal 12-13 hour day putting out one fire after another. Nearly all staff positions are working from home now and with ModernTO coming where everyone shares a desk there will never be that fun, collaborative office environment that TTC was once known for. I do not recommend joining this company in any sort of leadership capacity because this organization is no longer capable of balancing employee performance with overall job satisfaction. It is a comfortable place to work if you don't really want to accomplish anything, but if you are a diligent worker or someone looking to build a team and make positive change this is no longer the place to work. Only a few years ago, the TTC was lead by a 5-person executive; now it has tripled in size to 15. The pay, which was once the top in Canada, now lags many other public sector agencies and they are losing their best employees to more progressive and caring companies that can keep up with the times. A lot of good, hard working people have become sponges here and its sad to see. Glad to be retirement age, that's for sure.
Points négatifsWeak leadership, declining pay, low sense of accomplishment
1,0
Customer Service Representative | Toronto, ON | 14 oct. 2018
Customer Service Representative
$14 an hour is the wage of most outsourced TTC ambassadors (red bib) employees. Even TTC bus drivers get approx. $34 an hour range yet we get $14 for doing more customer service work in one shift than most of the drivers, particularly subway op's, have done in a week.
Employee benefits are minimal (CPP and EI only) in comparison to other, non-outsourced/contracted TTC employees who get several fully paid vacation days, yet still, complain that they don't get enough. TTC employees also get a free employee metro pass and a pax key but us, outsourced staff, still have to pay the fare, even when going to our assignments and have to wait for an employee to lend their pax key to use the facilities and break room (although some of have obtained their own set of pax keys...???)
Some TTC employees hate us because apparently, we 'stole' their union jobs, however, the TTC is to blame for outsourcing - we just applied to a job opening and were hired. I've been personally confronted by several TTC employees who think otherwise when using the 'unionized employees only' washrooms and break room.
The public is generally ok with the odd few disgruntled passengers. I find several miserable and self-righteous 'unionized' TTC employees to be even worse in their attitudes and temperament towards us, outsourced staff.
We are expected to stand for our entire shifts, minus an unpaid hour break, and even if we lean for a split second, we'll be written up.
Overall, the job is ok.
I have only fond memories of my years at the Toronto Transit Commission. "The Better Way,"is the official slogan and a.k.a. TTC, which has been around for more than a century serving Toronto and the greater Toronto area with its massive fleet of public transit vehicles and more than ten thousand dedicated employees comprising of management and union employees, whom I have had the pleasure of working with.
Come hail or snow, bracing well below freezing temperatures I used to be out there day after day at the controls of my Bombardier built T1 train serving station after station trying to get our commuters to their destination on time. A typical day for us consisted of track fires, weather related delays,disgruntled commuters, medical emergencies and equipment failures that we attended to in a timely manner while maintaining our high customer service standards and adhering to our slogan " Work safe, home safe."
The hardest part of the job was to be unable to resolve delays as a team within a timely manner and watching loyal commuters suffer.
The most rewarding part of the job was a fulfilling day that was a direct result of keeping our commuters happy, be it with uniting a lost child with his or her parents, returning a lost article to its rightful owner or comforting a frightened pet.
Points positifsBenefits and Pension
Points négatifsLack of communication between management and union.
I’ve been a Streetcar operator for 4 months but I had to throw in the towel because it took over my life. There is no work life balance. You do shift work and they start you off on spare board where you have to call at 5pm the day before to know what time you’re working. It is hard to make plans outside of work. You are forced to work weekends and holidays. You sit all day and you have no set routine so it’s easy to gain weight on this job. It is a very mundane job. Doing the same thing over and over again making the days feel super long. The other operators are mostly negative and is a toxic environment. People sleep in the division because they are sleep deprived. You start off with $26/ hr but you have many deductions and end up with a small pay cheque. The training was so intense. People were told to quit their job and fully commit to the training. They ended up firing half the people in my class for minor mistakes. You are constantly in fear of losing your job. You are at high risk. People run out of nowhere and it is hard to stop the street car when the rails are slippery. If you lose ground or something happens with the overhead, you risk getting electrocuted with 600 volts. If you don’t follow proper procedure, you can be liable for the 200+ people’s life’s. This job is totally not worth it in my option.
Points positifsBenefits, Pension, blah blah blah
Points négatifsHorrible hours, no work life balance, toxic environment
1. Positive values
A positive mission statement outlines the goals and demonstrative behavior that exemplify the highest commitment to quality and service to each other, the company, customers and shareholders. The company sets out to achieve its goals in ethical, honest ways with an elevated sense of purpose to improving the planet and humanity.
2. Relaxed and productive atmosphere
People enjoy coming to work and feel appreciated, acknowledged and rewarded. Signs of fear, domination, bullying, sexual harassment, and intimidation are absent. Creativity, productivity, and thinking outside the box flourish.
3. Commitment to excellence
Employees give 200%. They strive to be the best and to deliver top-quality products and services. They take responsibility for their actions and decisions.
4. Open and honest communication
Everyone communicates in a cards-on-the-table manner, solving difficulties in a positive way. They don’t play nasty revenge games when given difficult feedback. Instead, they view feedback as an opportunity for growth.
5. Cooperation, support, and empowerment
Can-do, go-the-extra-mile and win-win attitudes are evident signs of workplace wellness. Employees have a sense of camaraderie, cooperation, and empowerment. Healthy competition exists without vengeful, spiteful backstabbing.
1,0
Customer Service Representative | Toronto, ON | 22 avr. 2019
Needs more stricter checks and balances
This company is in the growth phase, but in order to meet and exceed the transportation demands of a growing population, there needs to be a much more stricter checks and balances on everything from safety and security, financials, human resources and training, maintenance, its various services, communication protocols and monitoring employee behaviour and take affirmative and quick action when a concern in brought to their attention. The organizational structure of the company needs to be changed as well from the bottom to all the way to the top and everywhere in between. Finally, the purchase of new buses and streetcars which has very been experiencing serious problems needs to be rechecked and another manufacturer needs to be researched and investigated before a huge order is placed and customers are disappointed by not having enough buses and streetcars during rush hour periods so that traffic congestion is eliminated, customers can be moved from one place to another quickly, safely and efficiently and also pollution is reduced. Frequent breakdown of buses and streetcars should also be looked into more closely in order to eliminate crowding and reduce wait times for customers as time is money.
The job itself is not physically difficult. It is all customer service now; no more selling tokens, dealing with cash/cards, nor selling passes and tickets. You help with directions, with using a PRESTO card, with subway emergencies, and more.
However, the job is very mentally taxing; working on the frontline is always tough. There is little recognition and appreciation from all angles. The clientele is aggressive and negative towards the frontline workers, even from fellow co-workers who work in the office. There is poor work/life balance (due to shift work and low seniority movement) and poor higher management. Direct supervisors are a mixed bag; most of them do try to support you within their capabilities.
This company is great to work for if you need a stable job that offers great benefits and a great pension. If you're working on the frontlines, just know that you will be sacrificing a work/life balance and a good bit of your mental well-being -- especially if you don't try to keep yourself in check.
Points positifsGreat benefits and pension, Good amount of vacation and sick days
Points négatifsLow seniority (in this department), Poor work/life balance, Stressful
Questions et réponses au sujet de l'entreprise Toronto Transit Commission
Comment décririez-vous lenvironnement de travail et la culture dans lentreprise?
Posée le 17 juill. 2017
I think it is good, there's sometimes bad apples in the bunch which makes working here stressing at times which is no different than most jobs out there. Further, general condition of this job.
Réponse du 6 nov. 2022
If you're a transit operator, the public is 99% decent human beings. It's always that 1% that kills your day. The worst job at ttc would have the be transit operator in terms of job within TTC. A lot of staff and trades workers have a slower, relaxing, non abusive environment.
Réponse du 3 avr. 2020
Comment bien se préparer pour un entretien chez Toronto Transit Commission?
Posée le 26 juin 2017
I will research TTC first and understand their services in more detail to become knowledgeable to work as a successful employee. I will understand the job duties and responsibilities and provide the relevant information about my skills and abilities to prove how I am the best person to do the job.
Réponse du 17 oct. 2018
I will prepare my self very well with experience and extensive information!
Réponse du 29 mars 2018
Comment se déroule le processus de promotion chez Toronto Transit Commission?
Posée le 25 nov. 2022
Easy and one must be hardworking
Réponse du 5 mai 2023
Horrible
Réponse du 28 avr. 2023
Quelles sont les heures de travail chez Toronto Transit Commission?
Posée le 2 juin 2017
It's 40hrs per week.
However it's how you get those 40hrs that sucks.
As a new hire, expect no weekends off for at least 5-6years if you're lucky.
Expect split shifts. 4 hours on, 4off, 4on again. But only get paid for 8hrs.
Expect to work all hours of the day and night.
They are only obligated to give you 8hours off. So you may get a shift that ends at midnight but they expect you to be driving again at 8am. It's only 8 hours off work, they don't care about your commute, taking a shower, eating etc. As long as you have 8 hours off the job you can go back again.
Réponse du 10 nov. 2018
As an Operator (bus, streetcar & subway)
If you are fairly new employee chances are you will have very long work days and unlikely to get a weekend off. If you have been there a while (10+ years) you can choose to work long or shorter times.
The more seniority you have the better work choices you have.
Réponse du 2 mars 2018
À quelle fréquence bénéficiiez-vous d'une augmentation de salaire chez Toronto Transit Commission?
