guard (Former Employee), boston – January 18, 2013
Pros: pay
Cons: everything else
I only made it a few months with ISA before quiting. The VP who was also a supervisor was constantly late on schedules. As a Army Sgt. Having one officer for a huge site isNOT securing a dang LlllThing so it makes you feel you have zero control if something. Dangerous was to go down. Wearing a suit and tie and dress shoes to stand in 25 degree rain – more... for 12 hrs..alone. health insurance is NOT affordable even thought its cost shared. VP is a soldier wannabe and ALWAYS spoke and poked fun about clients orientation y and bodies. I could record him and have the Ceo fire him right away. If I was that kind of guy. – less
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Alyn – March 21, 2013
I have noticed for several months that this Company has been advertising for armed and unarmed security officers.
With experience as an armed security officer, I filed an application but received no response. Yet, this Company continually advertises for both armed and unarmed security officers.
Suspicious I may be running into some kind of discrimination, such as age discrimination -- I am well over 50 -- I called the Human Resource Manager. After several attempts, I finally got hold of him. Most of the time he did not answer his telephone and, when I left messages on his answering machine, he never bothered to return my calls.
When I finally hold of him, I found him most abusive with me over the telephone. Then he lied to me. He told me his Company had "no openings for security officers."
If so, then why do they continually advertise for armed and unarmed security officers?
After a study of this problem, I determined I am a victim of age discrimination.
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Just a job.
Night Operations Officer (Former Employee), Boston, MA – November 19, 2012
Cons: no parking for day shift. very hard if you have kids.
hardsest part of the job lack of communication. if you have kids and work nights and weekends kiss all you family time away. no help so you can have holidays off with your kids.
Force Protection Officer (Former Employee), Camp Edwards, MA – September 30, 2012
Favoritism in management is persistent to include guidelines for advancement which is not enforced based on education, experience, and performance. Promised raises with no end result despite exceptional performance.
Armed Security (Current Employee), Boston – July 24, 2012
Pros: good company, well managed
I took a job with another security contractor when I got back from my first deployment. I kept getting hassled about drill and AT. Moving to ISA has definitely made a difference. Lots of AR guys on staff and the management team is flexible with army commitments. Managers are retired cops for the most part, very squared away guys.
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Productive and Interesting
security officer (Former Employee), Framingham, MA – April 23, 2012
Pros: health insurance, co-workers
Cons: jobsite parking
It was nice to work at a company that is active and growing. A typical day at this job site was interesting. Every day there was something different that occurred. While working with ISA I was able to learn a lot about the security industry. The management was firm but fair. The co-workers were respectful and came from some very interesting backgrounds. – more... I never had any problems with them. The most enjoyable part of the job was working in a job field that I enjoy doing. – less
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poorly managed joke of a company because you have rank or a title does NOT mean you're right..
armed/unarmed officer (Former Employee), All over MA – March 6, 2012
ISA is right up there with the awful companies in the security field. It's the same old song and dance. Staff horrible individuals that couldn't even be a cashier at a gas station nevermind be trusted with a firearm to do the right thing. Management (VP & armed supervisor) has no clue what they're doing at any given time. I had to work an 18 hour shift – more... one day. VP botched a detail passed down from the client and blamed myself and a co worker for not covering it even though we both explained that we couldn't prior to its occurence so he left the site without coverage.. Was told I couldn't go on a vacation that was planned prior to me filling in PART TIME emergency detail work. no dental, benefits enrollment period passed even after I had constantly reminded management that I intended to enroll. Allow armed guards to use ammunition and weapons specifically banned by the client instead of working the detail themselves. No vest given in high risk area even though local PD suggested I have one. Cut my full time hours then denied me on unemployment when they didn't have any permanent full time hours for me within a reasonable distance. Out to discredit and beat down you the worker, could care less how they go about it. Period. If I could give zero stars I would. – less
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Respectable company, good experience overall
Security (Former Employee), MA – March 5, 2012
Pros: people, environment
ISA was a fair environment. I really liked my coworkers, and enjoyed the job. They are understanding about drills and AT, and the managers are very dedicated.
Security Professional (Current Employee), South Shore – February 6, 2012
I like working for ISA. The assignments are are interesting, and they pay a fair wage. It possible to expand your responsibilities and enhance your skills as well.
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Enjoyed my time with ISA
Force Protection Officer (Former Employee), Massachusetts – January 23, 2012
Pros: coworkers, benefits, experience
Cons: tough busy seasons
You will work with the public, so good customer service is a must. You need to be very alert and observant, and you work in some very interesting environments. This is an outstanding job, especially if you are trying to further your career in law enforcement. Got the opportunity to protect dignitaries and participate in interesting engagements. Standing, – more... walking, rain and sun come with it. I enjoyed the training and working with great people. – less
Armed Officer (Former Employee), Worcester, MA – January 3, 2012
Pros: good military employer
Cons: late hours and on call at times
working for isa was a great experience. management was supportive and I was able to learned a lot from my supervisor. The law enforcement procedures are great.I enjoyed my work experience with isa and would work with them again in the future.
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Serious Environment
Armed Security Officer (Former Employee), Boston, MA – December 28, 2011
Pros: professional
Cons: lots of hours
I enjoyed the professional environment that ISA maintained. My manager was a high ranking retired law enforcement officer, and he knew what he was doing. Co-workers also had good experience, and took the job seriously. That was a welcome change from the last security company I worked for. I have since moved on to a L/E position but I'm glad I had an – more... opportunity to work at ISA. – less
Work place was good environment if you enjoy working in customer service
unarmed security (Former Employee), massachusetts – December 8, 2011
Pros: the people loved helping others, it is a well established company
Cons: long hours during busy periods
This company overall was a good company. They are pretty well known in Massachusetts. Entry level employees could get bounced around from client to client, but you stay at one or a few places after the first month or so. Good job security. Great work environment if you like security or if you like customer service. Wages were good for security.
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3 years without a review.
officer (Former Employee), beantown – September 7, 2011
I sorry to say i had the unpleasant experience of working for them for three years. I can't talk about the site they took over. But once isa came in thing changed for the worst.Someone in command would tell you one thing. Then someone else would change it . Heck - I had the preident yelling at me over the phone and no clue what he was talking about. Hence – more... the main problem is lack of communication. There are so many more problems but to list them would take days. Why would I work three years without a review or raise? Well the site was the only reason i would work for them once i was removed. I immediately resigned
I'll take piece of mind with less pay anyday – less
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Happy to be employed at an upstanding and growing organization
Administrative Assistant (Current Employee) – September 1, 2011
I have been working at ISA for a little over eight months. I could not be happier. The management and supervisory staff is fair and courteous. I love that I can wake up every day and come to a job where I am cared about as much as I care about my position and the people I work with. The President of the Company has always treated me with kindness and – more... respect. He expects his employees to work hard and be an honorable representation of his company, and as an employee at ISA, I want to live up to his expectations and give 110% to my job and to this company. Given the current job market, I am lucky to have a job, never mind have the opportunity to work for a company which values me as an employee and as an individual. – less
Per Diem Armed Security (Former Employee), Massachusetts – August 22, 2011
I did some per-diem work for them about 4 years ago. I came away very impressed. The company was small back then but it looks like they have grown quite a bit in the last few years. The owner is former federal law enforcement and the principals are all former LEO. I know that they have a number of state contracts and they do quite a bit of consulting – more... and special events (armed/unarmed). The pay is above average as well. Not a bad company in my opinion. – less
Administrative (Current Employee), Boston, MA – August 16, 2011
Pros: growth opportunities, above average compensation, fun co-workers
It is great to work for such a professional company. ISA places a strong emphasis on company values and fairness, offering above average compensation, paid vacation, and good health insurance plan. In my experience employees are always treated fairly, and job security is very good so long as you meet the company’s standards and expectations. ISA offers – more... strong advancement opportunities for proactive employees who contribute positively. Current and past co-workers are all very experienced, so there are lots of interesting people to work with. Clients frequently go out of their way to point out exactly how good the ISA work product is, which makes the work more rewarding. I definitely see a lot of extra opportunity as the pace of growth continues to accelerate and the company enters new markets.
I have had a ton of opportunities to provide protective services for heads of state, dignitaries, and other powerful and important leaders. As another reviewer pointed out, occasionally it is all hands on deck and you need to go above and beyond in support of the mission, but it is rewarding to be a part of the response the emergencies that you would usually just see in the news, providing services where they are truly needed. The company describes itself as similar in structure to military or law enforcement agencies in structure, so when orders are given in support of the mission, the expectations that they will be carried out. I never felt that they were excessive or unreasonable. As an added plus, it is not uncommon to see a shift differential or at least the opportunity to get some overtime when emergencies do arise.
Another great think about ISA versus other security companies is that you do have direct access to senior managers, so you are less likely to get lost in the crowd and forgotten in terms of advancement opportunities, when they arise. They are pretty selective and have rigid requirements for certain positions, but if you fit the bill, it is definitely one of the better security companies to work for. – less
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Good veteran employer
Security Officer (Former Employee) – August 15, 2011
Pros: good compensation, resume builder
Cons: long hours
I worked for ISA for about 2 years, and left for a job as a police officer. My supervisor was accommodating and quick to assist with problems. All of the officers I worked with were military or former law enforcement so my supervisor was good about drill weekends and military leave. Compensation was better than other security companies I looked at. – more... Working here was a good as a stepping stone to a career in law enforcement. – less
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The Nightmare Job
Security Officer (Former Employee), Massachusetts – July 21, 2011
Cons: long hours, poor scheduling, unprofessional management, non-compensation for company incurred expenses, ceo is more concerned with profit than employees
I worked for Internal Security Associates for just about two months, when I reached the breaking point in my patience in dealing with this company.
Applying and the initial interview at the site I was to work at went very smoothly. The administrative assistant to the CEO, who arranges the interviews, was very friendly and polite as well. But this was – more... the total extent of positive experiences.
For my final interview, I was to meet with the CEO of the company at the ISA office in Boston (or so I thought it was an office). When you arrive, you check in at the security desk of a large professional building next to the Mass State House. The security officers also happen to be ISA employees as well. Someone was waiting to be interviewed before me, so I took a seat and waited. After over an hour of waiting, the person waiting before me was finally called in, that was after the CEO of the company came to speak with the security officers for a few minutes and then disappeared again. Finally after an hour and a half I am called to go next. I am brought to the cafeteria of the building, where people were eating right in the area of the CEO conducting interviews. I was told to wait about 30 feet away from the CEO while he was finishing an interview in front of me. Finally I was interviewed and it lasted approximately 10 minutes. I was hired but also informed by the CEO to consider myself lucky as he receives hundreds of applications and most of them end up in the trash.
I was then sent to another location about a 10-15 minute walk away to pick up my uniforms. The directions seemed clear enough and I plugged the address of the building into the GPS in my phone. My first attempt to find the place took me 15 minutes of walking around, but with no luck I went back to the building security to ask for clarification. I waited approximately 25 minutes at the desk before a building employee, who was on their way out, asked if I needed help. She linked me up with a different security officer, who was manning the metal detectors, who was able to provide very clear directions. After finding the place, I was informed that they didn't have any uniforms in my size and that the site I was to work at would supply me with what I need.
I was hired on as a part-time per-diem employee. I was given a uniform, a reflective vest, and an empty pistol belt at the job site I was to work at. For my first day, I had to borrow another officer's belt, as I was missing a holster, ammo pouches, and a pepper spray pouch. The supervisor told me that they would work on ordering more gear, but that it may take awhile to get. There was no official training and I did not shadow anyone for my first day. They had me work with a guy, who had been with the company for two months himself. There were supposed to be two officers at each location, and I as a new employee, with no formal company training, took one of those spots.
Then disaster struck! Tornadoes struck in western Mass, and the ISA got the contract to support the DTA offices in their disaster relief efforts. The ISA's mission was to protect the site, which primarily included: DTA employees, the tent, chairs, tables, and EBT cards (food stamps). ISA employees were then "ordered" to work at the western Mass sites in support of this operation. With only one shift under my belt, I was informed that they'd need me to go out to Southbridge, MA to support this. I found out I would NOT be reimbursed for the hour and a half of driving out to and the hour and a half of driving back from Southbridge. That includes no compensation for gas or Mass pike tolls incurred because of company demands, given that the site was over 100 miles for me to get to. I initially declined, as even from my experience in the military, I knew that you should get reimbursed for certain expenses. My supervisor angrily said he'd pass the word on to the ISA operations manager about my decision. Both my supervisor and the operations manager informed me that denying a shift/order was grounds for immediate termination, regardless of the circumstances. With much reluctance and regret, I agreed to go. Another ISA employee, who was hired at the same time as I, was fired for refusing to go. After inquiring among other employees at the site I worked at, several other officers were never asked to go and I found myself stuck going twice. I earned a small shift differential, but it roughly equated out to the cost of gas and tolls, so there was no added benefit for all of the inconvenience. Other officers have experienced similar situations, where the ISA was awarded a contract for events in Boston and officers from well over an hour away were ordered to go to Boston to support these events, while not getting reimbursed for gas or parking. I was informed that the ordering policy was part of the ISA company policy. As I never received a copy or even heard of such policy when being hired, or on my first shift, I requested a copy for future reference from the site manager, but with no luck.
I originally was hired to work at a site approximately 15 minutes from where I live. But by my third week I was informed that I would be helping out at another site, about an hour away, as someone had put in their notice. It was initially supposed to be a shift a week there, but ended up comprising the majority of my part-time hours, with me only getting one shift a week where I originally applied. The other site was at a high profile military facility, where I had to follow proper military protocol, like standing up for the general and putting his flag up. This new duty also involved answering the phone and redirecting calls to one of the 60 or so offices. The pay was the same. I received the rest of my needed gear at this other site, not at the site I was supposed to work at.
I was almost asked to work at another site about half an hour away, but fortunately I had missed that phone call and got back in touch with my site manager too late.
Just to be on the safe side, as the ordering policy seemed really shady, I contacted a lawyer about it. ISA is fully within it's rights to do this to it's employees. As there is no union and no communication amongst fellow employees to organize, the CEO can continue to do this. The lawyer recommended that I keep all receipts so I can claim these expenses on my taxes.
I sent the CEO and operations manager an email in regards to the unfairness of non compensation for company incurred expenses and the ordering policy, but I never heard back.
The day after my last shift worked I received a text message from the site manager in the early afternoon saying that I had a shift that day and he asked if I were coming in. As I had received a text message a few days before, from the very same site manager, telling me what my hours were for the week, which did not include the shift he was telling me I was assigned to work, I disagreed with him. I had checked the schedule before and after my last shift just to be on the safe side, and nowhere did it say I was to work the day he was now telling me I was scheduled for. He accused me of calling him a liar, which I clarified by saying, "I am not calling you a liar, I just know that when I checked the schedule, I wasn't scheduled to work this shift."I reminded him about the text message he sent me with my hours, which I still have, and said that it came directly from you that I didn't have to work. He first said that the schedule had been up for weeks, but then he changed his story and said that he had changed it the day of my last worked shift. Once again we butted heads, as neither one of us would back down. He told me that I was very difficult to work with, and that he has 30 guys at the site, whose schedules he has to work around, dealing with army training and schools. He yelled in my ear for a few minutes about the stress he was under from the main office in Boston. He asked me if I would just come and do the shift so we can move on from this. I gave him am sarcastic ok in return and he hung up.
This conversation took place as I was driving an hour back home from the beach. As soon as I got in, I called him back and quit.
I warn anyone who wants to apply to this company; it's not worth the grief. Everyone I worked with was either a military veteran or retired law enforcement. As a veteran myself, it kills me to see those who served the community selflessly be abused like this by a former high ranking federal employee/lawyer. Most guys are miserable there and only stick it out because they need the money. The company does pay a higher wage than most other security companies, starting at $15 an hour for a regular security officer. But most everyone's experiences are the same across the board and I would expect yours to be the same as well. It's a trap and a nightmare! – less
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Unprofessional
Security Officer (Former Employee) – April 19, 2011
Cons: unfair, unprofessional
STAY AWAY FROM ISA Does not pay in a timely fashion. If you do work for them, especially their per diem jobs, get a written agreement of the terms and conditions before you work a single minute for them. They will promise you one salary and pay another.
I would not recommend working for this company to anyone!
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James – January 2, 2012
Very unprofessional. I worked for them also. What a nightmare.
About Internal Security Associates
ISA provides highly professional security, consulting and investigative services to major international corporations, the military – Read more
Alyn – March 21, 2013
I have noticed for several months that this Company has been advertising for armed and unarmed security officers. With experience as an armed security officer, I filed an application but received no response. Yet, this Company continually advertises for both armed and unarmed security officers. Suspicious I may be running into some kind of discrimination, such as age discrimination -- I am well over 50 -- I called the Human Resource Manager. After several attempts, I finally got hold of him. Most of the time he did not answer his telephone and, when I left messages on his answering machine, he never bothered to return my calls. When I finally hold of him, I found him most abusive with me over the telephone. Then he lied to me. He told me his Company had "no openings for security officers." If so, then why do they continually advertise for armed and unarmed security officers? After a study of this problem, I determined I am a victim of age discrimination.