Support in the local offices - Comments added to post in RED.

Time and time again it's been spoken that the disparity between employees and their Supervisor continues to grow. I'm not speaking on ALL Supervisors. There are many out there who are heartsick at the overwhelming work that their workers and clerks are facing daily. I'm not talking about them.

I'm talking about those in "charge" that have chosen to just go along with whatever is told to them, and in no way backing their workers up in the local offices. This may come in the form of fighting for their workers to have worktime that is sufficient to get some things done (rather than almost force their workers to work weekends - time away from family and their personal life - in order to stay caught up).....it may come from backing workers up when a client calls to complain.

Here's what needs to be understood- we are ALL behind. In everything. Not because we "like" it, but because it is the way it is. Why does upper management think that piling more work on top of more work is going to "fix" the problem? The more cases you interview (by phone, no less), the more cases that sit pending waiting to be finished. Our offices have gone from 6-8 per day to as many as 20-22 per day. And rather than the same amount of "worktime", in many cases- workers aren't given ANY worktime or very little. So management says "schedule them with 2-3 more each per day" without giving a thought that we are ALREADY SEEING TOO MANY. And front line supervisors - in many cases- don't say anything. Just go along. Yet, they (supvs) expect the work from their workers who feel lost in all of this.

In NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM AM I HARPING ON SUPERVISOR'S IN THE LOCAL OFFICES. I can't IMAGINE being in your position. I wouldn't even want to be. That's not what this is- but whether it's nice to read or not- IT'S THE PERCEPTION AMONG YOUR STAFF THAT'S MOST IMPORTANT. Workers who feel like they have the back up and respect of their supervisor WILL perform FOR their supervisor.

If "The Powers That Be" want to keep and retain the little tenured staff they have left...then it's time to step up to the plate. It's time to stop sending out these emails proclaiming your appreciation for "all our hard work" and do something about it. Quality is suffering in this (Does QC even matter anymore?) and you've got good workers who have tried to stick it out now leaving because it's just become too much.

I sure miss our "old" DHS.

Great comments, posting for all to see.....THANKS for your input, anyone else?

Anonymous said...
The work being piled up and piled up is what eventually sent me packing. I left. I couldn't take it anymore. I have been out about 3 months and am a different person. You don't realize how oppressed you are as a worker until you get away from it. I finally told myself, "This is HHSC's mess, not mine. It is not my problem anymore." My family agrees. They said they would eat out of the trash before I go back to that place... My hair is no longer falling out..No longer on anti depressants..No high blood pressure...You may need some time off. Talk to you Dr if you are feeling stressed or ill alot. I have not been ill one time since leaving. I used to be sick alot. The doctor said it was stress. It can kill you...That scared me. Have you started having panic attacks in the middle of the night yet? I was at that point. I hate what is happening, I was good at my job as a worker, but felt it was so political and that our voices were not being heard. They need to make all temps permanent and quit the temp thing. They are just taking those jobs to get their foot in the door and then moving on to other departments or agencies.
How far will they let it go?
Too far apparantly. I don't know if it can ever be fixed.
I used to love the "old DHS" too. When Clinton was president it was a good place to work. Why is that?
It's all politics. The rich getting richer. The poor getting poorer. What is going to happen to these people on benefits when minimum wage is raised? Will they lost them. Sorry for rambling.
GOOD LUCK to you all that stayed and God Bless You All.



Anonymous said...
One of the things I learned as I worked my way up the ladder at DHS/HHSC was that a lot of people in DHS had a client focus that was not popular in the general population, the Governor's office, or TWC.

Granted, there are radicals at both end of the political spectrums. I dont want to make this a liberal/conservative issue. But as a slightly conservative leaning person, I was proud of the work I and the agency did in helping the truly needy.

Well, Albert Hawkins and his clique hate the old DHS heirarchy and it's "baby-ing" of clients. If you were with the old DHS and specifically the old Texas Works section, you carry a certain stigma within HHSC and their heirarchy. Your competence, intelligence, and integrity are considered questionable and the old DHS guard, to a large degree, has been pushed out.

My greatest pain has come in having to see some of the most caring, self-sacrificing public servants I've ever known be driven off. They were replaced by "headhunters" such as Greg Phillips and Sidonie Squire. Parasites who came in, bathed the halls of DHS with blood of long time employees, then left to greener pastures elsewhere. And by the way, both Phillips and Squire, personally or through their families, have connections with private companies that made out like bandits in the privatization efforts here in Texas. For example, at one time, the manager responsible for oversight of the vendor under the new eligibility system was.... a former vice-president of one of the companies that won the bid. Talk about putting a rat in charge of the cheese.

How I wish a thorough and indepth investigation of the whole privatization and exploitation of the contracts under Hawkins were conducted by the FEDERAL government. The loss in public monies and client services is a crime and a shame for the state of Texas.