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Morale At Washington's Biggest State Agency Plummets

OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Great Recession has taken its toll on morale at Washington’s largest state agency. Employee satisfaction at the Department of Social and Health Services has plummeted over the past couple of years. That’s according to a new employee survey.

DSHS is not only a large agency, it deals with some of Washington’s most vulnerable populations: abused and neglected children, the mentally ill and the elderly.

A survey shows that employee satisfaction at Washington's Department of Social and Health Services has plummeted over the past couple of years.
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A survey shows that employee satisfaction at Washington's Department of Social and Health Services has plummeted over the past couple of years.

So here’s the top line summary of how employees who do that sensitive work are feeling: “In the 11 years ... there has never been such a dramatic drop in morale and employee engagement.”

Among the chief complaints: pay and benefits are down and workloads are up. DSHS spokesman Thomas Shapley says the discontent is not a surprise.

“Widespread staff reductions, we’ve got increasing caseloads over the last couple of years with the Great Recession, we’ve had pay cuts and a lot of changes.”

Another complaint from some inside the agency: when it comes to layoffs, decisions are based on seniority not ability.

On the up side more than 60-percent of DSHS employees still say they are generally satisfied with their job.

On the Web:

DSHS Employee Survey: http://www.dshs.wa.gov/pdf/ms/rda/research/11/167.pdf

Copyright 2012 Northwest News Network

Copyright 2012 Northwest News Network

Since January 2004, Austin Jenkins has been the Olympia-based political reporter for the Northwest News Network. In that position, Austin covers Northwest politics and public policy as well as the Washington State legislature. You can also see Austin on television as host of TVW's (the C–SPAN of Washington State) Emmy-nominated public affairs program "Inside Olympia." Prior to joining the Northwest News Network, Austin worked as a television reporter in Seattle, Portland and Boise. Austin is a graduate of Garfield High School in Seattle and Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut. Austin’s reporting has been recognized with awards from the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors, Public Radio News Directors Incorporated and the Society of Professional Journalists.