social worker

processing assistant

public health nurse

office assistant

social work supervisor

Durham County Government

I began working for Durham County one year ago. Initially, I was enthusiastic and ready to learn the job. However, as time progressed, I noticed that the current administration lacked leadership skills, which are especially apparent during the current shift from an old system to a new one. I have over 12 years of public service at the federal, state and county levels, in various states and organizations. This is by far the least professional agency I have worked for. There is a disconnect between the line staff and upper management. There are arbitrary rules that are not applied in a uniform fashion and while policies seem neutral at face value, they create a disadvantage to many. The environment is essentially oppressive as any suggestions or feedback offered that may positively impact the agency are discounted or ignored. One way communication does not a foster  progress or an overall sense of employee well being, I do enjoy helping members of the community become self sufficient as well as providing information and resources that will improve their quality of life. The workers are under-compensated as wages are some of the lowest in the state. Health insurance and retirement benefits are average and some services can be used at low or no cost for the employee. Family coverage is costly and most times, greatly reduces an employees take home pay.  

The workplace is a dynamic environment that significantly impacts both professional and personal growth. A good workplace fosters collaboration, encourages creativity, and supports employees' well-being. In my experience, a positive workplace promotes open communication, mutual respect, and inclusivity. Teams are empowered to thrive through trust and shared goals, leading to high productivity and job satisfaction. Additionally, a supportive workplace culture values diversity, offers opportunities for skill development, and recognizes employee achievements, creating an atmosphere where individuals feel motivated and valued.

However, challenges such as poor management or lack of clear direction can create a toxic work environment, leading to burnout and disengagement. It's crucial for employers to prioritize employee feedback and make adjustments to ensure a healthy work-life balance. Overall, the quality of a workplace can make a significant difference in employee morale and long-term organizational success, making it an essential element for both personal fulfillment and business growth.

My experience with Durham County was that the case loads were extremely high, they had unrealistic expectations for caseload, no real solutions to keep workers in compliance until the worker is to far gone, then they stress and harass you to get caught up, write you up, and then once you are so far out of compliance blame you for not keeping up and not making progress with getting caught up.  Did not offer any real solutions until I was so far out of compliance. I had other managers that were able to keep me from gettin so far out of compliance, and it was easier to then to get my case load back under control.  it is very difficult to manage caseloads, when you are constantly being pulled into court, and putting out fires.  I felt like I had to choose between keeping kids safe and keeping up with documentations and other administrative duties. I always made my managers aware of what was going on with me personally and at work that was affecting my ability to do my job well when I saw it spiraling out of control, and much wasn't done until it was already too late.

As a Durham County employee, you will experience excellent support staff, including a seasoned Human Resource department that knows what they are doing.  You will get the training you need to successfully move up in the workplace.  They strive to create a safe and effective work environment, with all resources at hand.

A typical day at my job includes dealing with customers(Durham County residents).  My job requirements meant that I would need to direct and manage the intake of solid waste and debris from Durham County residents.  I met some of the nicest people at the job site.  MY co-workers are excellent people and hard workers, however I get little interactions with them, as we switch shifts when I enter the site.

I've learned of the inner-workings of the Durham County Government and what entails by working with/for them.

The management teams are skilled at what they do and are excellent supervisors.  I learned some practical management techniques that I may be able to use in my management practices as well.

My day involves assigning and assessing value to residential properties. I analyze and research market patterns and comply with state statutes in regards to ad volarem tax laws. I've learned the dynamics in differentiating between market value and tax value.  I work with an exceptional and diverse team. We are led by a management team that is consistently evolving with the needs of our environment and government. The hardest part of my job, if I have to identify one, would probably be working with the elements. Parts of my job requires on site analysis. During this part of the job you are dealing with the mood of mother nature (hot, cold wet, etc). With that being said, the most enjoyable part of my job comes along with that. The outside, on site, in the public aspect of my job gives me an opportunity to communicate with the taxpayers and field certain questions.  I enjoy being able to educate and shine light on certain issues that aren't fully understood by the average tax-payer!

Good Job Great People but salaries do not reflect the current market conditions. People are leaving, doing the same job in other Government positions in the same or surrounding Counties with on average a 20% increase. Only once you are offered another job does Management attempt to counter offer a salary increase. Why not pay a comparable salary all along and retain your more experienced staff and skilled trade professionals   Hopefully County will recognize this trend that it is stuck in and address the situation before we lose more experienced and trained Skilled Trades Staffing. The demand for skilled trade professionals is to competitive to not react in a proactive approach to Staff Retention

Most of the departments are pretty relaxed, outside of those which deal with health/social services. It's kind of hard to get fired, but you also probably won't get a ton of useful training or input on how to grow professionally - where you start is probably not too far from where you'll finish. It's a large organization with lots of people, however opportunities to meet them are limited. Department management is a mixed bag with some good managers, some bad, and also some older managers with very dated approaches to work and limited willingness to explore innovation. Benefits are very good. Pretty decent emplpyer if all you want to do is basic work and go home.

The typical work week at Durham County Government was proactive. I learned that you have to be proactive in order to get you an on-time result. I also learned that in order to get a great result, one has to began with the end in mind. vision how successful you want to be and work hard at it and it will be done.
Work culture was teamwork. collaboration. the hardest part of the job was getting to face clients who had no means of health insurance, or health benefits and tell them that they were no longer eligible for health benefits.
The most enjoyable part was making sure that they were approved for health benefits and could be healed without been afraid of not having money to pay for their bills.

A typical day at work includes returning approximately 20+ phone calls, certifying cases, running multiple on line verifications, making changes to cases, closing cases, reopening cases, and so much more. So far I have learned to work smarter and not harder. Find as many effective short cuts as possible without compromising the integrity of the policies used to determine case eligibility. The hardest part of the job is the stress from managing the caseload. On the other hand the most rewarding part of the job is knowing that I am helping to feed the needy families of Durham County.
I have a great manager and great co-workers all of whom are willing to share their knowledge in order to make my job less stressful.

Durham county Department of Social Services (DSS) is a good employer if you are just starting off as a Social Worker just after graduation. Long term you will notice raises are very low and over the years you will notice your income doesn't seem to increase. The culture at DSS is not diverse. Culture consist of a very, very high African Americans. Most of the supervisors and managers are of African American. I learned DSS Hires Spanish individuals on a very low level, but not into supervisors or management positions. Hardest part is working hard and not getting noticed.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Social worker 33 salaries reported	$71,332 per year
Processing assistant 14 salaries reported	$45,252 per year
Public health nurse 16 salaries reported	$89,216 per year
Office assistant 12 salaries reported	$19.49 per hour
Social work supervisor 11 salaries reported	$88,342 per year

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