maintenance person

eligibility worker

licensed practical nurse

registered nurse

diesel mechanic

State of Nebraska

Not a very "new guy friendly" environment. You wont get the gravy if you are not buddy buddy with the old hats and management. nearly everyone is back biter and stands behind their finger guns ALL DAY LONG. "its so and so's fault, they did it, they didn't do it." absolutely no personal accountability in this place. always someone else's fault. and if you are the new guy guess what..... that falls on you more often than not. very negative environment. not very willing to teach "their way" of doing things, more willing for you to do it wrong so they have something to complain about later. Due to the age of the equipment you will spend more time as a mechanic than you will as a maintenance worker so don't be fooled by that. no knock on the mechanic he is good at his job, just extremely overwhelmed all the time, 5 bays full all day everyday for 1 guy to handle. Very high turn over rate for obvious reasons, the manager does not even care, just part of the culture and not at all willing to change that. The benefits are great, but unless you stay on top of that and ride them like a horse 2-3 times a day about it you wont get signed up for the benefits. Upon leaving I was asked to go online to do an exit interview, I agreed, they gave me a link that does not exist. I think so the manager doesn't take the heat. (would not let me add link) Sent a response about this and was greeted with an "oh well not my problem."
Don't make any plans, your time does not belong to you, and forget about using any PTO, that does not happen either. 
If you are willing to tolerate this for 20-30 years then they do offer an amazing retirement program. (if they didn't forget to submit it in the first place).
Safety is not paramount here either. They will issue standard ppe. but that does not make for a safer place to work per say. 
On a more positive note, the job itself is not too bad, fairly laid back, no pressure for things to be done Immediately, plenty of sauntering to be had. no real metrics to be held to (unless the bosses bosses boss needs something done, then everyone jumps).
If you are an 18 year old green to the gills kid willing to learn lots and have stable life long employment, then really, this is the job for you. But if you have had a taste of what the world really has to offer you wont put yourself through this for very long.

Training- is amazing and great. However each unit has a different environment with different expectations. This should NOT be the case. Most of the employees there say “oh forget about the policies set in place, this is how we do it here (in this unit).” 

You do get exposed to different cultures and beliefs from not only the youths but your coworker too. However, you will have to eventually put hands on other youths when they are ‘fighting” or some other security issues. If you’re not comfortable and have the confidence to make that sound decision, just don’t even apply. 
There will be quite a few of coworkers that are only there for a pay check and doesn’t take the safety of the job seriously. Really observe during training on whether you can do the job with no supervision. The higher ups are hardly there in person but some do watch cameras and will call you out. 
As long as you have a good supervisor in which there are only 2 good ones, they will help guide you into your position and goals. 
Everyday when you show up, you don’t know what’s going to happen even with structured day already outlined. I thought that was cool. There is definitely not enough of communication going on about the important things. Unfortunately there is a lot of drama that is talked about. So just be weary of which people you befriend. 
If you have a family or enjoy doing certain activities, it is going to be incredibly hard at this job. After you’ve completed your training hours and finally able to work in the unit, you will have a. 90 day grace period of not being mandated. The place is based off of seniority and people use it all the time, especially over petty stuff. Like if you want to attend team meeting and haven’t been in weeks, anyone that has seniority over you will make you stay back in the units (if there isn’t enough coverage.) You will be mandated eventually. I would just get used to working more hours and not really having a set schedule. You may get mandated for a 16 hr shift. 
You have to rely more on your coworkers to help show you in detail on how the unit ran day to day. 
this place is a drug free place but they don’t test unless someone suspects to be under the influence. I thought that was sketchy due to the youths you are working with.

interesting work environment with lot of growth opportunities 

Supervise inmates in a wide variety of situations and activities. Conduct thorough inspections and searches of inmates, buildings and grounds. Negotiate extensive pedestrian and mobile perimeter and grounds inspection outdoors. Move heavy furniture and equipment with assistance (up to 100 pounds) during searches. Perform security observation duties to include duty in 45-50 feet high towers. Prepare documentation regarding institutional matters such as incident reports, misconduct reports and logs. Conduct counts. Operate security equipment such as portable and mobile radios, electronic panel switches, keys in locks, fire extinguishing equipment, hand tools, and mechanical levers. Place and remove restraints on inmates. Operate control center. Recognize critical behavior. Respond to emergency situations. Restrain and control inmates. Transport inmates leaving the institution on any form of travel order. Drive state vehicles to include conducting perimeter patrol of institution. Follow written directives, post orders, and special instructions in addition to policies and procedures which dictate daily, routine and emergency procedures. Enforce rules and regulations. Communicate with other staff by using portable and mobile radios, telephones, pagers, intercoms and similar adaptive equipment. Complete and maintain annual certification of Training Academy classes including CPR, self-defense, first aid, chemical agents, and firearms. Employ techniques learned as necessary. Supervise compliance with safety, sanitation, health and personal hygiene standards. Supervise the issue, use and storage of caustic, toxic and flammable substances. Distribute inmate mail. Overtime, voluntary and mandatory, includes weekends, holidays, and double-shifts. Obtain and maintain Medication Aide Certification. Distribute medication as necessary.

Just don't.  This Lexington call center is dismal. You will be disappointed.  If post traumatic disorders are your thing, this is the place to get one. To heck with them, the admins and the directors and governor.  No one is providing solutions. Heaven forbid these customers were empowered. So absolutely retching display of "leadership" and the epitome of every meme bad joke and opinion of "government employees". 
From this location, to the administration, HR, directors, governor. What is wrong with Nebraska is nothing more than experienced knowledge persons mistakenly identified as "leaders" or leadership material.  Please don't. Take your skills or education and go to another state, not kidding. It is not just this location or assistance programs. It is rampant throughout the government systems and no one is stopping them or helping you. Don't be a fool. Walk away now. Think this over. Google search or FB search for employment posts. I swear you will find all the evidence you need to RUN and never consider Nebraska government again.  I mean, you might be able to conform and rise to the top, but it will cost you your identify, your soul and you will never be able to save face with the people who know you or return to this side of the fence. Dont be a traitor just stay far away from this hole in the country misconduct of an excuse for government and its administration
AS Archer would say, " Do you want PTSD? Because working at the Lex call Center or Nebraska State Department of anything is EXACTLY how you get PTSD.

Listen! RUN! If they ever ask for your honest opinion, or want you to share your insight, or seem sympathetic to you or your casue- Its a trap. Say nothing RUN!
I don't care how broke or how badly you think you need the benefits, coverage, pay. It is not worth your peace of mind or your soul.

The agency I work in is ran pretty well. Most agencies have people in the same job as me but not all of them can be reviewed the same. In my agency and division, I feel like my supervisors are attentive and understanding. They listen when there are issues and they are aware that things happen that aren't in our control. The job, the benefits, and the people I work with are all great so I really don't have any complaints about that side of it.

The rate of pay is easily the worst part of the job. Private sector positions doing the same work will pay $3+ an hour more than the state does. We have better benefits than most of them but not enough to make up for the poor wages. We also don't know what our annual pay increase will be until right before (sometimes even after) it happens and it's usually just 2-2.5% so it doesn't really even cover inflation and the increased cost for benefits. The benefit premiums don't go up a ton each year but when you get such a tiny raise, you are pretty much stuck at the same effective rate of pay forever. Every year I've worked here, I've gotten better at my job and gained valuable experience but my compensation doesn't reflect that. After nearly 4 years, I make $0.17 per hour more than coworkers who have only been here for a little over one year. 

One thing every person should know if they are offered a job at the state is that the jobs are always posted at the minimum rate so you need to make a counter offer! They will not change their mind and take back the offer. They will take it to the Class & Comp division and Budget. If they determine the rate is reasonable and within budget, your counter offer will be accepted. If not, they typically give a rebuttal rate and that is your "take it or leave it" option. ALWAYS COUNTER THE HIRING RATE!!

There is no way around it you will work lots of overtime, the turn over is crazy. The job can be boring about 95% of the time but the other 5% are intense. you will make some friend that will last a lifetime but will also deal with lots of staff who will stab you in the back. they will do this just because the can or they just don't like you. It can be an incredibly  petty place some times. I will also say favoritisms runs rampant. I worked at the state penitentiary and there will all ways be people chilling in the LTs office. you will have some supervisor's that care, but most will throw you under the bus in an instant. You will get no support from upper management most majors and captains are more concerned about their weekend plans or will just ignored you as if you are no one.  The pay may seem nice to start out but good luck getting raises. If you are looking to just work your butt off and you don't care about your home life, by all means go for it. but if you don't like to party, make coffee for the Lieutenants or sergeant's, really good at sucking up or a pretty girl for them to hit on... well good luck. I'm sorry if I come off negative but you need to know what your getting in too....oh yea and then you have to deal with the inmates.....my honest advise don't. the money may look nice and they have that stupid hiring bonus. but believe me with all you deal with mentally at this job the money is not worth it.

Management's attitude is to run this like a government and not a business.    Management will not allocate resources for manpower.  As a former shift supervisor during a weekly management meeting, I was told by my administrator that staff needs overtime to pay off cars and houses they can't afford.  This is why BSDC cannot keep help because the workers are short staffed and those above them pile on more work and do not lift a finger to help.  The employees get burnt out and afraid!  

Why are they frighten and tired?  When working 16 hours days and making a mistakes which could lead to being put in jail, having a public permanent record which will never allow you to work around vulnerable people and/or being fired... looms over their heads consonantly, until you can't take it any more!  Management will not work directly with the individuals because of this fear of punishment, yet they do nothing to help relieve it!  They criticize the staff for being lazy.  

Actuality there are no real managers working for DHHS!  Not one including HR knows how to plan!  The management team has no concept of the principles of management therefore none of their plans will ever succeed because they lack of elements to planning.  When you expose this flaw you will receive backlash and be demoted or fired.  If you are a good person and trying to help the people you are caring for, you will be abused and mistreated which leaves the bad ones behind.  

We elected a governor who knows business and was going to apply it?  State Of Nebraska needs business leaders and not labels or experts!

Not a bad place to work if you can put up with the inner politics that go on at NDOT.  Very cliquish bunches.  You are either with the "In-crowd" or just another serf that does his job & works so that others can take credit & look good from your efforts.   There is a unique culture in being a state employee and especially at NDOT.   Office & engineering equipment is adequate for the age.  The IT applications and support is stuck in stone age & still using mainframe systems.  There are many training opportunities that a person can take advantage of to enhance their resume.   The overall great benefits is what keeps employees from moving on, if they can survive living on a smaller paycheck than private industry.  Career advancement is minimal at best and is probably why there are so many grumpy & angry people there.  There are some good engineers that work at NDOT while there are quite a few that couldn't get a job anywhere else but at NDOT, so keep that in mind who you will be working with (or for).  The Department Head position is a revolving door for political appointees so there is constant flux & change of direction way too often.  The Deputies follow & flow with those winds of change whether it makes sense or not.    (Heavy on the latter)  

Hostile work environment. As a temporary worker you get treated like garbage.  No equality. Sexual discriminating is high. They hold temporary workers to a higher standard than their permanent workers. Meaning that if you, being temporary, make a mistake, exactly like a mistake that a permanent worker makes, you will be disciplined with a higher severity than their permanent workers. 

     The training is non existent. Your superiors will first watch you struggle and do it wrong and complain that your doing it wrong even tho you stated you have no idea how to do the task prior to doing it. 

    Morning job briefing. You walk in the crew room in the morning and clock in. You ask "What are we doing today?". They say "That's a need to know basis". So no job briefing. You only know what your doing when you are right about to do it. In most cases.

     No provided clean water. Just tap water. Unpaid 30 minute lunch. Two 15 minute breaks (if they feel like giving them to you). Made to feel like a uneducated piece of garbage daily. Dirty foul language. What a great place to work.

Honestly didn't know a work environment like this still could exist now days. Especially working for the state. Wow. Don't take my word for it. Go experience this for yourself.

Not nice people to work for. I was hired as Store Clerk 1, which according to the job description was basically a convenience store clerk. However, the reality was nearly 30 to 50% of the time was working in the kitchen. Duties focused on preparation of food that was served in the Foxhole Canteen and washing dishes. Not your average dishes but the institutional size pots and pans from the kitchen preparation area. Also I was expected to mop the floor of the Foxhole Canteen daily.   There was almost no training provided whatsoever although there were supervisors everywhere. During the dayshift there were nearly more supervisors than there were line level employees. Each supervisor had their own idea of of how my job was to be done and it was not done in a constructive manner.  The dietary director was rude and demanding with a little concern for any of the line level employees. Most of the supervisors kept to themselves and usually took a long lunch breaks while the rest of us worked, most often without even the 15 minute break we were supposed to receive. I would not recommend the stores clerk job at Central Nebraska Veteran’s Home to anyone. Although benefits are good, rate of pay, working conditions, and the hostile environment are terrible.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Maintenance person 155 salaries reported	$19.94 per hour
Eligibility worker 45 salaries reported	$20.84 per hour
Licensed practical nurse 21 salaries reported	$32.68 per hour
Registered nurse 16 salaries reported	$45.86 per hour
Diesel mechanic 11 salaries reported	$22.76 per hour

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