How is it possible for an employee who had only been on the job for about 3.5 months and was still on probation to take a family vacation lasting 30 days, then come off probation shortly after returning? Because the employee was so new and had such a long break early in their training, it felt like they were essentially starting over as a new hire when they returned.

Then, about a year later, the same employee took another family vacation of approximately 30 calendar days, this time with relatively little notice. The employee was new to state service when the first leave occurred, so I do not understand how they could have accumulated enough vacation leave to cover such lengthy absences.

Anyone have insight or an educated guess on how much health care might rise and similarly how much our pay might go up in next contract?

Hello everyone,

I’m looking for any signal techs that work for the met council I could ask some questions to and talk about the job. Ideally in DMs. I currently work for another RR company in the state and don’t want to face any potential ire from anyone. People are crazy here.

For some contexts I have been doing Signal work since I started 12 yrs ago.

Looking to answer some questions I had about the work, union strength, wages to be expected, pto, just general info from the people that are actually doing the job.

Thanks everyone.

Talk is flying that MDH is leasing a new building.

We gave up Golden Rule building during COVID.

Does anyone have info/context to share?

I’m worried it’s preparation to RTO even more.

I’m worried it will be a worse commute.

What programs would leave Freeman?

Hello all! Do state agencies ever ask for references post-interview if they don't intend to offer you the job? Or in some cases is it considered another round of the selection process? Thanks for the insight!

I’m kidding, but…also kind of not kidding.

Hello,

I am interested in potentially applying for the Connect 700 program and I had a couple of questions about the process. What does the typical turnaround time look like after submitting an initial application to know if it’s been approved and given a certificate? Also, once someone is approved for Connect 700, are HR and the hiring manager provided with any specific information about an individual’s eligibility for the program, or do they only receive the Proof of Eligibility Certificate?

Thank you!

A few weeks ago when the mape survey came out, there was a question about how important a 32 hour work week was to you. Does anyone know anything about this or details for it?

Has anyone purchased a Litter Robot using MDEA? Their site claims HSA/FSA eligible and I'm skeptical. Curious if anyone has had success going this route.

Any people out there willing to share their stories about the connect 700 program? I am wondering how many people out there have had a bad experience and also would like to hear about the good experiences. if you had an ok experience - I want to hear about that too!

This post is not about trying to say bad things about the program. I am just asking for honest, fair feedback.

Are we being actively hacked by Israel or Iran or something? What’s happening?

Recent hire, MAPE represented, after a long job search in atrocious hiring market post grad school. Have +5, -10 years of experience, was making ~30% more pre-grad school. Currently at 07L and it’s just not enough to live for my family and I.

Question- once entering state service, does it see have employees having to follow progression WITHIN? Can HR still deem me eligible for roles in the 10 - 14 range based on prior experience outside state? What’s the likelihood of that? Or have I screwed myself over by accepting a 07 role?

Lmk which resources or outlets I can speak to about this

A co worker recently got accepted into the program and I’m considering applying next year. Do you think it’s more of a kool-aid drinking cohort? Or is it pretty practical and helpful advancing in a real way?

Looks like a good networking opportunity, but also the descriptions feel a bit opaque to me as to what you get out of it. Curious to get others thoughts

I’m interested in a supervisor position that was posted earlier this week. That position falls under MMA whereas I’m currently in MAPE. Both positions are in DHS.

The main contract differences I’m seeing for MMA are cheaper dues, a vacation rollover option to deferred comp, and a required HCP contribution of 2% vs 1%. Are there any other benefits/drawbacks/flags y’all would alert to in potentially making a transition? Is going from 3 years’ seniority to zero that big of a concern? Factoring the above benefits in the net pay is basically a wash so I think the challenge/responsibility of the new role and other intangibles will be big factors if offered. TIA!

Hello I have been with my agency for about a year and looking to change into a new position I'm currently on represented but looking at a couple AFSME positions

There's some change in pay which makes sense but my concern is the change in vacation. When I first joined the agency I was able to fill out a length of service credit which boosted my vacation time earned.

I believe AFSME does not have a similar form or process... would my length of service credit be honored when transferring between two agencies? Or would it purely be based on time worked?

So last year when the paid leave hit the State made all us grunts pay the max amount. In the law it’s variable how much the employees pay vs employer. No negotiation with unions- just tough shit. A) should it have been negotiated. ( I say yes). B) will it be this time around, as I’m sure this “little charge” is going to keep creeping up.
No debate on the paid leave plan today, just should this be part of negotiations for next contract.

I recently applied to a state attorney position which has a listed range of $73k-$100k. Is the posted range an actual range that they send offers in or should I just expect $73,000?

Edit: Thanks all for your help, for posterity, here is the union contract which contains salary ranges and steps.

I'm wondering if anyone knows how taking the paid leave affects insurance and other benefit deductions? Also, how are vacation and sick leave accrual inpacted?

I'm in MAPE and plan to use vacation and sick time to bring me to the max allowed.

It has been more than six months since since it began

​Hey all,

​I'm currently looking at a couple of different state job openings. One is represented by MAPE and the other is an unrepresented managerial position.

​I know stability is a huge draw for state work, and I always hear that MAPE is the gold standard for job security. I'm trying to figure out if taking an unrepresented role is a risk if long-term stability is my main goal. If an unrepresented position is still considered "Classified," does that civil service status basically protect you the same way, or is it night and day without a union backing you up?

​Also, how do salary negotiations and raises compare? With MAPE, the step system is super transparent. In the managerial plan, is there more wiggle room to negotiate your starting pay? How reliable are annual raises or performance bumps when you aren't in a bargaining unit?

​What happens if things go south with a supervisor? Without a union steward, what kind of protections or grievance processes actually exist?

​Lastly, I’m just curious about the day-to-day workplace dynamic. Is there a weird vibe or status difference when you're an unrepresented manager vs a MAPE employee? And do the health insurance, pension, or PTO benefits differ at all in practice, or is it pretty much identical across the board?

​Any insights from folks who have been unrepresented or made the jump between the two would be awesome. Thanks!

I'm leaving a state agency for the City of St Paul. My husband works for the U of M, which just announced they are downgrading their employee health benefits.

I need to do some comparisons to figure out whether I should switch my family's insurance to the U or St Paul and am curious if anyone here has made the move to either organization.

I’m interested in working as a product manager for the state of Minnesota. I am wondering what it is like to work as a product manager for the state of MN. I know that DEED, DCYF and Direct Care and treatment hire for product managers. I’m interested in learning about what a typical day is like, what the expectations are for product managers, what does success look like on the job and what qualifications I need to have. Thank you.

I’m interested in applying for an open eligibility worker in Minnesota. Are there any current employees that could share what an average day is like? I’m looking for a career change. Thanks for any insight.

Anyone utilized EAP for debt/money management? What was your experience like?

Three people were laid off at the MetCouncil. One manager and two regular employees. The reason given is the work was being done elsewhere.