California Department of Health Services Sacramento Reviews

Pros

I enjoyed the responsibility of overseeing multiple high profile projects which impacted internal and external customers. Accomplishing hurdles others could not complete in the past.

Cons

Difficult working through the several levels of leadership to obtain decisions and to move forward to gain results.

Pros

plenty of opportunity for lateral movement

Cons

high turnover in my division

Pros

Nice park nearby. Good in-house training. Decent benefits.

Cons

For anyone who's watched GoT, it's like working with the Lannisters. Extreme bully culture. People drunk on authority, act like they're better than everyone else ("How DARE you question me?!"), and a general atmosphere of paranoia. Shady promotional practices - some promotions don't even follow standard procedure; e.g. promoting in place with no formal interview process (highly illegal, even among the non-attorney positions), while the honest hard workers are abused, never promoted, given work outside their scope, and have complaints filed against them/give bad work references so they're trapped. Anyone who doesn't suck up enough are purposely given confusing directions on assignments as "evidence" to reject on probation. Even though there's a lot of down-time, management acts like clock-watchers. Bored people who stalk you and make formal complaints over the silliest things. Lots of superiority/inferiority complexes. VERY cliquish, lots of gossip (seriously, doesn't matter how "nice" they are at first, they're just getting ammo to use against you later). Exclusion based on classism, and lots of sexism (80% female office, many of which purposely try to provoke men into awkward situations to get them into trouble). After a switch in upper management, it's only gotten worse - some literally shove people out of the way to grab a print-out or office supplies. It's bad enough groups of people socializing are so oblivious while blocking doorways and hallways they get offended when someone needs to get by. Mass exodus of staff (clerical support and legal) since the management switch.

Pros

You work adds value to the community, and you get the benefits of a guaranteed benefits program.

Cons

Staff are very defensive and thin skinned.

Pros

Great stepping-stone opportunity to get out of low-wage no-benefit private service sector and have job security. Great free education via in-agency training division (MS Office, self-management, etc.). The very, very few actually decent people who are stuck there, or biding their time until they find better. Nice park nearby.

Cons

Like high school days of drama, cliques, reputation-damaging gossip, and projected insecurity everywhere you go. An unnecessarily competitive and self-entitled atmosphere where you never know where you stand with anyone. Arrogant uptight and highly emotionally reactive people who think "because I said so" magically gets the job done, without any further communication between those involved or guidance, and still get blamed when their "because I said so" didn't magically make it happen how and when they wanted. Given the silent treatment and complained about over a minor statement or other inconsequential action that others perceive as offensive. People who perpetuate gossip or telling new-comers "don't talk to that person!". Always have to question the intentions of others and walk on eggshells. You'll never get a word in, even with casual conversations - don't dare talk about anything that makes you different or sound like you've made efforts to improve yourself, or someone might feel inferior. Covert narcissism and being shoved out of the way by people who don't realize they could be gone tomorrow and be replaced in a matter of months, or their policies changed by a matter of votes or lawsuit. They may claim their mission is Health Care Services, but you'd think you were in a prosecution office with these toxic personalities. Being victimized by narcissists who constantly threaten to fail you on probation, gaslight you, stalk you all day to contradict their directions 5 minutes later, force you into retirement, or seek employment elsewhere just because you have the self-respect to question them and think for yourself.

Pros

New, motivated upper management that is trying to instill culture change to better improve services and products to customers.

Cons

Still in the learning curve of said culture but I appreciate the effort and transparency.