Massachusetts Department of Public Health Reviews

Pros

Great staff and team effort

Cons

There are no cons at work.

Pros

Most staff dedicated and hardworking, job helps protect / heal kids, active job, pay/benefits ok (better than OK if you don't have much college). Union position but union lacks strong bargaining power.

Cons

Supervisors are either good people overwhelmed with workload, or toxic narcissists trolling for their next victim. Most management are lifelong employees of the program, so their perspective is limited. State employee pension program is not a good deal unless you work for the state for at least 20 years (again, out of line with most career trajectories nowadays); other retirement options offered but NO employer contribution (assumption is you'll be there 20-40 years and get the pension (!)). Many office locations decrepit, though more often you're in the field in people's homes, many of which are also decrepit. Nature of job itself often involves encounters with families and landlords who may be angry, and some of the homes you inspect may involve disturbing conditions. Understaffed; backlog leads to constant feeling of stress. Very little opportunity to meet/network with other parts of state government.

Pros

Good health benefits and time off

Cons

Hard to advance and feels like you do not get appreciated for hard work sometimes.

Pros

Open door policy for some leaders

Cons

Bureaucracy is painful and slows down the progress of the work

Pros

Every branch within MDPH is different. I've been on my team for 6+ years. My team is dedicated, kind, appreciative, and committed. We focus on racial and health equity, work life balance, and have a truly unique team culture of aupport.

Cons

Everything you've heard about state work, the red tape, vague timeliness, etc are true.

Pros

Many great services offered to residents of MA

Cons

Pay equity needed across gov’t. Equitable contracting needed as well.

Pros

Loved working with the technology and the teams and collaboration. I was there for over 10 years and I still miss them all. Great job and huge growth potential.

Cons

none that I can think of

Pros

-hybrid work schedule -work/life balance -pension (if you can stick out 30 years of lower pay)

Cons

-It can be difficult to get things done. A simple project/process can be dragged out for a very long time. Lots of redundant paperwork and processes. -Overstretched staff. Employees are doing the work of what 2 employees would normally be hired to do. It is almost expected that employees take on work that is beyond the scope of what they were hired.

Pros

There is a lot of autonomy, depending on the Bureau.

Cons

Once you prove to be competent and reliable management will pile on additional work, usually from other employers that don't do anything!

Pros

Chilled timelines Low stress Great benefits Great work-life balance Great people

Cons

Long wait to move upward Traffic to get to Lab Campus