r/mnstateworkers

I just started a new job at DPS and am looking for a new apartment. I grew up in walkable cities and would like to avoid driving as much as possible (I do have a car I just dont like to drive lol). So I am looking at apartments within walking distance from my office building, such as the Whitley and the Cosmopolitan. Does anyone have any experience with these apartment buildings nearby?

I had a planned medical disability and applied for MPL as the statute is written that it needs to be used first before STD. I applied for both MPL and STD not knowing how quick the turn around would be for either.

It took two months for the MPL application to be approved and by that time I was already on leave. I decided to use my sick time to cover the first week since it’s 7 days before std kicks in and MPL wasn’t approved yet. Once MPL got approved I had to let them know that I took sick time for the first week, and therefore the dates had to be changed and the application sent back for reapproval.
There was absolutely no timeline given for this change approval so I went ahead and started using the MetLife STD. It’s been smooth as butter with them and I already have my first payment on its way.

At this point I will have to cancel my MPL application since I am using STD first and not MPL. 🫩

It’s very stressful to figure out and unless you are using MPL for parental leave where you have ample time to plan I do not recommend! Please hold on to your STD.

There appears to be a profound lack of understanding in the DHS-HR department and nuanced work of the various administrations and divisions. Based on conversations with DHS managers/leadership the frustration is HR’s insistence to continue lowering qualifications and standards of new and in some instances current positions. One manager I spoke with said he submitted a position description for a highly skilled, public and nuanced job at a 20 level and DHS-HR approved it at a 7 level. A substantial gap. One quote I heard from a DHS-HR staff said, “it’s all Medicaid.”  Insinuating how can the role really be that different/difficult.

And by all appearances this obfuscation appears to be only happening at DHS and not other state agencies. 

My understanding is DHS managers/leadership has brought this misguided trend up to the commissioner.  Is there anyone here (maybe DHS-HR) who can give insight into this trend, I’d love to hear more?