Hey, I work for HR in an Oregon State government and wanted to tell you that if the government can do these things, so can private companies and other states:
- All state employees (besides management service) are unionized. We have a contract with SEIU 503 which most employee's fall under. Some are with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees trade union. There's bargaining every 2 years and we're beholden to follow it.
- Pay levels are posted on EVERY job posting, and there is a classification list managed by the Department of Administrative Services showing you the exact amount you'll receive at each step for each job. You are guaranteed a step increase once a year at your current job, and undergo pay equity when you are hired at a different department that matches your qualifications to possibly give you a big boost.
- We also have cost of living increases (COLA) that are determined once a year. It will always increase your monthly pay permanently.
- Workday, for as god awful a program that it is to use, does keep good track of your PTO accruals. You can use sick days as soon as you start, but vacation can't be used for 6 months, though you start to accrue time when you start.
- Oregon is embracing WFH as a permanent change to some jobs. Employee's working from home are issued their own computers, phones, and any other needed office equipment, including chairs.
- All jobs are competitive. An external candidate has as much chance to be hired into a position as an internal one. Direct appointments happen but are rare and usually reserved for a special need.
I know HR is usually the bad guy for most companies but I love my job. I'm just admin support but I love the union, and that the contract makes it so I don't have to do shitty things to employee's. Even though I don't have the same contract protections, the State finds it easier to follow the contract for management too so we usually get the same benefits, like when Juneteenth was added as a paid holiday.
None of this is secret, it's all public info. You can see this on all our job postings. It's not perfect for sure, but it might be a good template if you're looking to create some change in the world.