Low pay and poor morale are driving out these Pa. conservation officers

[jgish92]

Low pay and poor morale are driving out these Pa. conservation officers

Of the 2023 waterway conservation officer training class, nearly one-quarter have already left the agency, mostly for better pay elsewhere.

www.inquirer.com

 

[dudemanspecial]

That's always been a thing with any state job, you sacrifice pay, especially starting pay, for benefit and retirement security. This isn't breaking news and those officers should have been well aware of that going into it.

Edit: Just to be clear, I am not suggesting that they don't deserve to make more, I am just pointing out the reality of the situation.

 

[lycoflyfisher]

Game wardens have been making the same complaints and publically spoke out at one of the PGC Commission Meetings earlier this year. Challenging situation when you consider union contracts and all.

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

The low pay is stated in the article as "lower than other law enforcement agencies" which may seem a valid concern, until one compares the requirements, hazards, training, etc. for those other agencies.
I only spent 6 years in the military because private sector pay was a lot higher for doing the same job.

 

[Cznymph]

I wonder if this high rate of attrition has caused the PFBC to keep officers that they shouldn’t have otherwise.

 

[hooker-of-men]

Join the club.

 

[nymphingmaniac]

That's always been a thing with any state job, you sacrifice pay, especially starting pay, for benefit and retirement security. This isn't breaking news and those officers should have been well aware of that going into it.

Edit: Just to be clear, I am not suggesting that they don't deserve to make more, I am just pointing out the reality of the situation.

yes. We face a similar situation at the university. The salary is lower, but , and this is a big but, the benefits are much better. The entire compensation package ends up being competitive. I know because I did the calculations for my wife.
This is what we encounter with staff and I bet its the same for WCOs. Many are middle income and/or are starting out with young families. Take home pay means more to their daily lives than generous benefits that they don't realize until later in life. Add high inflation, well you get it. At the university compensation packages are defined by high income, older people who appreciate the total compensation. They have more cushion when eggs go up 30% and already own a home. I have argued for two tiered packages that employees can choose. More salary, less benefits or more benefits and less salary.
One more thing too. This applies to the university, but even more so at the government level - job security.

 

[nymphingmaniac]

I wonder if this high rate of attrition has caused the PFBC to keep officers that they shouldn’t have otherwise.

My experience is the answer is yes. Or, you accept less excellence/output. I have had to make this decision. It sucks and worse yet, the people who are doing great see this and this can destroy their morale.

 

[riverwhy]

yes. We face a similar situation at the university. The salary is lower, but , and this is a big but, the benefits are much better. The entire compensation package ends up being competitive. I know because I did the calculations for my wife.
This is what we encounter with staff and I bet its the same for WCOs. Many are middle income and/or are starting out with young families. Take home pay means more to their daily lives than generous benefits that they don't realize until later in life. Add high inflation, well you get it. At the university compensation packages are defined by high income, older people who appreciate the total compensation. They have more cushion when eggs go up 30% and already own a home. I have argued for two tiered packages that employees can choose. More salary, less benefits or more benefits and less salary.
One more thing too. This applies to the university, but even more so at the government level - job security.

Sorry but I want a nice new video board!

 

[nymphingmaniac]

one more thing for low morale/job satisfaction. Internet websites with people who snipe and criticize how they/their unit do their jobs 😀

 

[hooker-of-men]

yes. We face a similar situation at the university. The salary is lower, but , and this is a big but, the benefits are much better. The entire compensation package ends up being competitive. I know because I did the calculations for my wife.
This is what we encounter with staff and I bet its the same for WCOs. Many are middle income and/or are starting out with young families. Take home pay means more to their daily lives than generous benefits that they don't realize until later in life. Add high inflation, well you get it. At the university compensation packages are defined by high income, older people who appreciate the total compensation. They have more cushion when eggs go up 30% and already own a home. I have argued for two tiered packages that employees can choose. More salary, less benefits or more benefits and less salary.
One more thing too. This applies to the university, but even more so at the government level - job security.

This is pretty much my situation. I work in higher ed, and my family basically lives paycheck to paycheck, though I have advanced degrees, years of experience, etc. The "perks", I guess, are that both retirement and soft benefits - remote work, vacation days - are pretty generous.

I get to fish a lot when I maybe could be working. 😂 I like that part.

 

[dudemanspecial]

yes. We face a similar situation at the university. The salary is lower, but , and this is a big but, the benefits are much better. The entire compensation package ends up being competitive. I know because I did the calculations for my wife.
This is what we encounter with staff and I bet its the same for WCOs. Many are middle income and/or are starting out with young families. Take home pay means more to their daily lives than generous benefits that they don't realize until later in life. Add high inflation, well you get it. At the university compensation packages are defined by high income, older people who appreciate the total compensation. They have more cushion when eggs go up 30% and already own a home. I have argued for two tiered packages that employees can choose. More salary, less benefits or more benefits and less salary.
One more thing too. This applies to the university, but even more so at the government level - job security.

I work for a private university as a union tradesman. I could make quite a bit more elsewhere salary wise, but the benefits are good, the time off is extremely generous and the 401k match is higher than anywhere else I have ever seen. It's also such a relaxed atmosphere compared to working on the retail side of what I do.

Above all of that though is the fact that I can send my kids to school tuition free. And they are part of a tuition exchange program that has over 700 schools they can choose from to go to.

 

[Cznymph]

My experience is the answer is yes. Or, you accept less excellence/output. I have had to make this decision. It sucks and worse yet, the people who are doing great see this and this can destroy their morale.

This certainly would account for the history of sub par behavior out of WCOs in my region over the years.

 

[Mike]

Regional or county specific cost of living adjustments in my view would go a long way in helping to recruit, train, and keep staff on board and in place.

 

[Bamboozle]

It is a thankless and low paying job being any type of LEO so in my world they are all under paid...

That being said, even the benefits at the state level aren't what they used to be when my father-in-law did his job for the Commonwealth. However, they still beat the pants off of the private sector because of the heath benefit packages.

Knowing that doesn't pay today's bills but the future can be a scary place if you have nothing to bank on except Social Security or inadequate savings & investments.

Convincing young folks of the importance of saving and being frugal when necessary is a huge challenge...

 

[CRB]

"What is the average salary needed to live comfortably in Pennsylvania?


How expensive is it to live comfortably in Pennsylvania? Here in the Keystone State, a single working adult must earn at least $91,312 a year — or $43.90 per hour — to cover basic needs, common desires and savings, according to SmartAsset analysis.Apr 24, 2024"

 

[nymphingmaniac]

Regional or county specific cost of living adjustments in my view would go a long way in helping to recruit, train, and keep staff on board and in place.

agreed, but never underestimate the ability of HR to screw up a sound idea.

 

[nymphingmaniac]

"What is the average salary needed to live comfortably in Pennsylvania?


How expensive is it to live comfortably in Pennsylvania? Here in the Keystone State, a single working adult must earn at least $91,312 a year — or $43.90 per hour — to cover basic needs, common desires and savings, according to SmartAsset analysis.Apr 24, 2024"

they must weight this based on population centers (meaning PHL and Pitt drags the value up.. Grad students live quite well in state college (and its more expensive than 5 miles out) for less than half that. That figure is highly questionable as an average across the state

 

[CRB]

"What is the average salary needed to live comfortably in Pennsylvania?


How expensive is it to live comfortably in Pennsylvania? Here in the Keystone State, a single working adult must earn at least $91,312 a year — or $43.90 per hour — to cover basic needs, common desires and savings, according to SmartAsset analysis.Apr 24, 2024"

they must weight this based on population centers (meaning PHL and Pitt drags the value up.. Grad students live quite well in state college (and its more expensive than 5 miles out) for less than half that. That figure is highly questionable as an average across the state

I too.
If my office was a truck or boat vs patrole car on an interstate or city cop I would opt for a WCO job.

I would LIKE more pay with BETTER benefits myself but it always comes down to the grass is always greener and if I perceive my day flying by(jess it is lunch now, than it is time to go) and i enjoy my work i just should stay.

 

[Bamboozle]

"What is the average salary needed to live comfortably in Pennsylvania?


How expensive is it to live comfortably in Pennsylvania? Here in the Keystone State, a single working adult must earn at least $91,312 a year — or $43.90 per hour — to cover basic needs, common desires and savings, according to SmartAsset analysis.Apr 24, 2024"

Sorry I don't buy that number for a minute...

That means you need & want about a zillion things many folks I know can do without...

While I am extremely fortunate to be fine financially, I have basic cable, no streaming services, a flip phone, I drive my cars until they explode; I don't own a boat or other toys, I don't gamble or go on extravagant vacations, I don't live in a McMansion and I saved a small fortune over my lifetime by having no tattoos...

Add that and other stuff to the mix and $91K looks about right... 😉