Both Division of Highways offices in Monongalia and Preston counties have openings to fill.
DOH spokesman Brent Walker said during snow and ice removal season, the DOH hires temporary people with CDL licenses “to help accommodate the season.”
Some are retired DOH workers who want to make extra money. But that’s not a requirement, and the temp jobs can transition to permanent positions for some, Walker said.
Mon County has a quota of 40 workers and currently has 28 permanent and seven temporary workers, “which suggests we are short five,” Walker said. But the number is hard to pin down because some of the temps may come on board full-time.
“So we are somewhere between five and 12 short,” Walker clarified.
Preston’s quota is 53, with 46 permanent and just one temp now, “so we are six or seven short there.”
Anyone interested in a temporary position should visit District 4 Headquarters in Bridgeport or a local facility to apply.
Getting hired
For a full-time position, Walker said, “Even though there is a paper application, it is best to apply online. We still go through the DOP application process, which is sometimes timely.”
All Transportation Workers (TWs) are drug-tested prior to hiring and subject to random testing once hired.
“We hire general labor, equipment operator and equipment repair (aka mechanics),” Walker said.
The link to apply is www.personnel.wv.gov. Expect to provide information on past work history and training.
TW1s (general laborer) start at $11.9095 per hour; TW2s (CDL holders) start at $13.9495 hourly. TW3s (CDL holders with experience) start at $19.1295 per hour.
“Our TWs are in a TIER Program where they have an opportunity to increase their pay every 10 months,” Walker said.
Names of all qualified applicants are added to a list. When openings occur, the Division of Personnel refers names to the DOH.
Benefits
There are benefits beyond salary for DOH workers, said Anthony Paletta, human resources manager for District Four.
“The reason applicants consider working for the DOH varies from individual to individual,” Paletta said in an email.
“Some come for the benefits, insurance and retirement mostly. The insurance cost is reasonable compared to other options. The retirement, compared to private and federal, is better than most, 2.5% for your average salary each year you work.”
Workers get three weeks of paid vacation after the first year. New employees earn 4.6154 hours of annual leave (vacation) per pay.
The time can be accumulated to cover the time they want to be off. Or the time off can be taken hour by hour.
“The only restriction is that the annual leave has to be approved in advance and, in the case of county employees, weather-permitting,” Paletta said.
New employees also earn 5.5385 hours of sick leave per pay. An unlimited amount of sick leave can be accumulated, which acts as a short-term disability insurance. Sick leave may also be used for doctor appointments.
“An additional benefit is that once an employee earns a bank of hours of sick leave, they may use up to 80 hours in a calendar year for immediate family leave,” Paletta said. “If a family member has to go to the doctor, stay home from school or work, the employee may be with them.”
DOH gives workers 13 paid holidays.
“One of the best benefits is that they can work and remain close to home. Some workers have worked the oil fields and are tired of no family life. Work for the DOH is steady, no worries of weeks without 40 hours or more and no worries of layoffs,” Paletta said.
“One benefit that you cannot overlook is that in most organizations, there is a feeling of family,” he added. “Employees getting along, looking out for each other. From time to time you have family disputes, but most do not last.”
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