The 11 News I-Team has new information about the vacancy rate in state government-funded positions going unfilled. The information comes as a state employees’ union applied new pressure to get people hired.The state health department has been called on like never before over the past two years to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic — testing, vaccinating, analyzing — all of it done with shortages of staff.Of 6,334 funded positions in the health department, 817 are open. There is a vacancy rate of 13%.Several weeks ago, 11 News reported on the backlog of autopsies in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.Of 110 positions in the medical examiner’s office, 16 are open. There is a vacancy rate of 14%.Other state agencies are short too.”This is the worst I have seen staffing since I started 13 almost 14 years ago. We are scrambling with the resources we have,” said Cherrish Vick, a Department of Human Services employee.Of 5,838 positions in the Department of Human Services, 807 are open. There is a vacancy rate of 14%.During an online briefing, the state employees union pushed for new efforts to hire employees.”When the pandemic hit, our caseload numbers exploded and cases have been getting more and more complex,” said April Tindall, another Department of Human Services employee.Social worker Monique Boyd said a number of things, including the pandemic, have led to a surge in reports of maltreatment.”This pandemic and the return to in-person learning for children among other things has caused a surge in reports of maltreatment,” Boyd said.According to staffing level data the I-Team collected, of 2,430 funded positions at Maryland State Police, 276 are open — a vacancy rate of 11% and at the Motor Vehicle Administration, of 1,706 positions, 120 open — a vacancy rate of 7%.New contracts give state employees raises and bonuses. Del. Kirill Reznik, D-Montgomery County, said there are other factors.”We are far from addressing the real issue, which is the overworking of the departments, overworking of staff and understaffing of every critical function within both the Department of Human Services and throughout the administration across every agency,” Reznik said.When asked about the staffing shortages, a spokesman for Gov. Larry Hogan cited the nationwide labor shortage and a survey showing Maryland is 18th among states in the number of public employees per capita, which includes both state and local employees.
The 11 News I-Team has new information about the vacancy rate in state government-funded positions going unfilled. The information comes as a state employees’ union applied new pressure to get people hired.
The state health department has been called on like never before over the past two years to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic — testing, vaccinating, analyzing — all of it done with shortages of staff.
Of 6,334 funded positions in the health department, 817 are open. There is a vacancy rate of 13%.
Several weeks ago, 11 News reported on the backlog of autopsies in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Of 110 positions in the medical examiner’s office, 16 are open. There is a vacancy rate of 14%.
Other state agencies are short too.
“This is the worst I have seen staffing since I started 13 almost 14 years ago. We are scrambling with the resources we have,” said Cherrish Vick, a Department of Human Services employee.
Of 5,838 positions in the Department of Human Services, 807 are open. There is a vacancy rate of 14%.
During an online briefing, the state employees union pushed for new efforts to hire employees.
“When the pandemic hit, our caseload numbers exploded and cases have been getting more and more complex,” said April Tindall, another Department of Human Services employee.
Social worker Monique Boyd said a number of things, including the pandemic, have led to a surge in reports of maltreatment.
“This pandemic and the return to in-person learning for children among other things has caused a surge in reports of maltreatment,” Boyd said.
According to staffing level data the I-Team collected, of 2,430 funded positions at Maryland State Police, 276 are open — a vacancy rate of 11% and at the Motor Vehicle Administration, of 1,706 positions, 120 open — a vacancy rate of 7%.
New contracts give state employees raises and bonuses. Del. Kirill Reznik, D-Montgomery County, said there are other factors.
“We are far from addressing the real issue, which is the overworking of the departments, overworking of staff and understaffing of every critical function within both the Department of Human Services and throughout the administration across every agency,” Reznik said.
When asked about the staffing shortages, a spokesman for Gov. Larry Hogan cited the nationwide labor shortage and a survey showing Maryland is 18th among states in the number of public employees per capita, which includes both state and local employees.
