By Joseph Palmersheim
As MnDOT closes in on the first anniversary of unprecedented change, a new report is shedding light on how the past year has affected staff.
Nearly 63 percent of agency staff responded to a 28-question Employee Work Environment Survey last fall (Aug. 28 to Sept. 21, 2020). This data, used to create the recently released COVID-19 Pandemic Impact Report, asked employees questions ranging from technology issues to work-life balance.
According to Matt Damiani, division business manager, part of the goal with the survey was to gather employees’ experiences and feedback into one place.
“The DBMs and other management were hearing feedback anecdotally, like from employee to manager, which makes it hard to fix anything if you don’t know who it affects or how widespread the issue is,” he said. “As COVID was beginning and we started spending time at home, various issues were popping up. We brainstormed the best way to get a handle on what the situation was, and decided to ask employees for their feedback directly.”
Responses were roughly split between those working at home and those in the field, with about 600 employees reporting a combination of both.
Knowing who was having issues connecting allowed for problem solving, Damiani said.
“We identified things we could adjust right away, like some of the questions we were getting about barriers to do your work right now,” Damiani said. “There were barriers like not being able to connect to the network. With some folks, we got their information to the Mobile Devices Unit to provide them with alternatives when they didn’t have good internet at home, especially people who may be outstate. In the Twin Cities metro, you take for granted that everyone has access to good high-speed Internet. Outside of the metro, that’s not a given.”
Here are some other key takeaways from the Telework section of the report (2,071 responses):
- The majority of employees reported having what they needed to do their jobs. The most common IT need identified as printers/scanners at home (20 percent)
- When it came to the telework experience, the most common challenge reported was “Reduced interaction with coworkers,” identified by 41 percent of respondents. The second was “Lack of physical movement” at 30 percent, followed by “Communication with coworkers is harder” at 24 percent.
- Nearly 61 percent of teleworkers reported that their experience had slightly or significantly improved in the three months before the survey.
- Nearly 69 percent of respondents indicated that they would be more likely to stay at MnDOT if they could continue to telework long term
Other key takeaways from the Field/Office/Lab mix section of the report (1,835 responses) include:
- Nearly 60 percent of field employees reported they do not have concerns with the absence of coworkers at the work location. There is still concern for additional COVID-19 exposure with additional employees returning to the work location.
- Nearly 22 percent reported concerns with delays in important work tasks due to employee absences, with 17.8 percent reporting concern about access to resources to complete tasks
- Nearly 56 percent of field employees reported that it had been more difficult to do their jobs since the pandemic, while nearly 11% found increased efficiencies
- More than 55 percent of field employees reported no need for additional safety measures at work locations.
The survey asked all employees about how MnDOT has responded to COVID-19 and its impact on their work. Of the 78 percent of people who responded to these questions, more than 70 percent of the comments received were favorable, with the rest being neutral or expressing concern.
Favorable feedback included:
- Predominantly minimal impact to employees
- Positive affirmation for working at MnDOT
- Appreciation for flexibility and ability to telework
- Increased productivity (predominantly for teleworkers)
Concerns included:
- Employees reporting to field positions feeling undervalued
- Public engagement and collaboration being more difficult
- Isolation while working from home
- Increased workload due to employees being out on leave
“We really tried with the survey to get a hold of what employee concerns were,” Damiani said. “Hopefully, people feel like they’ve been heard and they are seeing action happening. It was a lot of data to get through and a lot to get the ball rolling, but hopefully they are seeing results, seeing things being improved upon, feeling like this process is giving them an opportunity to express what their concerns and needs are. We’re trying to implement changes that need to happen and hear what people’s preferences are that could help shape the future for after the pandemic. It wasn’t just a, ‘Hey, we asked for everyone’s opinion and put numbers on a piece of paper and shelved it’ kind of thing.’ We really are trying to make improvements based on the feedback.”
Several upcoming Lunch and Learn sessions will cover results from the survey. The Employee Environment Survey presentations will take place on the following dates and times:
- Friday, Feb. 19
Noon to 1 p.m.
Join the meeting or call in at +1 651-395-7448,,919880327#, Phone Conference ID: 919 880 327#
- Tuesday, Feb. 23
7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Join the meeting or call in at +1 651-395-7448,,910977312#, Phone Conference ID: 910 977 312#
- Wednesday, Feb. 24
Noon to 1 p.m.
Join the meeting or call in at +1 651-395-7448,,39744810#, Phone Conference ID: 397 448 10#
- Thursday, Feb. 25
7:30 to 8:30 a.m.
Join the meeting or call in at +1 651-395-7448,,67402475#, Phone Conference ID: 674 024 75#
Note: The Teams link will allow the first 350 participants to enter the meeting.
|
