LINCOLN, Neb (KMTV) — Like more than 1000 of other state employees Rachel Kreifels has been able to do most of her job with the department of developmental disabilities from home.
“Im not having to drive back and forth to the office, I am saving time that way, if I have an appointment I need to sneak out to I am not having to take that time away from my work and the people I serve,” said Kreifels.
Rachel is one of the many employees whose ability to work from home could soon come to an end if an executive order from Governor Jim Pillen goes into effect.
The governor claims that remote work has stifled productivity but has provided any information about how he came to that conclusion.
But union officials for public employees say there has not been one case of a remote union employee being disciplined for not doing their work in the last 3 years.
“If there was a situation where a state employee isn’t doing their job I would hope a good leader would walk up to them and say, here are my expectations here is how I want you to fix it. Poor leadership looks like hmmm, someone must not have done a good job today therefore I will punish 7000 people because its easier that way,” said Justin Hubly, executive director of NAPE.
A recent survey of Union members show the order to return to office is so unpopular that many are considering quitting or have actively started looking for other jobs.
According to the survey there is a potential for well over 1000 state employees to seek other jobs if remote work is taken away, something that Rachel believes would be devastating to departments like hers.
“There are 100 people from developmental disabilities who are thinking about leaving. Many of those workers have caseloads and when they leave those cases have to be absorbed by other people,” said Kreifels.
While the Governor and his team have thus far rejected any requests to return to the negotiating table Hubly says the Union isn’t letting this issue go.
“If they aren’t willing to bargain with us we will exercise our legal options to ensure our members rights are respected and the public interest is protected,” said Hubly.
Hubly says that legal action will likely begin with a complaint to the state’s Labor Board and a request for a judge to halt the order until negotiations can take place.
Now that demands have been made the state only has a few days to respond, and Union reps are asking for that response to come before December 12th.
