Every morning, hardworking state employees at Nevada’s DMV log-in to a start-up screen that posts announcements such as birthdays, reminders, and other office information.
On March 17th, The DMV Startup screen included the following message about “Professionalism” to workers:
“Don't Be a Grump
Leave your bad mood at the door when you come to work. We all have days when we aren't feeling our best. Remember not to take it out on your boss, your co-workers, and especially your customers. If work is the thing that is causing your bad mood, it may be time to think about quitting your job.
If that isn't a good option for you right now, find a way to make the best of the situation until it is.”
As might be expected, DMV workers did not appreciate this rude and unprofessional message.
“We’ve been working overtime, going above and beyond to serve Nevadans through this pandemic, and we don’t need an unprofessional message from management,” said AFSCME Local 4041 member Finesse Molhlman who works at DMV.
Many AFSCME Local 4041 members were greatly disturbed by the lack of professionalism displayed by management. Some wrote to management, calling them out on the condescending post.
The next day, DMV management tried to walk back the statement. An email went out to everyone saying, “I am deeply sorry to learn that I did not edit my start up screen closely enough and…greatly offended some employees.”
“That’s not an apology, that’s passing the buck,” said AFSCME Local 4041 member Traci Rasberry who works at DMV, “morale is already low at the office, and these kinds of messages make it worse.”
The day after that, on March 19, management sent another email cheerfully announcing they would be hiring contractors to help with the workload, saying “We will be hiring temporary workers from Manpower in the very near future. These positions are full time, and they’re slated to be filled through the end of this year...”
The context was clear: DMV staff should just suck it up because they are expendable and easy to replace with contract workers. They’ll say the contractors are there to help but pretty soon, there is always the possibility of state positions are being eliminated. This isn’t a new tactic.
AFSCME Local 4041 members are not standing for it anymore. If you think DMV management needs to treat workers with dignity and respect, CLICK HERE to sign your name to this petition to demand respect for state workers.
