At the regular Lycoming County Commissioners Meeting held on September 27th, three service recognition pins were awarded. Dave Bonus, from the Resource Management Services Department, received a 30-year service pin as did Karen Miller, from the Pre-Release Center. Carla Miller from the Department of Public Safety and Chris Shuck from the Prison received 20-year service pins.

This pattern of employment longevity runs throughout the various departments of Lycoming County government. For example, it has been noted several times in this column that departments such as the Juvenile Probation and Adult Probation Departments have employees who have stayed in their positions far beyond the national average for this type of work.

Some might believe that the reason for the lack of mobility is that these are individuals who simply could not find a job anywhere else. Nothing could be further from the truth. Having worked in the field of Human Resource Management for over two decades, and having interviewed dozens and possibly over a hundred different people who work for the county, it is this writer’s humble assessment that we are fortunate to have such skilled employees who choose to work for our county government.

Neither is it that they are just “homegrown” people who have no desire to seek employment elsewhere. Again, it is surprising to find so many in county employment who are exactly the opposite — they lived elsewhere, even in other states and came to Lycoming County because they recognized the opportunities here.

Nor is it because the benefits package is so attractive that it keeps county employees around. Actually, this is one of the stress areas between the employees and the commissioners, as budget constraints have caused the financial belt to continually be pulled tighter and tighter.

So, why do highly qualified and experienced folks like Dave, Karen, Carla and Chris stay in county employment for decades? It might be surprising to learn that studies have shown the number one reason why employees leave their place of employment is not because of other job opportunities of better pay, working conditions, or advancement possibilities. Actually, the number one reason why an employee seeks to find new employment is this — dissatisfaction with their immediate supervisor!

Think about it. Imagine a job where the work is interesting and challenging, the pay and benefits are good, the work colleagues are congenial, there is lots of growth potential, and so forth, BUT it means working for a boss who is a tyrant, or intolerably arrogant, or incompetent. All of those positives get drowned in the sea of a dysfunctional boss.

Following this thread, one possible, and reasonable, explanation for the consistent longevity of county government employees could be the quality of the management that flows from the heads of the various departments. In numerous discussions and interviews with these department heads, it is not uncommon to hear them remark about how much they appreciate their workers and how concerned they are for them. And on the other side, a common refrain from these employees is how much they appreciate their supervisors.

At the same time, it will be more and more challenging for these department heads to keep their head screwed on straight with the mounting demands they face combined with the continual constraints that the county faces due to budget deficits. In coming years, we may appreciate those service pins much more than we do now.