The hold system is corrupt, everything is politics, is not what you know, but who you know as must jobs are taken by people with no knowledge or experience on the job.
Pretty much majority of people in there not even have the come on sense to fix or resolve any problems.
LearnFromMyMistake – May 29, 2013
The work place environment lacks proper structure and lacks management. It is a "free for all" depending on who is the biggest academic bully in town. They state in the job description the hours you work are supposed to M-F 8:30-5; however, I found they would send work request on holidays. For example; I received a request on Christmas eve with a deadline on Christmas day. I have been asked to work on Veteran's Day. This deeply offended me as I come from a military family that has represented this country in every major war going back to the American Revolution. There is no one to address these concerns to and not even with their Human Resources. You will find them to be inept. On a different topic; and equally important is the compensation package. It is TERRIBLE! With regards to Health Care Options: It is like a patchwork quilt. You choose one provider for dental; then a separate for health;...Ooh, and then there is yet another provider to choose for eye care;... Ooh; wait; well if you want Short Term Disability or Long Term Disability that is yet another provider;...Ooh; okay well if you want life insurance; yup that is someone else too. So; after you have selected everything. You will have received 20 different packets from 20 different vendors and heaven forbid when you need to use the services; you will have to try and figure out just which 800 number to call and which deductible to apply. Ohh....and wait; try not to get sick because the hospital boogie man bill collector will send you a statement 9 months after the event to collect $3.84 cents because the plan does not cover it... By the way; My monthly health insurance cost went from $35(from one provider all inclusive with previous employer) to over $150 with FIU. That means during a period of a year; my additional cash outlay is $1200. In addition; FIU automatically deducts 3% from your payroll to contribute towards your retirement planning.The salary they quote you does not account for this. In short, plan that your compensation is 97% of what they quote in their ads. You are not informed of this until you go to the interview process and offered a job and attend the HR introduction to FIU. This is glossed over with three different investment plans intended to confuse you. Just pay attention to the details and work through the numbers.... Also, FIU fails to inform you up front you will need to pay for your own parking on campus and you have to pay for one whole year regardless of whether you are employed the whole year. This expense is another approximate $570. I can not suggest an alternative for this issue. If you are deeply considering a position with FIU in any capacity; demand compensation at least 35% more than what they post for the position you are considering .After all the line items are deducted from your payroll; your compensation should more or less even out. ( Also account for your retirement planning) Try to negotiate a one or two year employment guarantee before leaving your current position. If you have a Smart Phone; you can Down Load a Free App Called " FL Salaries" . It provides the salaries of everyone that works at the University. You can locate the salaries of anyone by name and position of Clerks to the Deans. I made the mistake of trusting an 'institution name'. Also, I learned the hard way that what they offered came with strings attached! It turned out to be about 40% less than what I made with my previous employer. Make sure before accepting the position; everyone is very clear on the work days and the start and end times. Even though it was in writing, my position was suppose to be M-F 8-5:30, the work load demanded 60 to 80 hours weekly in what I consider terrible conditions. All the Best and Good Luck in your Career Decision!