Department of Veterans Affairs
Happiness rating is 64 out of 100
3.2 out of 5 stars.
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Department of Veterans Affairs Employee Reviews

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3.3Work-Life Balance
3.8Pay & Benefits
3.2Job Security & Advancement
2.5Management
2.8Culture

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The VBA is a great place to work to support Veterans.

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The VA is a great place to work. It has good work life balance and committed people. Veterans also work there and get to provide direct feedback. Management could be improved. In some instances Management does not interact with the employee unless someone reports a problem.
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Controlled Chaos

Working at the VA as a Nurse is a huge challenge, they are very disorganized and patient care is not a priority. The nursing staff is overloaded and Supervision/Management do not get involved or help with care. Management by design should learn in to assist the staff. Some employees are long term federal workers and tend to be lazy and not care about our vets!
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Department of Veterans Affairs insights

Based on 967 survey responses
What people like
  • Ability to learn new things
  • Ability to meet personal goals
  • Clear sense of purpose
Areas for improvement
  • Trust in colleagues
  • Support from manager
  • Sense of belonging

Unorganized

Typical day there was fun to see & hear old vets talk about the past. Supervisors and management failed to communicate with staff. There was no training sessions on or for work habits, safety, health issues at the va medical ctr departments. Disrespect from supervisors, manager & rn's toward lower pay grade employees.Being a veteran working there to help other vets.
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Great Benefits

The company is great to work for but like any company Supervisors are not all the same and unfortunately I had a really bad one in my last position…..
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Toxic work environment. Favoritism

Worked there 10 years all my departments promotions were done on favoritism and inexperienced people were given promotions over applicants that had degrees and years of experience, employees and mgmt used Reports of Contacts as weapons on employees they didn't like, too much more to write and not enough space
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Love the work but inefficient training

I love the work that I do, but coming in there was little to no training. A lot of unethical things. I got my start in my career but I do not foresee working for them longterm

Pros

Work schedule and the work that I do

Cons

Training, leadership
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Could be a great place to work, especially considering the population we served. Unfortunately a government run service.

Ridiculous bureaucratic incompetent interruptions, impeding proper patient care. The best possible treatment for the veterans was not as important to management as was making sure to appear to be providing the best possible service.

Pros

Helping a much deserving undeserved population.

Cons

Unfortunate lack of proper competent leadership.
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At least I have a job.

Leadership and management is one of the worst I've ever experienced. Those that do the least are rewarded the most. Management and leadership is non existent.

Pros

Having a job.

Cons

Poor leadership and management.
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Strong sense of purpose

I draw satisfaction from my work knowing that it directly impacts the lives of veterans. However, it is difficult to watch hospital directors flounder in a job they lack the skills and intelligence to be successful or their decisions focus on themselves before others.

Pros

Great benefits

Cons

Poor leaderership
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Overworked

Overworked, underpaid and worst under appreciated even though all of my performance appraisals were outstanding and I was employee of the month several times.

Pros

Federal Holidays off

Cons

Federal Holidays off for Administration only!
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Not fun, stressful, unfairly judged position on performance if you really want to help veterans.

This position is not a position if you want to really help veterans. This is a time restricted convoluted section of the va to check the blocks that they are answering the call for veterans.

Pros

Govt job

Cons

Too many to list!
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You are replaceable, just a number

If you care for your patients, and your family, you won’t get far here. Upper management can talk to you anyway they please. If you do your job and it’s done correctly, expect to be handed other for workers work to be completely, because nobody is held accountable.

Pros

Health insurance

Cons

No support, toxic work environment
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Way more work for one person, where more employees could handle the job easier.

It is a great place to work, I am not sure why they are so limited with hiring more staff, but it must have something to do with the current political climate.

Pros

Great teamwork spirit

Cons

Short staffed
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Veterans interaction

Meeting new people old and young veterans, all walks of life. Everyday is a learning experience. Listening to veterans talk of their military some experiences are funny and some just chilling. We cry and laugh.

Pros

benefits and security

Cons

always busy.
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Misinformation and Intentional Mental Anguish

Despite the reletively good pay and benefits you have to be there at least 10 years to get the level of treatment the other workers get. BioMedical department is a classis example of senior personel hording all the Mondays and Fridays and infact all over time to themselves. Lies are told and your intentionally given conflicting information and to that end they can say you don't deserve a annual raise. Can you imagine that? No wonder there is no way to hire new people. The is a core cadre that suck up all the fringe benefits, throw away your stuff. I had crutches I needed for an upcoming achilles and someone threw them out! It's needless hate. We were suppose to have our starting wages increased but since the senior people there absorb so much OT that there is no room in the budget for anyone one else. Come here but don't expect anything positive. When I left I was basically forced out, I wasn't allowed to take necessary training to improve my skills the more senior people use the off-site training as holidays and the new folks languish. I hope that there will be change. I tried to be professional but they ignore your efforts throw away your work. The is much work to be done. As a GS youre suppose to be a professional grade staffer. These guys can take their plumbers outfits and put them where the sun don't shine. I moved to a different location to get away from it and it's more opena and acceptable. Avoid the San Francisco Biomed Team. It was for me a dead end.,

Pros

Occasion one hour off days.

Cons

I can't start, do you like an office that is in an oven? Jerks for co-workers.
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Obvious Favoritism - Medical Support Assistant (Sacramento, CA)

Very Obvious Favoritism towards certain MSA's. Regardless of how long you've been with the VA, I've seen employees getting passed over for promotion versus newbie's getting promoted who have only been with the VA for several months. Very unfair and un-systematic system that is in place.I do not intend in staying with this organization for more than a year if this is how they choose to run things!Obviously Upper Management only cares about Number, Numbers, Numbers... etc...... Once you first start you are welcomed in with open arms, but after a month or two you are nothing but a numerical number to them!

Pros

Benefits

Cons

Lots of Obvious Cons...
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Misunderstood

When I arrived at Fort Harrison VA it was chaotic. People did not get along and this was pervasive throughout the facility. There was a lot of time wasted with nothing to do or several people doing most of the work. The pay was equal to ten year old department of labor statistics. Empty promises of career advancement served to keep people hanging on. Between people taking time off and the redundant processes in place nothing was done in a timely manner. The benefits are okay but not as good as my current job. Being a veteran who worked at a level 1 trauma center while in the Army,, caring for those who served is not a new concept. I did not see the same standards as I experienced in the military. I did not see the team approach or collective effort. I had one great manager at the VA who leff before I did for many of the same reasons. I had to call OSHA on two separate occasions because of unsafe working conditions. I had to open a Congressional Inquiry to get money that I had earned which was taken from me through negligence, poor training, and poor communication. Some people fit in, I did not.ProsDoctors Nurses TechniciansConsWasteful

Pros

Doctors Nurses Technicians

Cons

wasteful
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Leadership

Leadership is lacking they all say they for the veterans which I have very little confidence they are. There are very if any board members who are veterans that I am aware of. We veterans need military leaders in place not bean counters. President Lincoln provided us veterans a place to heal not aplace to place bureaucratic bingo with.

Pros

Taken care of my fellow vets

Cons

Poor leadership
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Great place to work and advance your career.

I love working at this organization because I’m a veteran and therefore serving others who give it all for this country is a calling. Your job security is guaranteed

Pros

Promotion opportunities are unlimited

Cons

Laissez-faire Leadership
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Personal attacks and some harrassment and specifically targetted

As mentioned, I began to feel targetted in a few days. it seemed like a normal orientation and professional environment the first few days. Trainers were unprofessional, Even orientation coordinator was harrassive and manipulative.I have worked in two Veterans Administration and both contained employees who behaved in disgusting ways which seemed to be brushed off by management. So my impression of their work environment has been traumatizing. In addition, I think they only want people who behave like themselves, and have a problem with honest and vulnerable new hires. Maybe other VA locations are better, and these western locations seemed to have the same vibe which makes me wonder.

Pros

Work at home

Cons

Unclear directions on work Clear attitudes in inappropriate behaviour.
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Little to no advancement if your supervisor wants to blackball you.

Diversity and inclusion does not exist within the higher levels at the VAMC. Higher ups are too comfortable in their positions and desperately need a shakeup.

Pros

Excellent benefits if you can get them.

Cons

Nepotism, racism, no diversity in upper management
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Overall rating

Based on 133 reviews

Ratings by category

3.3 out of 5 stars for Work/Life Balance
3.8 out of 5 stars for Compensation/Benefits
3.2 out of 5 stars for Job Security/Advancement
2.5 out of 5 stars for Management
2.8 out of 5 stars for Culture

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