DHS Announces average 13% pay raises for frontline employees, calls for Oklahomans to apply for 450 vacant positions

DHS will fully fund pay increases within its FY’20 budget to bring frontline employees to par with peers in other state agencies.

The pay raises will bring frontline employee salaries up to par with their peers in other state agencies, and it will be paid for by consolidating 850 vacant and fully-funded positions.

After a thorough, year-long study conducted by DHS, the agency’s leadership determined that it will remove 400 vacant positions from the books, totaling $10.8 million in annual appropriations, which will fully fund salary adjustments without additional funding requests for the Legislature.

“The Department of Human Services is comprised of exceptional Oklahomans who work tirelessly to support the mission of serving abused and neglected children and seniors, single parents, those with developmental disabilities, and those struggling with homelessness and addiction,” said Director Justin Brown. “DHS is able to give frontline employees an average 13% pay increase because of the Legislature’s investment in this critical agency over the past two years and the thought-leadership of my executive team and the governor’s office on how to best structure 6,500 employees to deliver the best outcomes for our customers. This is about taking care of frontline employees, paying them equal to their peers in other state agencies, and bolstering recruitment efforts to fill 450 vacant positions critical for meeting the agency’s mission.”

“I applaud Justin Brown and the leadership of DHS for digging into the details of their budget and assessing the needs of their agency to deliver customer-centered solutions,” said Governor Kevin Stitt. “DHS has identified a sound path to live within their budget while also giving frontline employees an earned pay raise equal to that of their peers in other state agencies. As DHS continues to cast a bold path forward in delivering critical services, I encourage Oklahomans to consider applying to join this mission-focused team as they work to provide Top Ten services our most vulnerable populations.”

“DHS has one of the largest impacts on the state as they support and help improve the lives of more than One million Oklahomans. The Oklahoma House of Representatives has been focused over the past few years on right sizing the agency and ensuring employees are best equipped and empowered to meet their mission. We are proud of DHS employees’ devotion to our state’s children, elderly and those most in need, and we applaud the thoughtful leadership of the agency to use existing resources to deliver matching peer pay,” said Rep. Kevin Wallace, Chairman of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee. “I want to specifically thank Tommi Ledoux, DHS HR Operations Manager, who has devoted her past year to developing the data and leading the research effort to make this pay raise possible.”

“I can’t thank the staff at DHS enough for the challenging work they do to help Oklahomans and their families, many of whom are often in crisis,” said Rep. Mark Lawson, chair for the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Human Services. “I am grateful that Director Brown values the men and women at DHS, and for his leadership in making this pay raise a reality. Being a Top Ten state starts with building and keeping a team of exceptional employees, and that is exactly what Director Brown is doing.”

“Today is a great day for DHS and their hard-working employees,” said Sterling Zearley, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Public Employees Association. “This pay raise shows Director Brown’s commitment to retaining and recruiting qualified, caring people to serve Oklahoma’s most-vulnerable citizens. We appreciate working with DHS leadership and the Governor’s office to make DHS a better place to work so the staff can focus on assisting our fellow Oklahomans.”

Roughly 450 critical, front-line positions remain vacant, and qualified Oklahomans can apply by visiting www.okdhs.org/careers.

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