Pros
Great, GREAT manager. I am able to be flexible with my hours which is a MUST for my family. There are occasions where we have to go in at night (police involvement, mental health crisis, etc), but it's only happened about 4 times in my 2.5 years in the position. We clock in for the time we are at work so we are fairly compensated. Many social work positions include the rotating nights/weekends in the salary. In this position it counts towards your weekly hours, so you either get overtime (hourly), comp time (salary), or can work less hours during the week if it's something that happens towards the beginning of the pay period. The caseload is manageable, and the manager of my program takes great care to listen to his staff's needs While the pay is bad, I do save money on childcare due to the flexibility of my hours, which is one of the reasons I've stayed The only healthcare option offered is a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) which I do not like.
Cons
The pay is low for the area. Starting pay is below$20/hour with a Master's degree (40k a year). As a result there is a lot of turnover-people enjoy it as an entry level position but often move elsewhere. After 2 years and a promotion with more responsibility, pay was increased to 50k, which is entry level pay for an MSW in Northern Virginia Life insurance is covered at zero cost to you.