Michigan Senate Reviews

Pay is very low starting out

I'm leaving this review to warn potential new employees of troubling dynamics within Dem Central Staff (which serves the whole Democratic Caucus rather than in any specific Senator's office), and in particular, the Comms Team, which may make them reconsider accepting a role there at this time. In the first 12 months of the Democratic majority, two highly talented comms / digital directors were forced out and two new ones (AR and MH) brought in. Out of an 11ish-person team, 9 people left (not including the 2 others who were forced out) as a direct result of their lack of management skills, dismissal of staff input and disrespect for us as professionals in their fields. Staff discovered that the two leaders were lying to us / telling different staff members different things, dragging their feet and then begrudgingly promising raises that they did not actually have the authority to grant, and insulting team members behind their backs. ("I'm sorry that I have to pair you with so-so" and "Senator X said they didn't think so-and-so is cut out for this job.") Much of their behavior seemed to stem from imposter syndrome — specifically, them feeling pressure from senior leadership and unhappy Senators, and deciding to demand last-minute deliverables from staff that had little value to the caucus, as if meant to distract Senators with "see, look at all the work we're doing for you!," even though Senators never asked for it. The two who were brought in were also very sensitive to what they seemed to feel were threats to their authority, and did not take well to help or constructive feedback from team members in any way. Several staff observed that they treated women on the team differently and more harshly / were more combative and occasionally engaged in microaggressions toward staff of color on Central Staff. Although one of the two who were brought in to lead the team (MH) was let go in Jan 2024, the other (AR) remains as the director. His leadership and social skills are underdeveloped (which he regularly admitted to), and would be better suited as a senior writer rather than a director of a whole team. Rather than managing the team, he spends much of his time closed up in his office writing press releases and speeches for the leader. A number of staff observed that he would intentionally take the long way walking to the bathroom, as if to avoid passing staff and have to interact with them. I share this not to rag on the poor guy — he is otherwise friendly and means no harm — but to illustrate the dysfunction of team leadership at this time. But the dysfunction unfortunately continues higher up. The current Chief of Staff for Central Staff, KOF (who is AR's supervisor), is very distant and uncommunicative with everyone but senior staff. KOF's team often withholds information that is vital for staff in the Comms Team and beyond to do their jobs. Her Deputy Chief of Staff, NG, operates similarly. Both have enabled the poor leadership on the Comms Team, including giving their blessing for MH and AR fire a longtime, highly-respected employee who tried advocating for raises for the more junior team members and regularly tried having one-on-one conversations with MH and AR in an effort to help them ease into their new jobs and manage the team.