# Census Workers Needed



## Ken Scharabok (May 11, 2002)

http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2009/1...-census-workers/?ncid=AOLCOMMjobsDYNLprim0001

Note article mentions lots of well-educated unemployed folks this work would appeal to.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Warning...... it's very hard work, people don't like the feds, and they may not pay you for your actual mileage.


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## Guest (Dec 2, 2009)

My dad was a census worker for the last one in rural Georgia. He's got some stories to tell about the folks he ran into.

.....Alan.


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## Guest (Dec 2, 2009)

i worked for the census this spring in one the first phases. around here they were adamant about paying for mileage. i got mileage for driving to and from the place i met my boss to turn my little machine and quit. I quit because i cant use "i work for the government" as a justification for tresspassing on land covered in no trespassing signs. for my co-workers a three month assignment turned out to be 4 weeks and two others quit before the end of week one. i made good money for sitting through a week of training, and working two days


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## cc-rider (Jul 29, 2003)

I took the required test earlier this year and scored 100%. They called me immediately and offered me a top-level position training and managing others. I asked if that was something that could be done in the evenings and weekends since I already had a full-time job...I just wanted a part-time job. They assured me that it could. I said I would do it, and then found that they required mandatory training -- that could only be done during normal work hours...which, of course, I couldn't do. I had to turn the job down.

I called them back later and asked if I could just be one of the door-to-door enumerators and they told me that since I had declined before, I couldn't do anything else. 

Their loss.


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## whodunit (Mar 29, 2004)

Hereâs my experience; good and bad:

You have to take a test for each position; one for enumerator and one for supervisor. They are relatively easy and usually given at a community center or the labor department.

The training was five days, I think; all daytime hours. It was completely paid as was the mileage from home to the training site and back. 

They pay for all your field mileage, too. It was 55 cents a mile. Itâs on the honor system, but the time sheet/mileage claim is reviewed by two supervisors at two different levels. With easy access to online maps/mileage calculators, we were told they would question anything that looked out of the ordinary.

The training can be fun and is mostly classroom, with some brief practice field work. Be warned the person training you may or may not know anymore than you do, so it can be frustrating or entertaining depending on your bent.

On the trespassing issue, my understanding is that there have been U.S. Supreme Court decisions that itâs not trespassing to go up to the front door of a residence even if itâs posted unless the access (a gate, doorway, etc.) is locked. Itâs referred to as âcurtilageâ, which is the immediate area surrounding your house. Unless a person has taken dramatic means to limit access to the public (locked gates, high fences, etc.), itâs considered okay to approach the house to make contact with the residents.

I think âtrespassingâ basically indicates someone who has no lawful business on the property. Think of all the lawful purposes someone might approach your front door; sales, delivery, postal service, law enforcement- Cop: âWell we tired to warn them about the toxic spill, but there was a âno trespassingâ sign, so I didnât go on the propertyâ.

Even if you were charged with trespassing, the minute the owner admits they allow UPS, FedEx, postal people, relatives and friends come to the front door without prior notification, they are done. It's now open to the public.

That being said, we were instructed not to cause any controversy in this regard and refer those types of matters to a supervisor. I passed by several âno trespassingâ signs and the occupants were extremely friendly and never questioned my presence. 

Even if someone had done so, by the time they knew I was there and what I was doing, I was done with what I needed. The contact was for courtesy only, so that occupants wouldnât call the police to report someone approaching their door, not knocking, then walking away quickly.

I had one property where the person had made it abundantly clear they did not want any âfederal agentsâ on the property, so I conducted my business from the public access.

I had one guy ask me what I was doing on his private driveway (it honestly looked like a road to me). I explained my business and told him if he didnât want me on his property to tell me straight up and I wouldnât go there. He did, I didnât. I just forwarded the proper paperwork. I didnât really care because the time I took explaining my purpose and filing that paperwork was paid for entirely.

They will tell you they want you to work at least 20 hours a week, but in my case, they encouraged anyone who wanted to work full-time hours, but no overtime without express permission. Problem was they way over-hired and we were all clamoring for work (I worked in a county that had 10% unemployment at the time). We were also severely hampered by weather, with many areas not accessible. Typical, the person making the decisions were in Boise, which has milder weather than northern Idaho in the spring.

They are really disorganized. Remember what I said about someone who knows as much as you do acting as a supervisor? Supervisors usually have to ask their supervisors things about things they and you are not sure about. This takes time. When decisions are made, they are constantly changed suddenly and without much explanation.

That all being said, I would do it again because the money is good and I am unemployed.

Hope this helps anyone considering this job.


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## Guest (Dec 7, 2009)

the no tresspassing houses that i ran in to generally had large boxes for UPS at the end of the driveway. it was abundantly clear that they did not want anyone on their property and my supervisor told us we had to get the information anyways. couldnt do it. i applied for a job hoping for 20hours and they wanted us to work as much as possible, but then our assignment length was a third of what we were offered. if you have a thick skin.... go for it. i am kind of a sissy around strangers.


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## GoldenCityMuse (Apr 15, 2009)

Very informative post Whodunit. I once worked for the Census, but doing the NCVS National Crime Victimization Survey. It was interesting, several people were quite uncooperative.


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## mosepijo (Oct 21, 2008)

I wouldn't touch that job with a 10 foot pole. I know how I treat those people when they come to my door. It aint pretty.


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## edcopp (Oct 9, 2004)

If I remember correctly a census worker was found hanged in KY, Clay county I think; a couple of months ago. I wonder if the people who did this were ever caught.

I also wonder if the worker is still dead. I might have some second thoughts because of this incident.


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## gonepostal (Dec 27, 2009)

edcopp said:


> If I remember correctly a census worker was found hanged in KY, Clay county I think; a couple of months ago. I wonder if the people who did this were ever caught.
> 
> I also wonder if the worker is still dead. I might have some second thoughts because of this incident.


It actually came out that he hung himself, he was not murdered. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,576647,00.html?test=latestnews

I wouldn't be able to do this job, but I feel bad even going on property marked no trespassing when I have to deliver people their packages and mail!


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## Patriot (Jan 2, 2010)

edcopp said:


> I also wonder if the worker is *still dead*. I might have some second thoughts because of this incident.


 - sorry for some reason this line gave me an odd chuckle. Still dead?

I actually thought about doing this only because of needing money. But it just seems risky unless you can request WHERE you want to target. I guess they tell you where you will go, eh?

So depending on where they send you, it could be life or death.


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