I am DOL: Paula Comer Supports Wage Recovery and More

In our “I Am DOL” series, we’re highlighting employees who work in a wide range of roles at the Department of Labor but who all share a passion for public service.

Paula Comer, an administrative specialist in the Wage and Hour Division’s regional office in Dallas, supports a team that helps make sure workers are paid fairly and can exercise their rights under federal labor laws. We sat down with Paula to ask her a few questions about her career path.

Prior to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a young Paula Comer applied for a job with a semiconductor company. The only qualifications were being least 18 and a high school graduate. However, a box on a job application asked, “Do you have a handicap?” She checked it because of a spinal deformity that prevents her from lifting heavy objects, even though that wasn’t a requirement of the position. The company did not hire her.

Flash forward a year: Paula had gotten married and changed her last name, and the company was still hiring. So she applied again and instead of checking that box, she simply put a line through the question. They hired her a few weeks later and she remained employed with the company for 14 years. The whole time she tried her best to hide her disability, despite the fact she could perform all the duties of her job, always scared that they would fire her if they found out.

In 2009, Paula found herself laid off due to changes in the semiconductor industry. During a listening session with the Office of Disability Employment Policy, she learned about the federal government’s Schedule A hiring authority, which is designed to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities by streamlining the hiring process. In order to be hired under the Schedule A hiring authority, applicants must submit medical documentation of their disability and show that they meet the qualifications of the job. Applicants may seek a reasonable accommodation to show that they meet the qualifications of the job.

Because of her experience as a volunteer tax preparer, she qualified for a position at the IRS and applied under Schedule A. She got the job but it meant a move from Texas to California. When an administrative position later opened up with the Wage and Hour Division in Dallas, her hometown, she again applied under Schedule A and was hired.

She’s been supporting the regional administrator and other staff for over seven years now and has taken advantage of opportunities for advancement – including a career development program specifically for people in administrative positions. “Once I got to be in the Department of Labor, I never wanted to leave,” she said. “People here are trying to help you and they're trying to help you promote your career.”

The mission of the Wage and Hour Division – which often involves recovering back wages for workers – is a big part of why she is passionate about her career. “Every time I see we found X amount of dollars for this person or a group of people, that makes me feel very good. So it is very fulfilling.”

And she’s no longer hiding her disability. For the capstone project at the end of her career development program, she added a slide to her presentation with an X-ray of her spine that showed the rods and screws helping hold it in place; “I wanted them to understand that although I have a disability, I'm still really good at my job.”

One of the reasons Paula was excited to be a part of the “I Am DOL” video project is that she wishes she had known about the Schedule A program much earlier and wants to help spread the word to other people with disabilities. “I didn't know the program existed or else I might have been working for the government long before this,” she shared.

And to anyone with a disability who might be nervous about applying for a federal position or bringing their whole selves to work, Paula offered this encouragement: “I would say it seems scary at first but jump in and keep up the good work. Believe in yourself and don't be afraid. That's what happened to me for so many years, and now I don't feel afraid.”

Editor’s note: Interested in a career at the Labor Department? Learn more about what it means to be part of our team at dol.gov/careers, and then view current openings and apply via USAJOBS. For more information about the Schedule A hiring authority, check out these tips from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Please note that you must meet the minimum qualifications outlined in the position description. We encourage you to describe any life experiences in your application that are relevant to the position and the mission of the Labor Department.