Advocating for Better Nebraska Workplaces
By Jill Heggen
Photo by Ron Coleman, C4 Photography
Everything about Jodi Lepaopao’s professional journey has made her feel more connected to Nebraska. But it’s an experience from her childhood that shaped her and informed her work life, resulting in a whirlwind year that has led to her current role as campaign manager for the Paid Sick Leave for Nebraskans ballot initiative.
“My mom was a working parent and my dad stayed home, yet it was always my mom that took us to the doctor and stayed home with us when we were sick,” Lepaopao said. “After my parents split, even more of that caregiving responsibility was put on her. Thankfully she had paid leave, but it’s easy to see how things could have changed quickly if she, as the sole provider, would have missed a paycheck.”
It’s a memory that stayed with Lepaopao into adulthood, when she began working in customer service jobs—slinging pizza, managing a coffee shop, bartending and working at a grocery store—all workplaces staffed mostly by women.
“There’s an expectation that women are the caregivers and yet, more women than ever are also in the workforce. Women are driving this economy,” she said.
At her last customer service job, effects from a long-term illness caused her to miss several days of work. Then, she was in a car accident and physically could not work.
“In most of my previous positions, I had no sick leave. Sometimes I did but there was always penalization for using sick time,” Lepaopao said.
As she sat in her supervisor’s office, knowing that she was days away from losing her livelihood, she knew she needed to do something different—for herself and her well-being.
So Lepaopao went looking to be part of something with a purpose. After working in customer service jobs for well over a decade and then taking some time off to recover, she was ready to make a change. Without being sure quite what she was looking for, she applied to collect signatures for the Paid Sick Leave ballot initiative.
“I used to google, ‘Is there a paid sick policy in Nebraska?’” she said. “That’s how much I’ve thought about this issue over the years.”
The firm selected to hire paid circulators, Landslide Political, saw something more in Lepaopao and hired her to be a field organizer.
“It was a two-month position that paid well. I thought, if anything, this will give me time to figure out my next move,” she said. Then she got started and it seemed like her dream job had fallen into her lap. In less than a year, Lepaopao went from applying to be a signature collector to now serving as the campaign manager. The position couldn’t have come at a better time.
Born and raised in Omaha, Lepaopao had since moved to Lincoln and was feeling disconnected from her new community. In the field director role, that quickly changed.
“Most of the people hired by Landslide were advocates already, working in their own corners of the community to create change,” she said. “It was immediately inspiring and energizing. I stepped into a world that was happening around me and I had no idea.”
Politics can be divisive but there’s something beautiful about the collaborative work being done by advocates across the state to bring paid sick leave directly to voters. Slated as a commonsense issue with wide support, the ballot initiative will benefit both part- and full-time workers across the state.
“When you go to the Sandhills and talk Nebraskan-to-Nebraskan, connecting directly with folks on the issue and having real conversations, the divide isn’t really that big,” Lepaopao said. “At the end of the day, people want what’s best for their families and their communities. Having the ability to earn and use paid sick days is an issue we can come together on.”
There are many people fighting every day for a better Nebraska. But it’s no accident that Lepaopao is in this role, leading the charge to get paid sick leave for hardworking Nebraskans.
“Imposter syndrome can feel real, but the work has come naturally to me,” she said. “Supporting teams and supervising others, working and thinking strategically are all things I did in customer service roles. As a manager, I was advocating for my teams. It was organizing work without knowing that’s what it’s called.”
Working on voter-driven ballot initiatives can also be different than working in customer service. “[In customer service,] people would look down on me because I was young or a woman. It’s different in campaign work,” she said. “I am learning every day. We have such a strong coalition, and everyone brings a different perspective and expertise—it makes our work better.”
Lepaopao is already making an impact and creating the life she wants. Several of her high school classmates from Millard left Nebraska immediately after school and she figured she would eventually, too. They didn’t feel seen or validated here. She felt disconnected and stifled in her career. Now, everything has shifted as she works daily to improve the state she calls home, for herself and others.
“I shouldn’t have to leave to be proud of where I’m from. I want to fight for a better Nebraska—a place where workers and families are supported.” W