Shocking employee survey results are a call to action

The results of the recent Gig Harbor Employee Engagement Survey were extremely disturbing.

The survey consultants noted that in almost every area, we have a lot of “room for improvement.” In other words, we scored terribly in most categories. Beyond the scores, what was most disheartening were the appalling employee comments that included accounts of intimidation, bullying, disrespectful behavior, suspicion and rampant distrust and a lack of employee support.

Even though — as City Council has been reminded many times — the “management of employees” is officially the purview of City Administration, as a councilperson elected by the residents of this City, I feel great responsibility for making sure we have a workplace that respects employees and fosters a positive, professional, and productive work environment.

Securing and retaining a highly-skilled professional staff, empowered to do their jobs in keeping with best industry practices and the Gig Harbor Municipal Code is absolutely the most important factor in ensuring our citizens receive the outstanding services they deserve and pay for. These very staff ensure that Gig Harbor is safe, healthy, well-maintained, well-managed and well-planned so that our residents can live, work, shop, drive and recreate in what is recognized by many as one of the best small cities in America.

Our city employees have taken many steps over the past few years to express their concerns about low morale, micromanagement and distrust. When they found thatfeelings of intimidation, fear, bullying and even despair were growing within the walls of City Hall, our employees took the serious and very telling step of unionizing. Our employees choose to pay eight to ten times what they used to pay while part of an employee guild, to join a large union with the resources and the know-how to protect them.

At Council meetings, we sometimes hear grumbling about the unions, but have seen no hard look at why employees concluded that they needed their protection. We hear complaints about the exponentially growing number of employee grievances but have seen no hard look at why we are having so many grievances.

This isn’t saving money

Terms like “accountability” and “saving money” are tossed around a great deal, but having to hire more Human Resources staff because that department is inundated by grievances is not saving money. Hiring outside services to investigate employees’ accused of wrong-doing, instead of face-to-face meetings with HR and direct supervisors, is not saving money.

Having to engage attorneys to bargain complicated contracts or defend the City against employee lawsuits is not saving money. Having to hire temporary workers at higher wages because vacant positions seem to be put on the back burner, is not saving money.

Losing employees not only because they are overworked (sometimes because they’ve taken on work of unfilled positions) but because they don’t feel respected as professionals…and then having to go out and recruit and train new ones, is not saving money.

We’ve lost a number of really good employees over the last few years. However, many remain dug in and are sticking it out. They care about their mission of serving our citizens and, despite their current frustration, I hear time and time again that they sincerely want to be part of helping our City move in a positive direction.

Patience, however, is wearing thin. The survey showed 30-some percent of employees were thinking of leaving in the next two years. I’ve spoken to high-level, very hard-to-replace employees who’ve told me that they will be looking elsewhere unless something drastically changes soon.

As a Councilperson, I will be advocating for real, substantive, and genuine change that is in direct response to what our employees have told us are the roots of the problem. I know a number of my colleagues share this commitment.

Steps we can take

A few ideas, garnered from some of the staff survey input, might include initiatives like:

• Bringing in an independent consultant to provide coaching to Administration. Someone to help identify how current communication and management methods are translating into feelings of intimidation, disrespect, distrust and frustration.

• Determining how to return to appropriate levels of autonomy for our departments and setting organizational boundaries to limit micro-management and unproductive interference.

• Ensuring that our department directors have meaningful input and control over training and professional development funds for their staff.

• Improving trust between employees and the Human Resources department; and establishing standards for timely communication and for timely postings of vacant positions for all departments.

Through many years on the City Parks Commission and a very intense first year on City Council, I have found our employees to be caring and fully committed professionals. I’d put our people, at every level, up against any group of municipal employees in the country.

These employees have spoken loud and clear through this survey. They’ve not minced words and they’ve been very consistent about where the roots of the issues lie. Rebuilding trust and improving morale within City Hall is going to take a lot of focused and sincere effort and it’s absolutely critical to the health and welfare, as well as the budget, of our city, that our Administration and Council demonstrate that we have truly heard these messages.

Listening to our employees, taking a hard and honest look at City operations and management, and implementing substantive change must be a priority for 2021.

Robyn Denson is a Gig Harbor City Council Member.

This story was originally published January 6, 2021 at 5:30 AM.