Thursday, May 03, 2007

Time on the Beach

First I would like to thank everyone who has been posting to this blog. Your comments are truly being heard. I watch management daily spinning a bit out of control with worry about what is being posted on this blog by those of you willing to speak out. For once we have a real form to communicate with each other and to the public without fear of retribution.

Many of you have spoken of employees being put on Administrative Leave (or what we call “Time on the Beach”) for unknown and suspicious reasons. These money-wasted actions are occurring through out the District, and they are happening to hard working and dedicated employees. So why are employees being sent home for days, weeks and even months with rate-payer dollars paying their salaries while management does their “investigation” of the employee? One simple reason; they stepped on someone’s toes. And we can all guess at whose toes those are.

My question for you today is a bit involved and may take time for some of you to determine the answer. I am interested to find out just how much the rate payers are spending each time an employee is put “on the beach” or given 3-days without pay. By my calculations I figure in the past five years the rate payers have paid somewhere between $300,000-$350,000 (keep in mind I’m aiming low with my numbers) in my department alone. I came up with these numbers by taking into account the following factors: 1) Wages paid to an employee as they sit at home waiting for the District to formulate a lie that can be used to control them 2) Payments to outside contractors to investigate/fabricate the allegation. 3) Overtime paid to other employees to cover the employee who is out (Yes IT employees, the District does pay overtime to other employees. Just not your department.) 4) Lawyer fees: either salary paid to our own legal department or an outside law firm. 5) Lost production time (this one is a bit harder to put into a monetary value).

How much money do you believe has been spent in your department? Does anyone have a suggestion to management on a better way for this money to be allocated?


Side note:
To Janet Pollard,
I am sorry to hear about your altercation with Ane. No one deserves to be treated in such a way as waterwoes described it. Keep your head up and hang in there.

To Waterwoes,
You asked about how much the boss received this year. Can you say 6.8%.

“I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness or abilities that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.” William Penn

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I take my position and tasks seriously with the District’s and customers’ interests in mind. I don’t appreciate having a manager that doesn’t. Our manager was hired for being a friend of a manager in another department. Our manager fired an employee in our department and hired a friend to take her place. Our manager volunteers our department employees for trial ideas that are thrown around at management meetings, then subjects us to new and undocumented requirements completely out of our position classifications. We all feel threatened, but are all afraid to question our manager for fear of being replaced by another “friend” of the manager’s. There are continuous inconsistencies in our manager’s latest and greatest ideas or plans for the department. These plans and ideas are never in writing; however, we are all expected to follow these new, unwritten rules. Our manager professes teamwork, yet continues to share information in one-on-one meetings, leaving the rest of the “team” in the dark. Staff meetings and team meetings are far and few between. Our manager plays favorites to the “yes man”, also interpreted as the “team player”. The “yes man” or “team player” gets to arrive late and leave early without notice by our manager while the rest of the “team”, still holding true to their work ethics, become demoralized. I borrow a quote used in anonymous’ response to Waterwoes, of which our manager has also used, "join the team and be a team player, or she would be glad to free up their time to find another job". Perhaps all the managers are required to memorize this phrase and use it on any employee that attempts to communicate their feelings or question any practice they feel might be an abuse of the system or abuse of us rate-payers’ money. I and others in our department no longer communicate our concerns with our manager for fear of losing our jobs because we are not our manager’s idea of a “team player”.

Anonymous said...

"Strength in numbers." That term is definatly true--and in our numbers we can prevail. Union or not if everyone shows up at an Association meeting and we discuss our options maybe something can be done. The Nazi party was eliminated at the end of World War II and we can eliminte it again at EID. Why the secrecy? Where are the answers? Why cant we talk openly off site? Maybe if we have a full and productive Association meeting we can know why EDH Wastwater was shut down--I dont know why. Why the Help Desk was blown apart and we have to use that idiot Progent--I dont know why. Maybe the attorney for the Association can be there and help us--I heard rumour he helped the Help Desk people prevail over management somehow--How? I would love to hear.Most of us are considered "represented" so lets start representing ourselves. Lets get together and see what can be done. Management can do their backroom deals--we can do ours out in the open off site and at an Association meeting--and any retalation would be illegal--lets get together!

Anonymous said...

To the person who said there is strenght in numbers I agree but we all know that our Association is controled by EID. Look what happen when Cherri was doing such a great job for us they gave her a job higher up so she had to get out of the Association. I get worried about even being on this web site in a country where we are supposed to free.No way I'd go public so I could get fired I know how it works around here.

Anonymous said...

Time on the beach is a term being used all over the district these days.The EDHWTP staff was informed this week that if there were any failures this summer they would be the first to go on the beach.Dana told them this in their weekly staff meeting. What a great way to start each day wondering if you'll make it to the end of the day with out getting time off. Good luck EHDWTP Staff this summer.

placerville said...

This is in response to many of the comments posted on the blog. I have been an employee with the district for many years and have seen many changes for good and bad. Before I go on, I would like to say that I haven't forgotten where I came from, and the district and I are even when my paycheck goes into the bank. EID owes me nothing after that.

On the good side, we have grown into an organization that sets the bar for many others in the state and around the country. We are earning a very competitive wage in the industry for the most part, as opposed to years ago. On the flip side, it looks like many of us are having a great deal of trouble dealing with unethical and possibly illeagal management practices within the organization. I have heard stories of people's experiences that would make your head spin. I have shared some of my own experiences with people outside of the organization, and they just shake their head in disbelief.

I suggest the following:
If you are being treated in a way that violates the MOU or the law, DOCUMENT IT. There is a saying that goes something like, "If it wasn't documented, it didn't happen." Keep records of times, dates, what happened, and witnesses. If people are being treated as poorly as they say they are, someone needs to be held accountable for those actions. We have an association that is supposed to represent us...we have an attorney...we pay dues for it...let's make use of it! We may not be able to make a huge difference as individuals, but we can as a group.

Thank you.

Anonymous said...

WOW, that didn't take long for Dana to fit into the management circle, manage by fear, the EID way. Why is this acceptable? Because the person at the top (Ane) manages the same way. What a shame that good people are treated like the stuff they treat (poo)!!! Why is it that people get a visit to "The Beach" if the misuse District vehicles/equipment/etc. when people in management don't? I was told that Ane had an event at her house for one of her friends that was elected to some sort of position that had nothing to do with EID and had District vehicles and employees used as chauffers, I wonder if the rate payers had to pay for all the food/drink there as well. Board of Directors, I would think with elections coming up very soon, you would be taking action against such waste, I am sure if you won't do something about the waste at EID, I'm sure someone else will.

Anonymous said...

To the blogger who said that we should document everything. I hate to say it, but that doesn't work either. I have seen counter documents fabricated, files built to discredit those speaking out, etc. No one seems to be safe. If they want you out, they make things up to get you out.

Side note: I believe that the only Board member that doesn't like Ane is Fraser. So we might want to start with him. But I have heard that Ane reads all of their mail, gets all of their phone messages, etc. She lets them see what SHE wants them to see.

Anonymous said...

My spot on the beach is soon to be relenquished. I will be returned to the sea and will try to avoid the sharks, try to stay away from the jellyfish. There will be no cruise ship and delicious food and parties provided for others than E.I.D. management people. (They are special.) All of the workers will be treading water, keeping a heads up while getting the job done.
Did the district derail during Perley/Wilkins management test?

Anonymous said...

As an addendum to the documentation issue, I would also warn about counter documentation. It seems that EID management is able to make document appear and disappear at will. As a suggestion, always print a hard copy of any emails or memos that you deem important, I have seen them magically disappear. Hard copys along with your own documentation can strengthen your position. I hope we can pull together to rid this district of the scourge we are experiencing, it used to be a great place to work and should be today, but some management have been given carte blanche to destroy some emplyees lives while they try to do a good job for the district.

Anonymous said...

Score another one for Setoodah and his machine gun method of destroying employee desire to do a good job. One mistake and it is an automatic beach vacation? If that is the case we all might as well buy some sunscreen, because we are not robots, we are people and people make mistakes. Most rational people see mistakes as learning possibilities, not beheading events. Long Live the King!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

A quote from Steve Setoodah from a Very reliable source (who can not be disclosed for obvious reasons) “Employees are like weeds to be plucked from the garden.” How does that make you feel? I know it really makes me feel valued and appreciated.

Anonymous said...

We, unquestionably, have a leader in FM who has values different from our own.
Integrity is lacking and thus, we suffer.
I prefer leaders who lead by example.
Good example.
_________________________________________________
“The supreme quality for leadership is, unquestionably, integrity.
Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.”
Dwight David Eisenhower (United States 34th President (1953-61). 1890-1969)

Anonymous said...

Incredible disregard for employees and their families by management. EID mistreatment of so many dedicated employees is a statement of our country, in my humble opinion.

More of the same are hired into management positions (they only look different from the outside) and my question is "When will confidence be returned and confusion be replaced with directional understanding, because the current direction is a spiral downward"

Anonymous said...

Ane also had a Christmas party a couple of years back and she had employees clean her house for her on company time and also had employees parking her vehicles for her! And yes...they were paid for this!
Employees have been laid off for mis-use of public funds, when will someone look into Ane's mis-use of funds? Or is it being hidden?

Anonymous said...

So why does Ane have her department heads execute secrecy documents so that no one can speak out about where Ane and Tom are taking us? Then her team votes on what they think are the top tem items they need to work on and low and behold the Baldridge award process has been dead last and look Ane has the board building red light green light schemes to manage the district and guage how they are doing everyday. This is the first step towards spending millions on GIS and indicators to achieve awards and spend the ratepayers funds. How can the board allow this to happen? We should be doing more work inhouse VS outsourcing our work.

Anonymous said...

Does the Board relly know what Ane is doing with the red light green light Baldridge process, and what it will cost ratepayers?