Beacon’s New HR Director Hears From City Employees About Discrimination, Inequality, Growing Tensions; Suggests Solutions; Begins With Highway Department
/
Related Links:
During Hot Mess Of Water Department Hires, Beacon Passes Diversity and Inclusion Statement
Why Black Lives Matter (BLM) Signs In Storefront Windows Still Matter In 2021
During the December 14, 2020, City Council workshop meeting, Beacon’s new HR Director Gina Basile, who was hired in July 2020, gave a presentation about “many discussions with our employees about how they feel about working for the City.” She also met with community group Beacon4Black Lives. After holding a Meet and Greet with all department heads individually, she scheduled a Meet and Greet with the Fire Department, which needed to be rescheduled due to COVID-19-related issues. Gina held a Meet and Greet with the Highway Department, which is where she began her focus to discover overall themes employees experience when working for the City.
Gina started by presenting her first 4 months as HR Director (hired in July, presented findings in December), according to Gina’s presentation, which she delivered in-person during the City Council Meeting held over video conference, several themes emerged, including:
“Concerns surrounding diversity and equality.”
“Concerns regarding our Hiring Practices.”
“Growing Tensions in the Workplace.”
“Lack of clarity in intra-departmental policies and inconsistency.”
“I have heard employee concerns about discrimination, inequality, and growing tensions,” Gina stated in her printed presentation. “We need to address these issues head-on, and policies and procedures are only the beginning. We need a long-term plan on how to address these issues.”
ALBB has reported on some of these issues here.
She recruited the assistance of the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider The Work Place, a work-based intervention program designed to identify and assist employees in resolving personal problems. She called for “a third, neutral party to help us develop a plan on how we move forward.” They assigned 4 of the EAP counselors to assist the City of Beacon, and stated that “based on need, we began with the Highway Department.”
“Needs Assessment Counselors met virtually with all Highway Department employees one-on-one to ask questions about working for the City of Beacon, their Work Environment, and to hear any concerns they want to bring forward. The virtual meetings were held in the conference room in the Highway Department, and I was present in the building so employees knew their confidentiality is maintained,” Gina said.
After the meeting, “the Counselors presented us with Overall Themes that they heard from our employees. They did not tell us what a specific employee said.” From there, a plan has been developed, which includes recommended group and individual training, as well as suggestions on how to improve the City of Beacon’s work environment. EAP recommended and will provide individual counseling, as well as recommended development of policies and procedures. EAP “provided us tools on how to handle issues as they arise,” Gina continued in her presentation.
In conclusion, Gina said that EAP “will guide future group and individual conversations that may be difficult, and uncomfortable at times, but are necessary. We acknowledge that this will take time, and this is something that is going to take commitment and a lot of work.”
Steps To Address The Concerns
Gina presented a plan for how to address the concerns, which include:
“Diversity and Inclusion Statement” (this was completed soon after, on October 5, 2020, during a night that included confusion about new hires in the Water Department, and reported on here by ALBB)
“New Hiring Procedures”
“Standardizing the Promotion Process”
“Diversity and Inclusion Certification Program”
“Diversity and Inclusion Training for ALL Employees”
“Multi-Year Plan”
“Open-Door Policy/Investigate All Concerns”
“Streamlining Policies and Procedures throughout the City”
“Third-Party Involvement”
“Open, Community-Based Chief of Police Search Committee”
In terms of next steps, Gina outlined that they “would review the findings of the needs assessment … and discuss the kind of improvements we will be making.” She indicated that she wanted “everyone to be a part of the process and part of the solution.” She then thanked the Highway employees "for taking part in this process, and helping us identify issues, and develop a plan to move forward.”
A Step Signed Off On By City Administrator
One of the next action steps, signed by City Administrator Chris White, soon after his own first day on the job, was to place a longtime Highway Department employee, Reuben Simmons, who is mixed race and identifies as Black, on unpaid leave beginning in January 2021 for 30 days. January is also overtime season for the Highway Department, where they are out plowing and salting city streets during winter storms.
Reuben has been outspoken in complaints about behavior in the Highway Department (listen to his podcast with ALBB here from the summer of 2020), both as an employee and during his time as a Union President advocating for fellow employees during contract negotiations. Reuben told ALBB that he declined an opportunity to resign, or to sign a document that he would agree to be fired for any reason, without that reason being stated or indicated in advance, he told ALBB.
He opted instead for a hearing, during which the City of Beacon will reportedly present witnesses, to further clarify details of a stack of complaints that include dates and general areas of topics but no specific details that ALBB has seen.
The hearing for Reuben’s employment is today, Friday, March 5, 2021 at 10am. The hearing was scheduled to be in City Hall in an office in the basement, but has been moved to be on Zoom. The hearing is not open to the public. Reuben was told that the city will be presenting witnesses, but did not provide a list of those witnesses, or what details they would be expanding upon.
