Lifting Up Our
Employees
Raising employee morale and maximizing communication comesfrom listening and appreciating employee input.
Purpose
The purpose of this item is to improve
staff morale, not to place blame on
one source or group. The well-being
of our workforce is imperative to the
outcome of services provided to the
community.
Statement of the Issue
Over the past few years, employee morale has been
declining for a number of reasons. After conducting
numerous conversations with various employees, I
have learned that many employees have concerns
about communication, staffing levels, and treatment
from elected officials and senior staff.
Why chat with staff?
This item is an attempt to acknowledge and address the
concerns of staff who have been negatively impacted by the current working conditions. The City of Richmond cannot best serve its residents and clients if the staff feels that they are not supported, appreciated, respected or heard.
Data Gathered:
❏ Held 30 scheduled
conversations with various staff
members.
❏ Received 10 written
submissions from staff who
wished to remain anonymous.
2019 Staff Training Picture- Implicit Bias. Not associated with staff morale.
Concerns
The topics listed were mentioned by several staff members. The staff report includes additional topics.
Communication: Lack of “All City Staff” communication throughout the pandemic.
Staffing: Staffing levels have consistently declined over the past few years. Many staff members are required to take on the duties of 2-3 staff members w/o extra compensation. Quality of service is reduced and staff has become burned out.
Decorum of Council during City Council meetings: Acts of unprofessionalism, badgered staff, grandstanding, staff expertise isn’t taken into account during decision making.
Fear of Retaliation: Staff is uncomfortable with reporting misconduct or concerns to their supervisor or Human Resources.
Concerns continued…
Treatment: Staff doesn’t feel they are trusted or appreciated.
Frontline staff aren’t given the same opportunities as management.
Security: Staff are concerned with the increase of the homeless in the courtyard - It appears that some have addiction or mental health issues.
RPD doesn’t have the capacity to respond to calls from security guards at Civic Center in a timely manner.
Suggested Solutions:
Improve Communication: Reinstate City Manager led annual or bi-annual “All City Staff”meetings, include policy or major changes in the Human Resources Newsletter, and inform staff of changes related to telework policy two-weeks in advance of required changes.
Improve Professional Dev Opps: Create systems or training that will prepare employees for promotions when they become available. Performance Evals should include areas of improvement needed to prepare employee for career advancement. Ensure that equitable methods are used in efforts to promote internally prior to external recruitment.
Solutions continued…
● Acknowledge staff: Reinstate annual holiday celebrations, annual picnics, years of service recognition (methods used prior to the pandemic). Staff would also appreciate acknowledgement of work anniversaries.
● Management Skills: Staff would like an opportunity to evaluate their supervisors without retaliation to help them improve their management and people skills. ● Equity in Pay: Release the Classification and Compensation Study and revise as needed.
● Decorum: reinstate the code of ethics, strive to be professional at all times, be respectful and practice common courtesy during interactions with staff and the public.
● Respect Staff: Consider the expertise and experience of staff when receiving recommendations for policy or program development.
Let’s create an environment of community!!
By working together, supporting each other and caring about the well-being of others.
Again, the purpose of the item is not to place blame, but to bring awareness to the City Council and the executive staff of the impacts of our behavior, divisiveness and insufficient communication throughout the organization. It is a trickle down effect and we need to take note of ourselves to analyze how each of us can contribute to improving the morale of our staff.
We all have room for improvement…
● Am I creating an environment where my staff feels they can share their ideas and observations about service?
● Am I in touch with each of the divisions in my department and the effectiveness, professionalism and behavior of the leads/supervisors?
● Am I questioning my staff about their career goals and suggesting professional development or training to prepare them for the opportunity when it arises? ● Am I being mindful of how I interact with my colleagues privately and publicly? ● Am I being equitable when reviewing requests for telework agreements? ● Am I aware of my bias and have measures in place to ensure that my biases are not negatively impacting my decisions?
● What am I doing to improve morale in our city?
Ask yourself:
Let’s do this together….
We are grateful and appreciative to the staff, senior staff and management that have taken steps to support their
colleagues and subordinates while improving service to the community. We know that the majority of our leadership and frontline staff are doing their best. Thank you for your time and consideration of the issues presented in this agenda item.