Most CDC Employee Complaints Focus on Administrative Issues, Report Finds
A review of recent complaints filed by employees of CDC found that most focused on administrative issues, according to a report compiled by the agency's new ombudsmen and distributed to employees by e-mail on Wednesday evening, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. CDC last fall hired the ombudsmen -- Joseph McDade and Jerry Naehr -- under a one-year contract to address employee morale issues related to staff retention problems and the recent reorganization of the agency. According to the report, 98 of the 9,000 employees and 5,000 contractors of CDC filed complaints with the ombudsmen from October 2006 through March. Three of the complaints focused on ethical issues, 10 focused on the organization or mission of CDC and 33 focused on services or general administrative issues, the report found. Many of the complaints focused on administrative issues involving problems with GovTrip, the travel software system used by CDC. CDC spokesperson Tom Skinner said that agency officials have begun efforts to improve GovTrip and address other complaints focused on administrative issues, such as delays in hiring. Skinner said, "I think the report is an indication we're headed in the right direction with regard to addressing some of these issues."
Grassley Investigation
In related news, Senate Finance Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who has launched an investigation into employee morale issues at CDC and has requested a briefing from the ombudsmen, on Thursday said that they recently contacted his office about a potential meeting. The ombudsmen previously declined Grassley's request for a briefing because of ethical concerns (Young, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 4/6).
Opinion Pieces
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently published an editorial and opinion piece about CDC ombudsmen's refusal to meet with Grassley. Summaries of the articles are listed below.
- Mike King, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: CDC Director Julie Gerberding "would do well to free [the agency's personnel ombudsmen] of any concerns they have that talking with Grassley might jeopardize their mission in working with her and her staff," King writes in a Journal-Constitution editorial. Although "some CDC officials might consider [Grassley's] actions micro-managing, Congress has the prerogative of oversight," King writes. Grassley "should not expect confidential, job-specific concerns raised by employees to be addressed in his conversations with the ombudsmen," King writes, adding that Grassley could make a transcript of the meeting available to CDC employees "so there is no question about what was discussed." King concludes, "In the end, the ombudsman program at the CDC will only be successful if employees see it as independent of Gerberding and willing to address their concerns. A briefing for Grassley should help, not harm, that mission" (King, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 4/2).
- Stephen Thacker, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "CDC and the ombudsmen recognize and respect [Grassley's] responsibilities and authority in seeking information regarding government-funded activities," Thacker, director of the CDC Office of Workforce and Career Development, writes in a Journal-Constitution opinion piece. Thacker notes that "independence is a key feature of ombudsman offices," and it "was in that spirit of confidentiality and independence that CDC's ombudsmen initially declined a meeting with Grassley." Thacker writes that the ombudsmen were not given complete information regarding the meeting's agenda and format, so "they were concerned that they might be asked to compromise essential principles that were established" for their office at CDC, including independence, impartiality, confidence and informality. He notes that the ombudsmen have contacted Grassley's office to seek further clarification on the intent of his meeting and that they "wish to be as open and transparent as possible while also being true to the [International Ombudsman Association] standards of practice." Thacker concludes, "We are optimistic that approaches will be found that enable our ombudsmen to protect the integrity of their office and provide needed information to interested members of Congress" (Thacker, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 4/2).