Glassdoor Rating of LLNL (LLNS) a Federally Funded Contractor Compared to True Private Sector Companies is a Stretch at Best.
How can Glassdoor rate LLNL (LLNS) a federally funded contractor among other true private sector companies that don't have the luxury of DOE/NNSA bankrolling every dumb or unwarranted workforce or employee litigation related decision they make like the UC/LLNL retirees health care benefits being transferred to LLNS decision, Dee Kotla being fired, etc. At best, there should be a derating factor for federal contractors that can easily intimidate or do as they wish to employees and not face any materiel business or profit blowback. DOE/NNSA contractor employee survey candidness should be taken with a grain of salt compared with the real private sector that face material and prompt consequences for how they treat their workforce.
18 comments:
A voluntary survey, where only roughly 20% of the employees participate is almost meaningless.
About as meaningless as a DOE or contractor sponsors employee survey. Why can’t you just take it for what it is. It is opinions provided by employees to Glassdoor. Apparently more positive than most other companies in the US.
Versus Facebook, Google, et ala that have the entire world economy bankrolling them? Come on people, this just like counting “Likes” on Facebook. Ir means something, but I wouldn’t put a micrometer on it. If there were a lot of negative comments, would people suddenly endorse the veracity of Glassdoor?
The original poster brings up a good point. There is a culture of retaliation At LLNL that you just don’t see in the private sector. Some of the stories like Dee Kotla are nightmarish.
"Facebook, Google, et ala that have the entire world economy bankrolling them?"
Thanks for providing the safety net contrast. The companies you mentioned must stay competitive or risk losing market share to a competitor. They don't have Uncle Sam to pay for acts of mismanagement like DOE/NNSA contractors do. As such, lab workforce importance or value has a long and weak feedback loop in terms of impacting DOE/NNSA contractor profits.
Don't forget what happened to employees at LLNL in 2008 shortly after LLNS took over. "Supervisors walked into our offices, told us we were being laid off but didn't give us a reason and said we had 30 minutes to pack up our personal belongings," she said. The laid-off employees were then escorted by armed guards to the exit center, where their security badges were confiscated". So what happened? "The new LLC (LLNS) contract to run the lab was over $40 Million more than the UC previously charged. LLNS then added approximately 30 new Bechtel employees in executive and management positions which significantly increased the overhead costs. However, they promised the government they would save $50 million because of their so-called great 'management experience'. To accomplish this, LLNS laid off their most experienced and senior employees in violation of their layoff policies, which required most employees to be laid off in inverse order of seniority. The average age of our 130 clients was 54 years and they had an average of 20 years seniority."
According to a letter from Senator Claire McCaskill to Secretary Rick Perry, LLNS was reimbursed nearly 23 million dollars for "Fees/Litigation Expense Reimbursed by NNSA from Contract Funds" to fight the 2008 LLNS lay off class action lawsuit. This is your Glassdoor 2020 "exceptional" employer. To this day, DOE/NNSA is still bankrolling litigation expenses related to contractor workforce decisions and acts of employee retaliation. It is just a matter of time before it happens again.
1/06/2020 10:41 AM: “There is a culture of retaliation At LLNL that you just don’t see in the private sector.”
LOL! Having worked both, I’d say the damage done by roving predatory managers, shareholders and attorneys is much greater on the outside. LLNL is a good gig as long as you don’t allow your ego to dictate your future.
"LLNL is a good gig as long as you don’t allow your ego to dictate your future."
Were the LLNS employees marched out the gate by armed guards in the 2008 mass lay off, due to the collective egos of those employees? Were the UC/LLNL retirees swindled out of their earned UC medical benefits a result of their collective egos? I suppose Dee Kotla, who defended a female lab worker from a LLNL Harvey Weinstein type and was subsequently fired, was also due to her ego? This was the case where DOE reimbursed LLNL 10 million dollars in legal fees to fight Dee Kotla for allegedly making 4 dollars and thirty cents of local phone calls. Your not fooling anyone. Most of the readers here will clearly see your thinly veiled use of the word "ego" and replace it with the word "fault". That is what sexual predators say of their victims all the time. Perhaps someday, the understanding of the "Me Too" movement will reach the shores LLNL island, but it may be awhile given the headwinds created by DOE/NNSA legal fee reimbursements.
I disagree with 6:36. I’ve never seen non-working baby boomer managers in the private sector who sit in their offices planning the demise of their coworkers. That was common at LLNL. I don’t understand the ego comment of the poster. The egos of Tomas Diaz de la Rubio and Ed Moses were huge. Also, the egos of the NIF people who promised fusion probably exceeded those of Nobel Laureates.
Right. You thought you were immune, more immune than the United Airlines retirees whose pensions were defaulted. This predated your little 2007 trauma by 2 years. It was national news, and a warning. There were other signs, but it didn’t penetrate the LLNL cocoon of entitlement. The UAL is only one example of the private sectors interface with its employees, there are plenty of others.
The egos of LLNL employees are legendary. It has been well known for decades how they regard themselves compared to “the private sector.” Whine about managers plotting against you all you want. Have you ever been in a real shut down, where the attorneys and HR decimate an entire facility, where the women line up to have a good cry in the ladies room? Be grateful for what you do have.
To 6:38, I have never been in a real shut down. Also, I have never been in a Turkish prison or a concentration camp. Also, I’ve never seen “Cats” - musical or film. What’s your point?
1/09/2020 6:38 PM
PTSD is a sad affliction.
1/10/2020 1:27 PM
You are the perfect example of an entitled LLNL person, a person who has never had to face the pain that real workers face, someone who does not check their unearned LLNL privilege.
To 6:38, I have never been in a real shut down. Also, I have never been in a Turkish prison or a concentration camp. Also, I’ve never seen “Cats” - musical or film. What’s your point?
1/10/2020 1:27 PM
I never saw "Cats" the musical but the movie I did, how should I say this... "experience"....wow, that is something, whatever was in that film was not a cat or human but it sure as hell was weird and pissed off. It will stay with me for long long time.
"Memory, all alone in the moonlight
I can dream of the old days
I was beautiful then
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again"
No never let it live again...kill it with fire and spread the ashes to to four winds and never let it be spoken of again.
"Have you ever been in a real shut down, where the attorneys and HR decimate an entire facility, where the women line up to have a good cry in the ladies room? Be grateful for what you do have."
The NNSA has communicated substantial near term hiring goals. LLNS claims they want to attract and retain the best and brightest. In your world, that is accomplished by claiming the private sector is just as cruel and indifferent to their employees as we are so come aboard? Would this be one of your LLNS job fair talking points?
You may not like it, but as said here, there are material differences between private sector workforce decisions that may impact private sector company profits, compared to DOE/NNSA contractor workforce decisions, that have near zero company profit risk. Situationally aware LLNS job candidates know this, and they and their portable 401k retirement plans, will make decisions accordingly.
To be blunt, any company that has near zero risk of negative blowback from unwarranted employee workforce decisions that may boost their short term company profits, won't give a rats a _ _ about mistreating or abusing their employees. LLNS actions confirm this. Your either in deluxe denial or benefiting from the situation.
1/10/2020 7:36 PM
I suppose that forced perspective analysis works well for some, along with the long suffering victimization view. However, there is no “my world,” there is only the real world, and how you live in it.
Risk is inherent in all things. And, all things being equal, you can limit your risk if that’s your goal. But all things are not equal, and the field is constantly shifting because in the real world, there is always tension between company and employee goals. Hey, I did like the “deluxe denial or benefiting from the situation” bit. It’s a predictable if not awkward sign that one has run their ship of reason aground. Who knows, reification may work for you.
"It’s a predictable if not awkward sign that one has run their ship of reason aground."
Ah, the single out and discredit a commenter approach to dismissing a set of problems that impact the many. I wonder if LANS tried that approach before they lost the contract to manage LANL?
8:50 Why yes. Yes they did. Bechtel and Livermore managers were experts at that game. Too bad for them they faced a workforce far more intelligent and patient than they were.
This is a Bill my case helped pass in 2005 I am Dee Kotla
https://www.markey.senate.gov//imo/media/doc/DOE%20legal%20fees%2004.07.16.pdf
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