Is the American tax payer well served when our purported NNSA “Field Offices”are essentially populated with long term, Livermore, Los Alamos, etc. residents (buying local homes, kids going to local schools, going to local functions, parties, etc.) that commingle with NNSA contractors they are supposed to be objectively evaluating?
Why aren’t these people forced by NNSA policy, into a 6-12 month field office rotation schedule? Because this is not currently the case.
As non-rotating NNSA employees, do NNSA Field Office employees basically become a non-objective arm of the contractor, they are suppose to be evaluating?
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Only “useful purpose” in practice, is to buffer contractor from NNSA HQ harmful award fee criteria.
Congress’s solution was to put their well paid buddies to help run the labs. More expensive corporate management fees, bigger bonuses for the upper and middle managers. To top it off now we have a lack of skilled people down at the bottom to do the actual work.
“The Department of Energy (DOE) Employee Concerns Program (ECP) provides a way for employees to report concerns about the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and DOE programs and facilities.
The ECP is an alternative reporting system that encourages employees to raise concerns about issues such as: health, safety, the environment, security, quality, management practices, and reprisal for raising a concern. “
Sure, because the NNSA ECP mission, operations, investigations, reporting, and solutions, are independent of NNSA Field Office Senior Management influence, and independent of Contractor influence. Haha. Another waste of tax payer dollars.
From one end of the spectrum, it is an unbiased NNSA alternate resource, and on the other end of the spectrum, it is a comprised entity. Do your OWN homework.
True, but it was much worse for Mr. Rivera and his wife than that, and in the public domain.
Anthony’s wife also worked at LLNL, until she finally left due to advancing disability from muscular dystrophy. During the period Anthony was placed into EIT/EBA status, his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. Anthony received LLNS FMLA approval for a block of time, to physically help his wife prepare at the medical office where the radiation therapy was scheduled, with tasks she could not complete herself. The FMLA was also to help her with other physical tasks at home related to post surgery, and the impact of the radiation therapy, on top of her pre-existing muscular dystrophy condition. LLNS fired Mr. Rivera months BEFORE the approved DOL/FMLA end date.
LLNS alleged Mr. Rivera was fired “for cause”, but given the circumstances and blatant inconsistencies presented to the CA Unemployment Appeals Judge, the Judge ruled:
"...The employer has not sustained its burden to show that the claimant's conduct was willful or wanton under the circumstances and therefore has not shown misconduct. Accordingly, the employer discharged the claimant for reasons other than misconduct..."
One employee just placed into EIT status, died in a horrible on site Lab vehicle accident while moving out of his NIF office (under what level of stress?). An official report was released following the Lab employee automobile accident death, with ZERO mention, of the EIT employment status that preceded the fatal accident.
The other NIF employee after being told he was being fired, committed suicide. No formal remembrance of any kind for his saddened coworkers was offered.
Both of these tragic events and failed teachable moments, occurred before Mr. Rivera was fired. Maybe LLNS leadership at LLNL has changed for the better since that time.
The FLMA is still an issue and the new hires can’t figure out why many of the mid career and older employees are at use it or lose it or have hundreds of hours of ESL on the books. BTDT take a day off on ESL and get called into the managers office on why I took a day off.
You can always paper up an employee, but working with people “in good faith” has to be a lifestyle choice.
Yes, the 401k crowd can do just that as an individual, drift from one employer to the other true. But, that may not be a grand plan for long term Lab missions, and that is where the disconnect is. Although it may be perfectly acceptable to a for-profit Lab contractor that does not face real world free market pressures to stay profitable, since they are not annually graded on employee churn or turnover, or employee morale. For such a contractor, they might say as you just did, don’t raise concerns, vote with your feet, or maybe, we will help you vote with your feet. Do you think that’s a stretch these days? If you do, maybe you’re a 25-35 year old new employee, welcome aboard.
Interesting that AFTER reading what Mr. Rivera and his disabled wife went through, you would make such a tone deaf suggestion. Are you a fellow LLNS employee, or LLNS staff relations advocate or staff relations employee?
“Durbee” was the superintendent of the NIF 500 series tech that committed suicide after being told he was being fired. That young NIF tech left 2 children behind. Very sad.
“That means, either he was in on it or he was too dumb to see what was goin' on.”
This would unfortunately apply to LSEO Division Leader at that time.
Those companies actually “walking the talk”, on breast cancer awareness, should be acknowledged. Thank You.
https://breastcancernow.org/get-involved/breast-cancer-awareness-month/