Work Environment Survey results released

Laboratory workers who responded to a Work Environment Survey feel relatively comfortable raising concerns to their immediate supervisor and co-workers and believe their concerns will be addressed.

But they don't feel as comfortable doing so beyond their immediate supervisor. And about 40 percent of the employee respondents feel they would be retaliated against for taking their concerns outside the Lab, such as to the Department of Energy or to elected officials.

Those were some of the results from the survey conducted in September. The Senior Executive Team has been briefed on the survey results.

In a memo to all employees, Laboratory Director G. Peter Nanos said he is committed to creating and maintaining a work environment in which all workers feel free to identify concerns of a significant nature, and that such concerns are resolved in a timely and effective manner. Nanos said the first step in meeting this objective was to understand the current state of the work environment; he authorized that a work force survey be conducted.

A 20 percent random sample of Laboratory workers received the Work Environment Survey. A similar sample of workers from Butler, Comforce, KSL Services, Protection Technology Los Alamos, Plus Group and Weirich also received the survey. The 20 percent sample totaled approximately 2,600 employees and subcontract workers. The 49 percent response rate of this survey was higher than for other recent Laboratory surveys.

The survey contained 19 questions. The survey was anonymous, with respondents asked only whether they were a management or non-management employee, their management level, their directorate and division.

The survey was developed in part by Workforce and Data Analysis (HR-WDA) and Laboratory Counsel (LC). Results of the survey were provided to the Senior Executive Team and Division Leaders Council . The survey questions and results for each question can be viewed at http://hrweb.lanl.gov/WDA/work_environment/index.shtml online.

A summary of the survey results show

• about 80 percent of respondents feel comfortable raising a concern with their supervisors. However, fewer respondents feel comfortable raising concerns to persons above the supervisory level, and fewer still feel comfortable raising concerns outside of their chain of command, or to an external entity;
• about 15 percent of the respondents fear retaliation if they challenge decisions made by their supervisors or managers that they believe may lead to an unsafe condition and about an equal number fear co-worker retaliation for raising a concern;
• of those respondents who have formally reported a concern, about 15 percent have felt retaliation for doing so and about 20 percent of all respondents believe others in their work group have been retaliated against for raising a concern;
• about 70 percent of respondents believe their supervisors and managers encourage workers to raise concerns through their chain of command, and about an equal number are confident that their supervisors and managers will attempt to resolve concerns in a timely and effective manner. But only about 20 percent believe management recognizes or rewards those who raise concerns;
• about 40 percent do not consider critical self-assessment as a part of the Lab's culture;
• about 30 percent believe managers place a higher priority on productivity than on reporting and resolving concerns.

In the all-employee memo, Nanos said he will take appropriate actions as necessary based on the survey results. As a first step, Nanos has directed that all levels of Laboratory management receive training specifically addressing the detection and prevention of retaliation. "The training will first be provided to the Senior Executive Team and deputy associate directors in December, with subsequent required training sessions held for managers through the deputy group leader level, " said Rebecca Phillips, special assistant in the Director's Office with program management responsibility for leader development.

To read a all-employee memo from Nanos, click here. (Adobe Acrobat Reader required)

-- Steve Sandoval

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