The Kansas Organization of State Employees, which represents LSH employees, contends hospital supervisors rated some employees “exceptional,” but that the ratings were overruled by central office administrators at the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, according to the article.
Rebecca Proctor, the employee union’s executive director, told The Topeka Capital-Journal two mid-level hospital supervisors, reportedly executives at KDADS, were responsible for lowering staff ratings from “exceptional.” She told the publication an internal hospital document also showed the issue was discussed at an LSH management meeting in May.
Tim Keck, who was appointed secretary of KDADS in August after serving on an interim basis since January, rebutted the accusations. He said in the article he did not issue a directive to lower workers’ annual evaluation scores, as doing so would undermine employee relations.
Kraig Knowlton, director of personnel services in the state’s Department of Administration, also said in the article he didn’t know of any formal attempt to cut the number of state employees earning an “exceptional” rating.
Ms. Proctor said documents from LSH related to revision of ratings were submitted to Kansas lawmakers responsible for making recommendations on regulatory reforms sought by the Department of Administration, according to the report.
Ms. Proctor said she was told during a meeting with Mr. Keck and other top KDADS officials that some state employee evaluations had been returned to supervisors because of insufficient documentation as to why certain ratings were awarded, the report states.
According to the report, controversy regarding the rating system for Kansas government employees arose as Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration called for the approval of regulatory reforms that would halt certain rating appeals made by employees.
More articles on human capital and risk:
Geisinger to hire 1,500 employees
California nursing board slices into licensing backlog
New contract approved for Essentia nurses
