March 17, 2014

NNSA SAFETY CULTURE STUDY REVEALS ‘LACK OF TRUST’ AND ‘FEAR OF REPRISAL’

By ExchangeMonitor

A safety culture study conducted by the National Nuclear Security Administration this summer on its federal staff found a “lack of trust” among the agency’s employees, problems with communication and a “fear of reprisal” for raising concerns. The safety culture study obtained by NW&M Monitor follows reports that have been critical of the safety culture at NNSA and Department of Energy sites as well as DOE’s Office of Health, Safety and Security. Chief among the findings of the study was that the agency’s federals employees lacked trust and respect for NNSA senior leadership. “Individuals described not feeling valued or respected for their professional expertise and being instructed about what to do by leaders who generally do not understand the various functions that NNSA is responsible for,” the study said. The study also found that the agency’s senior leadership was viewed to favor a small group of employees, creating a “‘culture of entitlement’ and a ‘culture of non-inclusion’ for NNSA staff.’”

The study also found frustration among workers with how changes are made at the agency. “Several major changes were recently made without a clearly communicated strategy, without the anticipation of the potential consequences of changes in roles and responsibilities, especially in the areas of safety and security, and without the necessary formalization ahead of the change to facilitate and effective transition,” the study said. “All the changes have resulted in frustration among the workforce because of confusion in responsibility, uncertainty in authority, and a questioning of value to the mission.” Employees also were hesitant to participate in the study, its authors said, which suggested a larger problem about a perception that there could be retaliation for raising issues. “The poor participation rate for the survey and focus groups, the large number of Hotline inquiries and requests made to the Team, all suggest that within NNSA there is a fear of reprisal for raising potentially negative concerns or issues,” the study said.

In a message to employees last month, acting NNSA Administrator Bruce Held said several changes were being made immediately as a result of the study, including establishing a way for employees to identify issues and track responses, reviewing the Differing Professional Opinion process, and creating a position to hear employee concerns. “This is just a start of the dialog on how to improve the safety and overall culture here at NNSA; we will continue to identify and implement specific, focused, and practical actions to address core issues,” Held wrote.

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