HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter from Employee V Stark - 2.25.09 Stark 1 3
02/25/2009
Butte County Board.of Supervisors
25 County Center Drive, Suite 200
Oroville, CA 95965
02/25/2009
TO: Bill Connelly
Jane Dolan
Maureen Kirk
Steve Lambert
Kim Yamaguchi
Dear Gentlemen and Gentlewomen,
Respectful members of the Board,
My name is Vjera Stark. I am 54 years old. I am employee of Butte County Department
of Social Services since 02/22/2000. I hold a position of Account Clerk, Senior for these
nine years. I am stationed at the Chico office at 2445 Carmichael Drive.
I was born in Montenegro, Yugoslavia. I am married for eleven years to a U. S. citizen,
but I am stili not U.S citizen myself I am employed legally as legal California resident
with a permanent resident card.
I have pledged my loyalties to my employer—Butte County, by delivering an efficient
and effective daily work performance for last nine years, sharing with my department
common goals of showing respect and dedication to Butte County residents by providing
excellence in supporting aspect of social services.
Even more, I am proud by the way I represent County by delivering uncompromised
punctuality, excellence, and high quality work performance, with sound, logical
judgment,promptness, effectiveness, and efficiency, with dedication and dependability to
make deadlines and to get job done. Since my first official unit meeting as County
employee (13 days after I got employment), I pledged myself in front of my supervisor
and Program Manager at that time to make myself one of the Butte County's assets.
Many people who know me through work, or who took the time to know me, know that I
guided by strong personal moral standards, exceptionally high work ethics, self-
confidence,
elfconfidence,honesty and integrity. My work ethics and professional standards are
outstanding and always striving for performance excellence. I take pride in the work I
do,which makes me proud what I am and who I am. Undeniable,my ethnic origin and
native culture have strong influence and effect on the work.1 do.
Unfortunately, recently, after all those nine years of employment,the actions were taken
by my supervisors to make me go through 90 day improvement plan to correct my
"unprofessional conduct and behavior." This happened on February 12, 2009. The paper
✓ V
` � t
Stark 2
02/25/2009
was given to me by Ms. Becky Lightle, Manager Supervisor for support services because
my supervisor was on vacation at the time.
The very difficult times that I am exposed to at my workplace force me to write you and
ask you for your help by getting interest in my case. I e-mailed my departmental
Assistant Director, Mr. Frink to talk to him on 02/19/2009, and he e-mailed me back on
0212312009,that"it is not my desire nor intent to intervene in that personnel matter." On
February 20, 2009, I talked to Ms. Brunson,the Director of Human Resources and she
told me she is not going to investigate my case because this is the job of my department.
I also talked on 02125/2009,to county council and they said they are not helping to
individual employees. After I exhausted all my help lines, you are my only hope left.
I know in these hard economical times and with the California budget and employment
crisis you have rather more important issues to deal with than to get involved into one
individual case. But,this is not just about one single employee's case. It is for me my
job, my life, my livelihood, and my health. Also,this is rather about the practices of one
of Butte County's departments whose rules,policies, and procedures, are being overseen
by your governing body in order to enforce the laws which Butte County as equal
opportunity employer is supposed to follow.
My only defense right now is for you to find me credible, believable and that I am telling
you the truth. I sincerely hope you are not going to assume that I am some kind of
troublemaker. God knows I am fine and decent human being who unfortunately got into
this difficult situation. I am rather more honest than it is common nowadays, I rather
depend more on facts and truth than others want to know,and I am rather guided by
equality and justice for all, or how I call it "fair share"to all, then the others are giving it
to me for some time in this department.
For quite some time I have been experiencing a horrific case of injustice,unfairness,
mistreatment,abuse,discrimination, double standard, and very escalating and brutal case
of harassment by my supervisors. I am ignored and run over every time when I express
my opinion, or bring up my suggestions. I have been suppressed to exercise my freedom
and speak my mind,maintain my own personality, and when asking to be treated equally
with dignity and respect as any other County employee.
Just simply raising a question when something is not clear to me or does not sound right,
make;them scared,and they quickly implement a strategy to generate attack against me
(usually something that did not happen exactly the way they are saying) in order to turn
the wrongdoing on me. I am been easily accused of being"agitated, loud, belaboring the
point, questioning and not adhering to policies and procedures." All this is leading to my
"unprofessional behavior and misconduct." The fact is that people who work directly
with me know me in an absolutely different way.
Talking to the Director of Department of Human Resources,Ms. Laura Brunson, on
02/20/2009, 1 guess I have exhausted that help line without feeling the encouragement
that she will help. When I presented my case.and untruthful details who allegedly led to
Stark 3
02/25/2009
this 90 day Employee Improvement Plan that I have to go through, she told me that she is
not going to investigate because this is a job of my department.
She asked me if I think my supervisors are lying. I answered, "Many of the facts are not
true. Even the two of Supervisors, who were mentioned as "witnesses" for those
accusations, did not corroborate their story. It looks to me just this fact pretty much
shakes the credibility of my supervisors in this entire matter.
I believe this last stand of my supervisors is discrimination against me because my non-
English accent. I was told that I speak with heavy accent,which is the fact, and
sometimes people have hard time to understand me. My accent is something that cannot
be helped and has to be taken as a part of what and who I am. When I discuss the matters
involving work, I am trying so hard to be clear and precise when sharing works related
information. Many times I see some people looking at me like they did not understand,
and I feel need to speak much more directly, in matter of fact mode, louder, and even
tend to repeat the matter to make sure I did not miss to provide right information. This
has been from time to time misinterpreted by my supervisor as speaking"agitatively,
loudly, belaboring the point, and in unprofessional manner, and wanted to be always
right." I could not possible understand what is wrong being right. Employment case
managers who are working directly with me usually find my interaction with them
friendly,helpful, skilful, and efficient in serving our participants.
Ms. Brunson told me that she sees me as "agitated and unprofessional"when I talked
with her, so she sided with my supervisors. What a conclusion and observation. I
answered that I did not come to her quite in professional manner but that I came kind of
upset and I needed help. I am asking you what is wrong being upset when somebody is
giving to one such hard time and unfair treatment.
Ms. Brunson asked me do I think the entire County is after me to get me. I responded
with a few details that were happening to me.
In 2006, when my case was discussed, the mediator between the County and me told me:
"Vjera, you got management against you." When I complained to EEOC that I was
discriminated based on my national origin they could not find anything wrong even
though I was told during my work for those nine years, "Serbians are Gypsies,"or
"Serbians are crazy,"referring to my Montenegrian-Serb origin. When I shook hands
with the Congressman Wally Herger once he visited our office, I was told, "Foreigners
should not be shaking hands with the Congressman,"referring to my nationality. One of
my supervisors was yelling at me"You are not citizen yet? Why you do not leave when
you do not like here?"
On one of my recent County job interviews I was told, "You should not be working for
County. You are too smart to work for the County."No need to mention, I did not get the
job. It rather looks I will never advance and get promoted to some higher County
positions because I am already discriminated as "overqualified and smart."
Stark 4
02/25/2009
The fact is that besides working full time, I went to Butte College to farther my
education. It was all on my own time and at my own expenses. The original idea was to
improve my skills and knowledge so I can better serve the County in performing my
work duties. Of course, it was natural to expect my personal benefits too. I got the
degrees in accounting and business management graduatiing with GPA 4.0.
Unfortunately,that influenced their negativity towards me even more.
In January 2008, 1 passed the test for Auditor Accountant/Associate and I scored in third
band. That means County is obligated to give me a job interview for that position when
position is to be filled. In March/April 2008, I learned the position was filled and I asked
how come my right to get an interview was violated. I was given some lame excuse
which was farther from the fact that I was deprived the opportunity to interview for the
position.
On October 1, 2008, my supervisors told me that I have to stop to wear perfume. The
order came from the departmental Assistant Director. I was reminded that my last
Performance Evaluation says that I have to improve in Follow Direction. If I do not do
stop wearing perfume, I can lose my job.
I stopped immediately wearing the perfume,but I asked to talk to Ms. Laura Brunson.
This meeting was on October 15, 2008. This is when I found out that Ms. Brunson
became a new Director of Human Resources. Considering that County has no policies
and procedures in place regarding perfumes,this was strictly, selectively applied only to
me and not across the board to every other employee. In a building where I work there
are people wearing perfumes all over the place with no restrictions or punishments at all.
Ms. Brunson advised me that I have to stop to wear perfume otherwise I will be found in
insubordination and I will lose my job. In presence of Union representative and on my
asking to give me this direction in writing, she promised she will mail it to me. She never
did until today's day.
When I saw how Ms. Brunson responded to my cry for help on this recent meeting, I
think it is even clearer to me what is going on. What is even bizarre, Ms. Brunson
identified that my supervisors and I are communication challenged, but she had no
resolution what should be done about it. She sent me out of her office with "Good luck."
I am asking you to help me restore my workers rights and civil liberties to co-exist, and to
be fairly and equally treated at my workplace. I am asking you as a governing body to
act in your capacity and give certain order to whoever is responsible to investigate the
things that are unfairly happening to me which led to this 90 day Employee Improvement
Plan. I do not even hope that one can ever repair the damage that was done to my health
for too many years of exposure to injustice, unfairness, harassment, mistreatment,
discrimination, abuse, overuse, and suppression of my personality at my workplace.
I thought that doing right and being honest and truthful would be enough to protect me no
matter what. But working for Butte County DESS has proven me wrong. The truth
Stark 5
02/25/2009
about my situation has been lost for some time. If somebody like me can be exposed to
this kind of abuse, mistreatment, harassment, and discrimination, then I believe this is the
end of human race and humanity.
The second problem that I face for almost last ten months is the fact that I am left alone
to do assignment for two- employee position at CalWORKS accounting desk. For the
last nine years this position was filled by two employees, but on April 29, 2008,my
supervisor Penny Kerr informed me that she has re-assigned my co-worker to a new
position and I will continue to do two-person job on this desk by myself.
By this change of positions my co-worker was placed to do Meds(Meds stands for
Medical Eligibility Data System) as a forth Meds clerk. Additionally to four permanent
Meds clerks,there are three other employees who help doing Meds when it is needed.
The irony of this change is that the Meds position was two-person job for all those years
(between 2001 and 2005) when I was holding one of those two positions by myself
Between February 2002 and February 2003, I was the only Meds clerk who was doing
those enormous Meds duties myself because my co-worker was on medical leave for the
entire year due to a car accident until she decided not to come back. Being overwhelmed
and exhausted from heavy work, and finding hard time to meet those expectations from
my supervisors, I started to express being unhappy with such situation, and this is when
my first troubles started never stopping until these days.
Since they decided to remove me from the Meds desk in March 2006,they employed two
more Meds clerk, and again, I am the one left to do job at the CalWORKS desk alone
even though according to job classification,this should be two persons position.
The third issues that has developed recently is the fact that I was ordered by my
supervisors to stop to wear perfume in the office even though many other people
continued to do so and even though there are no policies and procedures in place
regarding the use of perfumes and fragrances.
This order was given to me on October 1, 2008,by Ms. Becky Lightle,Manager
Supervisor and in presence of my supervisor Penny Kerr. I was told that order came
from Assistant Director and if I do not do it, I will be charged for insubordination and I
will loose my job. I insisted to get this decision in writing and they refused to give it to
me. On October 15, 2008, I brought the problem to the Director of Human Resources
who promised to give me this decision in writing and she never did.
Oddly enough, all those meetings I had with Ms. Becky Lightle and my supervisor Ms.
Penny Kerr together. Once when my supervisor was on vacation, the second person
present to one of these meetings was Lisette Kroepelin, our departmental Program
Manager. The arrangements and orchestration of the events were almost perfect. What
only was not completely perfect was the fact that my supervisors took no time in any
instance to talk to me and find out what I have to say about the situations that allegedly
happened. Not that it shows a lackage of the good will and bias on their part, but also
Stark 6
02/25/2009
shows that I was not given any rights to be heard. It also shows their readiness to
retaliate against because my previous history with Manager Supervisor Ms. Lightle.
They exercised fear-mongering and executioners' practice always sitting two of them
together against me in the room. In some instances they would not let me have union
representation in the room with me. They created for me position of isolation and
marginalization. This also caused for me extremely unfriendly, cold,hostile and
unhealthy work environment.
A very scary part is that I was never asked nor allowed to tell my version of problems if
and when there were any. That mean I was already declared guilty without even being
given chance to defend myself. What is even worse,they have been using brutal method
of"attack is the best defense." When I was complaining and I was about to bring up
what my co-workers wrongfully did to me,my supervisors have turned it against me just
Tike I am one at fault. This means,whatever I do, I cannot prove myself being right
because it is most likely they will be always able to come up with the few"witnesses."
How could I with no power at all fight those with all the power?
What is even more devastated for me is my fear that during this 90 day improvement plan
designated for me,my supervisors can come again as many times before with many
different"events"and"witnesses"to bring new incidents of my "unprofessional
behavior." I am sorry to say that I do not trust their good will to make me go through this
plan because my trust was misused many times before. Simply, when they fabricated
events to bring me to the point to improve, they will bring new events to make me fail the
plan. I have been feeling the loop tightening around my neck for so many years and now
it is matter of days when I feel, I will be lynched.
My supervisors did not approach to the problem in good faith. Their idea was only to
prove me guilty before and without giving me a chance to defend my position.
They have forbidden me to talk to people and find out if and to what extent I really did
hurt someone. They never considered my rights to say my version of the story. They did
not show me even adequate respect and consideration.
They used details that were not true in order to put blame on me. I actually complained to
my supervisor on July 29,2008 about one co-worker who did wrong to me, and after two
weeks they turned this event into my fault.
They misrepresented my question regarding using the signs at our desks to direct workers
where to ask for help when we are not at the desks. They gave me entire directive how to
follow"new procedure," leading towards the need for my improvement. They selectively
enforced upon me directive to follow this procedure. Some of my co-workers do not use
those sings at all. They just put a little post-it notes instead, and no one is accusing them
of not following policies and procedures.
On January 22, 2009, I was a speaker during IHSS orientation. Four of my co-workers at
the back of the room were making terrible static talking with people at the back raw. My
Stark 7
02/25/2009
co-worker admitted, "We sabotaged you." Instead of I being upset, they turned it into my
wrongdoing because I went to talk to that co-worker about what happen. I allegedly was
"agitated and unprofessional"talking to her.
Brief history of my case:
My situation has been going on since early 2002. It sort of escalated in 2006 when I was
force to take three months of medical leave for stress relief. My case was settled in
Workmen's Comp Court in Redding on 03127/2007. They had not much against me.
The court settlement has obligated all of us who signed it to never mention what happen
before March 16, 2006. After that it was quiet for a while. Probably they were careful
not to be accused for retaliation based on this court decision until some time passes.
In April 29, 2008, the campaign against me started again. It started abruptly,all of
sudden as a completely surprise to me. I personally believe it is a latent form of
retaliation for their unsuccessful case against me two years earlier. They gave me Record
of Discussion regarding my"professional misconduct and being disrespectful to my co-
workers." This time around they started to build case against me by preparing
"documentation"right a way and again with no substantiated facts. I had little chance
under the circumstances to prove it was not that way. I was ordered to keep things
confidential and to discuss nothing to any of my co-workers who allegedly complained
on me. It was their words against mine.
On August 13,2008, I was given a counseling Memo with the similar subject. I
responded to this Memo with my version of events but that was all I could do. There was
never any response to my statements. Then it was waiting game until they decide to
make a new move, on February 12,2009.
On September 23, 2008, I was given Performance Evaluation Report. It was as bad as
never before. Under"Accept Responsibility" I was rated"Need improvement,"
even though during the entire year, my supervisor never discussed with me any problem
of irresponsible behavior.
Dear members of the Board,
I strongly believe I am a decent person, good resident of Butte County and decent human
being. Saying that I believe I have right for protection and help. I believe I have certain
human rights and civil liberties to enjoy no matter what is my ethnic or personal
background.
I believe I am good Butte County employee who follows rules,regulations and laws.
That can be proven by many of my employee performance evaluations during these nine
years. Predominant majority of those who work or have worked with me can support that
too. I was told at certain times my work is"above County standards." (?)
Stark 8
02/25/2009
This discriminatory,harassing and abusive behavior of my supervisors and the entire
setting of events has caused for me extremely cold, unfriendly, hostile and unhealthy
work environment. I have been subjected to persistent micromanaging, isolation and
marginalization which I see as intent to make my existence impossible and force me to
quit.
As it happened, I am not a quitter, especially when times are hard and life is hard,and
when it happens that I need my jab for a living. I am especially not quitter when I am the
one who follows all rules and laws"by the book." No work has ever been hard for me
but the intrigues, gossips, fabrications,and unhealthy practices of injustice, unfairness,
double standard, favoritism, protectionism, and divisions among employees are very
difficult to experience. These practices are essential and major part of the work
environment around me. The exposure to such practices is even harder for somebody
like me,who work so hard,whose quality of work and dedication to work is very evident,
and who needs to feel accepted and respected as equal, and recognized, and appreciated
as any other employee.
I believe my supervisors, particularly Ms. Becky Lightle,Manager Supervisor for
Support Services in Chico office and whoever happens to be my first line supervisor,are
after me to make me fail. Early in 2002,Ms. Lightle decided that"Vjera thinks she is
better than anyone else. She is not saying it, but I am saying it." Since that time she
made me a project that maybe some day she can use it for her professional promotion and
advancement.
I already mentioned the event in 2006, when the talk between Butte County and I was
mediated by a mediator Ms. Maureen Hochler. She told me "Vjera, you got management
against you." Why and how I got management against me I do not know. I only know it
is not because of my work performance or internal customer service even though they are
trying to make it look like it.
Considering that I am not going to quit,the next step in their plan is to fire me. Of
course,they have"witnesses"who can testify my "unprofessional behavior." I believe
those claims are fabricated, misconstrued, and they are not true.
I came to the U. S. at age of 34 years. Pretty much I brought with myself already
established values and standards of a very different culture. In my case the values and
cultural standards are even more deeply influenced by my birth and the upbringing by my
parents. I was raised by my father was born at the end of 19th century, and who was 63
years old when I was born. I am guided by very strong personal moral standards and
principles to do right, to listen, and to follow rules.
Without a doubt,my upbringing and cultural heritage make me much different form the
other County employees. If I am different, it does not mean I am not most of the time
professional at my everyday work and in the interaction with my co-workers. If I am
different, it does not mean that if"interpreted as not professional enough," I have to be
Stark 9
02/25/2009
unfairly subjected to the Employee Improvement Plan after nine years of my dedicated
and impeccable work with the Butte County.
I believe I am being discriminated because of my high work ethics and performance
standards, or being "too smart"to work for the County, or because of my honesty, strong
moral character and personal integrity that I choose not to compromise under any
circumstances.
It may look pretty desperate that at age of 54 I have to explain myself, my personal moral
standards and principles, but I am forced to do so. I believe this is a major problem
between me and my supervisors. I think they never tried to understand my cultural
differences that I bring with me and to accept them as a part of who I am. They have
been threatened by them and they are working hard to eradicate them. I have high hope
that you will be able to understand me with my differences and to have a level of
tolerance for them.
I am sure that the truth will prevail. I have clean conscience that I did not do those things
that I have been accused off. I have been living my life as honest and decent person,
interacting with people in the way as generous human beings do even when many years
of my life got hard.
I have great hope that you can help. I believe there must be some rather different way to
approach to this matter. I apologize for taking this much of your busy time.
Thank you for your time, help,understanding,and consideration.
Sincerely,
Vjera Stark P
(530) 891-57
02/25/2009