A report on diversity and inclusion in state government calls for the formation of a cabinet level human resources and diversity positions, as well as a greater emphasis on communication, “onboarding” of new employees and consistent performance evaluations.
The report from The Ivy Group was released at the end of 2016 by the state. The consulting firm polled a large number of state employees.
The report came after a controversy over alleged discrimination practices in the Delaware Department of Labor, with complaints coming from other agencies and departments. The 52-page report is below.
[pdf-embedder url=”http://delawarebusinessnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/DiversityInclusionStudy.pdf”]
Delaware has long wrestled with a problem of racial discrimination in state government, along with personnel practices that have included charges of nepotism in hiring and other issues.
Clean government advocates have also pointed to conflicts of interest among legislators, some of whom work for state agencies or for entities that receive state funding.
Critics charged the “good ol’ boy” network led to generations of well-connected state employees hiring friends and relatives.
The Delaware Department of Transportation and other agencies have since modified policies in an effort to deal with those allegations.
The report also comes at a time when the state is under pressure to rein in soaring health care costs among state employees.
While raises for state employees have been few and far between in recent years, health care benefits have remained generous at a time when private employers have shifted the cotst burden to staffers.
The report pointed to a lack of consistent policies, procedures and practices across state agencies and to hiring practices lead to a less diverse workforce.
“Onboarding.” a human resources term used to describe orientation and other measures used to bring a new employee into the state workforce were described as being inconsistent with the quality and thoroughness varying with the division or agency.
The same problems were seen in performance management, promotions, rewards and the complaint and grievance process.
When it comes to equal employment opportunity and discrimination, the council and office handling such matters are not structured in a way that resolves issues in a timely manner, the report indicated.
