Department Manager sought to fire three female employees for varied offenses, but was concerned whether these employees would file discriminatory practice lawsuit. Manager looked for quick resolution without ensuring any adverse action would hold up under further scrutiny.

Reviewed current documentation and history, which revealed male employee with noted behavioral deficiencies that had never been subject to disciplinary action. Explained benefits of indisputable documentation, noted inconsistent practice, and addressed liability issues with Manager. Insisted on beginning progressive discipline for male employee before further action was taken against females. All employees were ultimately terminated and the three females filed discriminatory practice/unequal treatment suit, which was successfully defended by Agency.

By having proper documentation and following protocol, company won suit and saved potential liability of several hundred thousand dollars.

Department did not have established progressive disciplinary program in place. Problem employees were historically transferred and poor behavior or work performance issues were "worked around" instead of addressed and resolved. Establishing decentralized progressive disciplinary program required onsite training, staff acceptance and buy-in of expanding responsibilities, and implementation of department protocols and guidelines.

Discussed need for program with managers as well as training to focus more on process, building confidence, and reducing document errors. Set protocols, confirmed expectations, and established accountability for staff. Developed action plan to address timeline and implement issues for both programs. Created partnerships with labor management, union, and in-house counsel, so progressive disciplinary process was reinforced.

After accomplishing buy-in from managers and utilizing new program, 15 poor performers/disruptive employees were terminated within two-year period, greatly improving staff morale and overall performance.

Department needed to increase applicant base, expand traditional recruitment resources, and offer onsite weekend recruitment events with ability to make onsite job offer. Due to staffing reductions, centralized Human Resources provided limited assistance and partnering with Operations meant increased overtime costs, schedule changes, and time commitment issues.

Partnered with in-house Human Resources and Operations to schedule 10 upcoming events then obtained minimum staff commitment and ability to make job offers. Negotiated increase in overtime to cover weekend staffing costs, addressed presentation material and signage with print shop, and expanded recruitment resources to include technical/scientific trade associations and publicizing events with tri-state universities, college deans, department heads, and alumni associations.

Successfully met recruitment goals in 6 events versus 10 (40%) and reduced on-board process for new recruits by 12 days; process approved for use by other departments with large vacancies, becoming new model.

OCME was not prepared to address continuity of administrative functions such as, budget authorization to increase forensic and investigative staff, payroll operations, completing pre-boarding hiring processes tracking the cost of implementing emergency operations in aftermath, as well as addressing the emotional impact on current staff. In addition, many telephone lines were down, key agencies in area were evacuated, no centralized directory of key administrative personnel existed, and approval for additional hires needed to be expedited.

Directed critical departments to immediately implement 12-on/12-off rotation schedule, established emergency budget and coding for federally reimbursable expenses, coordinated emergency move of payroll operations to site outside zone, and ensured payroll within 48 hours. Expedited verbal budgetary approval of 28 pending scientific and investigative hires from Mayor's budget office. Partnered with local hospitals to ensure food, sleep, counseling and shower facilities were provided to on-call staff.

Successfully continued service in critical areas, appointed new hires, paid current staff, and provided accommodations to prevent rotating staff from overtiring.

Client sought to implement exit interview program to identify issues contributing to high percentage of attrition - 25% middle managers and/or skilled technicians - within first two years of employment. The training department was becoming overwhelmed with training replacement staff as well as planned new appointments. Creating such a program inhibited by perceived lack of trust in line staff.

Developed program of anonymous survey completion for departing employees allowing for assessment of expectations among managers and staff that indicated lack of communication, poor interpersonal skills, unreasonable work expectations and managerial style. Suggested required curriculum of training to develop soft managerial skill sets, communicate department objectives obtaining feedback; modifying implementation schedule of planned objectives if necessary.

Implementing new survey and training programs reduced training costs and lowered attrition rate in one year.

Department needed aggressive recruitment and expansion program to identify and appoint 180 public health professionals for 15 borough locations within 12-month period. Department protocols and recruitment guidelines needed to be established and communicated as well as training administered to appropriate supervisory staff.

Gained senior program management support then proposed and implemented mandatory multisite interviewing schedule for all locations, complete with training for managers participating in selection process. Finalized logistics of scheduling, candidate referral, and developed workflow process for paperwork associated with on-boarding process. Discussed impact on business operations, developed action plans to mitigate impact, and partnered with Human Resources to conduct weekend recruitment events for technical titles (Information Technology, software engineers, nurses, physicians, epidemiologists).

In the end, department met candidate identification schedule, met monthly appointment schedule of 15-18 candidates, and reduced pre-boarding processing activity by 12 business days through consolidation of onsite pre-hire services.

Divisions lacked structured procurement process and were historically reactive in maintaining mission-critical forms, printing supplies, or up-to-date maintenance contracts. Inventory controls did not exist between divisions nor was there a centralized supply and storage area. Employees were unable to provide usage projection for mission-critical supplies. Department heads were unaware of own budgets, budgeting process, and monthly expenditure or usage patterns.

Reviewed procurements and contracts then partnered with central finance and procurement personnel to propose long-term solutions to reactive procurement process. Utilized on-site storage area, detailed staff to take inventory, and consolidated all supplies and equipment. Changed procurement process to bulk ordering with staggered delivery dates and negotiated full-service contracts (inclusive of supplies) when service contracts were renewed.

Communication improved between divisions due to shared inventory, managerial budgeting skills increased, redundancy procurements eliminated at cost savings of $40,000, and monthly expenditure reports with planning needs were created.

Department received funding to build Forensic Science Laboratory and budget to appoint 450 scientific and administrative personnel in five-year period. Sought to ensure consistency across increasing number of supervising managers in policy decisions, particularly when laboratory protocol was not followed. Hindered by management in reactive instead of proactive mode.

Created task force of managers and supervisors providing framework for standardization protocol to address different levels of laboratory protocol breaches; document reviewed by Human Resources and Labor Relations.

Once finalized, implementing document will standardize management recourse of actions if and when a laboratory or administrative protocol breach occurs.

Department required precise staffing models to acquire 450 personnel in next five years to meet expected increase in scope of testing and number of biological samples received from Police Department. Staffing models required forethought and eventuality planning, but not all managers felt addressing hiring expansion early was necessary.

Drafted five-year hiring plan with department head that projected staffing requirements with increases in submitted biological samples, as well as modifications in staffing if planned increase in testing or expected budgets did not come to fruition.

Staffing model with projections accurately pointed to staffing needs during first three years as biological samples submitted for testing increased. Staffing models provided planning tool for HR, Finance and training departments.

Submission of $14.4 million/630-person, grant-funded personnel services budget for fund renewal was usually late and endangered renewal. Traditional submission process included multiple reconciliations with program and two levels of review with grant and finance offices. Human Resources staff normally prepared submissions, but were inexperienced with budget process.

Partnered with finance department to run personnel expenditures reports for comparison with internal budgets to ensure all personnel costs associated with employees and headcount/vacancy tracking were reflected. Then, established personnel expense operating budget and submitted for approval.

Restructured personnel expense budget and submission process, reducing completion of $14.4 million grant application process by 10 business days. Recovered $520,000 in reimbursable expenses.

18 budgetary approvals for varied civil service positions; however, there was six-eight week delay to have civil service pools scheduled due to severe understaffing within centralized Human Resource program. Only remaining employee was overwhelmed and unable to schedule and participate in all requests for civil service pools.

Discussions with immediate supervisors were unsuccessful in obtaining expedited process, citing lack of staff.

Contacted Director and offered assistance in holding two civil pools for department's most critical vacant positions. Upon agreement, obtained space commitments, directed mailing of 300 participant letters and vacancy descriptions, scheduled representatives from departments with similar vacancies, and held civil service pools to fill vacant positions.

Offered positions to 11 individuals and filled vacancies within three other participating departments. Completed all internal paperwork onsite, reducing pre-hire turnaround by 12 business days and halting hiring delays due to severe staff storage.

Agency did not have database tracking system, which was necessary to handle large numbers of resumes received for grant-funded, top priority vacancies. Managing influx of paper resumes was difficult. Needed to develop electronic tracking system to address resume referrals, substantiate timelines, and provide statistical analysis if necessary.

Initiated and developed tracking spreadsheet addressing ability to derive metrics regarding resume submissions and referrals, interviewing timelines, budgetary submissions for approval, on-boarding processes and actual start dates.

Tracking system provided concrete data and increased efficiency by pulling required statistical data and responding to client concerns instantly versus. two or more weeks.