JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A months-long investigation into the workplace culture at JEA is now revealing what employees really had to say about working for CEO Vickie Cavey.
The investigation was launched after concerns were raised about a toxic work environment, possible retaliation and whether race played a role in how employees were treated.
The JEA Board of Directors met Friday to discuss the results of the investigation and, by the end, said Cavey should keep her job, but needs coaching.
“I think the board is pretty clear they’re not looking to replace Vickie,” JEA Board Chair MG Orender said.
Cavey is currently on an extended leave of absence for health reasons, and Jody Brooks has taken the reins as interim CEO.
READ: Results of City Council’s JEA employee survey
An outside investigation into JEA’s workplace culture found Cavey can be difficult to work for, but investigators did not substantiate claims that she created a toxic workplace, retaliated against employees or treated workers differently because of their race.
The investigation began after former JEA Chief of Staff Kurt Wilson raised concerns, and both the City Council and JEA launched their own external investigations in response.
“Racism, toxic environment, in that law firms and HR experience, that doesn’t exist. But looking at the other one and going through the comments, there are some people who have issues, and we’re going to try and address those and be the best we can be,” Orender said.
City Council surveyed 138 employees, 46 of whom said they interacted with Cavey regularly.
On key trust and fairness items:
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55% of employees feel that employees who disagree with the CEO are treated fairly
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14% of employees have observed the CEO speaking negatively about employees behind their backs
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14% have observed behavior they would describe as intimidating or hostile,
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32% confirm fear of negative consequences for speaking up about CEO related concerns.
At the same time, 86% of employees are satisfied with the company, and 81% would refer a friend or family member to work for JEA.
“We’re going to move forward. We have a really good board. We’ve got a great group of employees here. And they love JEA. And that came through in the report,” Orender said. “Even if someone says, ‘I didn’t like this,’ they love this place. Did you see the percentage? It said they would refer a family member to work here.”
Because of the nature of the allegations made by Wilson, JEA brought in an outside investigator with no connection to the utility.
An attorney based in Tampa interviewed 65 JEA employees who work closely with Cavey, including two JEA board members.
The report says the evidence did not substantiate allegations of toxicity and racism, but it does provide a look inside Cavey’s management style.
Employees described her as demanding and, at times, difficult to work for. Some said she can be reactive and interrupts employees while they are speaking.
The attorney said that behavior was not characterized as disrespectful, but some employees said it has made them reluctant to speak up.
“To have 15% or 20% that are not happy, we’re gonna try and improve on that. So we’ll work with our C-Suite and try and coach and improve those scores in the future,” Orender said.
Cavey has to return from her leave within 60 days. If she does return, the board is expected to recommend executive coaching.
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