Working Remotely

CHILD DEVELOPMENT SERVICES HAS BEEN STRUGGLING TO PAY SOME OF IT’S CONTRACTORS ON TIME. AND THE MAINE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS BLAMING IT ON STAFF TURNOVER. TODAY – 8 INVESTIGATES SAT DOWN WITH A NOW FORMER “C-D-S EMPLOYEE” WHO SAYS THAT’S NOT THE FULL STORY. NORAH HOGAN JOINS US LIVE IN STUDIO AND NORAH – THIS EMPLOYEE JUST RESIGNED TODAY – WHY? DAWN ELLIS WORKED IN ACCOUNTS PAYABLE FOR EIGHT YEARS. SHE WENT ON A MENTAL HEALTH LEAVE BACK IN EARLY OCTOBER – CLAIMING THAT MISMANAGEMENT WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT AND AN UNREALISTIC WORKLOAD — DROVE HER OUT OF A JOB THAT SHE ONCE LOVED. CDS WORKS WITH ROUGHLY 1,000 CONTRACTORS WHO PROVIDE SPEECH, BEHAVIORAL, AND PHYSICAL THERAPY TO KIDS UNDER FIVE. 06;25;01;14 “I WAS LEFT THE ONLY PERSON THAT COULD PROCESS PAYMENTS WHEN MY BOSS RETIRED, IT WAS JUST ME.” ELLIS’ BOSS RETIRED ON OCTOBER 4-TH. SHE SAYS A MID-LEVEL MANAGER WHO’S BEEN WORKING REMOTELY FROM OUT-OF-STATE — DIDN’T PRIORITIZE TRAINING OR PREPARE FOR HER SUPERVISOR’S DEPARTURE — AND CRITICIZED EMPLOYEES SO AGGRESSIVELY THAT IT CREATED A TOXIC WORKPLACE. STRESS LEADING UP TO THE TRANSITION, CAUSED HER TO START HAVING DEBILITATING PANIC ATTACKS. WHEN HER SUPERVISOR’S LAST DAY CAME – THE JOB WAS STILL UNFILLED EVEN THOUGH A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID IT WAS A LONG PLANNED RETIREMENT – JUST DAYS LATER, SHE WENT ON A MENTAL HEALTH LEAVE AND SOME OF THE CHECKS DIDN’T GO OUT. 06;24;13;28 “IT WASN’T JUST A TURNOVER. IT WASN’T. IT WAS IT WAS A MAJOR EVENT IN MY LIFE THAT. I MEAN, THEY THEY MADE IT SOUND LIKE SOMEBODY WENT ON MATERNITY LEAVE OR GOT A BETTER JOB. AND THAT HURT MY FEELINGS.” SPOKESPERSON CHLOE TEBOE SAYS THEY RESPONDED TO THE STAFFING ISSUES IMMEDIATELY BY HIRING TEMPORARY WORKERS AND THAT THEY’RE RE- EVALUATING THEIR EXISTING POLICIES TO WORK MORE EFFICIENTLY. BUT ELLIS SAYS THE RELIANCE ON TEMPORARY WORKERS