JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Results from a Jacksonville City Council Employee Survey include accusations of a toxic work environment and discrimination.
Dozens of the 37 employees who participated in the survey were highly critical of two particular people in leadership: council director and secretary Margaret Sidman and former legislative services chief Merriane Lahmeur.
The city hoped certain benchmarks would be reached in the survey responses, but many not only fell well below the benchmark but were less than 50%.
For example, team morale came in at just 13.5%.
MORE: See the full results of the employee survey
Complaints about teamwork were also shared, and employees say hiring practices lacked diversity.
Their thoughts on ethical business practices were low, along with leadership values.
Several employees were also critical of Sidman and Lahmeur’s leadership.
In the survey, most felt the leaders did not follow policies or communicate with staff and that they were not fair or supportive.
Other employees said they did not feel valued or recognized and that they received minimal feedback.
News4JAX first told you in January about Sidman being placed on paid administrative leave following complaints about the work environment and issues surrounding the opening of council members' mail.
The controversy stemmed from several city council members expressing concerns about some of their gifts being opened by someone else during the holidays.
On Thursday morning, News4Jax learned Sidman has tendered her resignation, which will take effect on April 18. She will remain on administrative leave until then.
Lahmeur resigned from her position as legislative services chief on Monday, citing health reasons.
A portion of the survey allowed the employees to leave open-ended comments about how they felt.
One prompt asked workers to express any concerns with the Director.
Employees responded by saying the director exhibits a “do as I say, not as I do” approach. There were claims of double standards and a lack of accountability.
Workers also report poor communication practices, with important information not being documented, leading to confusion.
Others complained about favoritism and preferential treatment.
As for the Legislative Services division, a lot of workers said there are issues with teamwork.
They wrote the department is also perceived to receive favoritism from the Director.
Another section of the survey allowed employees to elaborate on their overall concerns.
Many employees said they felt threatened, intimidated and concerned about job security, leading to a desire to leave. Others reported issues with discrimination, especially toward respect and pay based on ethnicity. Some workers felt undervalued.
In the survey, employees also recommended changes.
They want leadership to foster a better work environment and culture, and they would also like to see more respect for employees.