Our View: Employee should have spoken

Criticism can be hard to take, even if that criticism isn’t deserved. However, we think its best to listen to criticism and feedback before dismissing it.

We disagree with recent action taken at the Castle Rock Hospital District board meeting to quiet an employee from speaking about her concerns regarding the medical center’s administration. Sandee Gunter, the chairperson for the board, told an employee she couldn’t speak during a public forum at the meeting because another employee had approached them and claimed they represented the employees.

We admit there isn’t anything legally wrong with that act, but we also believe elected officials should listen to people wishing to speak to them publicly. By not allowing Jacqueline Dewitt the opportunity to speak, discussion about the district and its administration was stifled. The chance for additional information and the opportunity to have a better understanding of why some employees have chose to leave was killed with it.

Discussion about employee matters is almost always a difficult subject to discuss openly. We can’t make a determination about if the hospital district’s administration is bullying employees and propagating a hostile work environment, but the fact that more than 40 people attended a board meeting and reporters from area media came to cover the discussion should let the board know there are concerns amongst CRHD’s employees. Regardless of if those concerns have merit or are misguided, the board should have opened themselves to at least entertain comments from any employee wishing to stand up and speak to them. We agree that allowing a large number of people to speak can slow a meeting, but we also believe a board should open themselves to those comments regardless. This is especially true because many of the employees live in Green River and are also tax payers supporting the hospital district.

We agree with Gunter that the district is moving in the right direction. It wasn’t that long ago when the board and administration faced the real possibility of running out of cash and closing both the medical center and convalescent center. Now, the board is in the position to begin strategic planning and further the district employees’ education.

Despite that, it seems a number of employees are concerned about their work environment and regardless of how long it would of taken, we believe the board should have allowed any employee the opportunity to speak.

 

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