Quinton Herbert, the city's labor negotiator who took control of the agency this summer, said that the HR department has made major staffing changes, including in leadership.
"The last thing an employee should worry about is workplace bullying or whether they're going to endure ridicule," Herbert said. Since taking the helm, Herbert said they have created a more open environment for the 70 employees in the department.
"We have had more team-building exercises and have an open-door policy so communication has flowed more freely in the department," Herbert said. "Aside from building a collaborative workforce within, I've also extended myself to other agency heads to restore relationships there and build camaraderie."
Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming, however, noted in her report that employees in HR were reluctant to come forth. "We were meeting people at various locations," Cumming said. "It was not like people were happily coming into the office."