Turnover at Port of Olympia has cost nearly $150,000 in separation agreement pay
During a recent Port of Olympia commission meeting, a resident commented that employee dissatisfaction is not only hard on port workers, but also on the taxpaying public because there is a cost when recruiting, hiring and training new workers.
But for the Port, there’s been another cost: It has paid five of its departing employees lump sums as part of separation agreements negotiated over workplace disputes.
The Olympian reported earlier this month that 22 employees at the port have signed on to a letter saying they have no confidence in current executive director Sam Gibboney. They also alleged that during her tenure employee turnover has been as high as 68 percent.
Gibboney was hired in December 2018 and was on the job the following month.
Records requested by The Olympian show that her tenure through May 2022 has produced five separation agreements that total $143,000, and all five employees worked for Gibboney. Although the records were requested in May, they didn’t arrive until this week.
Each agreement says the following:
“Employer does not have a practice of offering separation pay to employees who separate from employment with employer; however, the parties desire to resolve all matters, known or unknown, arising out of employee’s employment with employer and separation from employer according to the terms, conditions, and consideration included in this agreement.”
The records show:
▪ The former administrative services director, who worked for the port from January 1998 to the end of 2021, was paid $75,000.
▪ The former planning, public works and environmental planning director, who worked for the port from May 2016 to April 2021, was paid $50,000 by the port and its insurer, a company called Enduris. Of that amount, $12,500 was paid to an attorney representing the port employee.
▪ The former senior contract administrator, who worked for the port from October 2018 to June 2021, was paid $6,000.
▪ A former project manager, who worked for the port from July 2019 to June 2021, was paid $6,000.
▪ The former airport maintenance supervisor, who worked for the port from August 2016 to October 2021, was paid $6,000.
Each separation agreement, which all of them signed, contains a non-disparagement clause, which reads:
“Employee agrees not to create or make any disparaging statements or images, either written or via electronic media or verbal, to any member of the public, including (but) not limited to, social media platforms, members of the media, or to employer’s current or former employees regarding employer or employer’s services, practices, or employees.”
However, the 22 port employees who say they have no confidence in Gibboney as a leader also released to The Olympian the results of an employee survey.
Here’s what some of those employees said about working at the port:
▪ “We need leaders who have integrity in what they say, and who will stick to their words and not just tell lies and do back-door deals behind everyone else.”
▪ “There is no diversity at the port. There is no growth potential working at the port, as most empty roles get filled by direct hire with people the director personally knows.”
▪ “Penalize gossip about other departments and employees.”
▪ “Value us. All of us.”
▪ “We feel bullied. When they (management) walk past, make eye contact and don’t say hello back. They don’t listen to our ideas, our struggles, they just ignore (them). We are afraid to speak up. We know if we do, we will be fired. We walk on eggshells daily to keep our jobs to feed our families.”
The three port commissioners, Joe Downing, Amy Evans Harding and Bob Iyall, have said they are aware of the problems and are working with Gibboney to address them.
“Sam has everything she needs to be successful, and I’m on the far end of setting unreasonable expectations, probably, and I think we as a commission are working to set new expectations,” Evans Harding recently said. “She has everything she needs to rise to the occasion and lead our team. She is part of our team and we will lead her to the best of our ability.”
This story was originally published July 29, 2022 at 11:30 AM.
