Menlo Park: Low morale on city staff, say survey and managers Menlo Park: Low morale on city staff, say survey and managers (June 23, 2004)

** Managers say they'll work to improve communication, employee appreciation.

By Rebecca Wallace
Almanac Staff Writer

After four years of budget cuts, the mood in Menlo Park's city workforce is low, as reflected in a recent employee survey and echoed by management.

Only a third of respondents said morale was high, according to survey results released last month. Furthermore, only 40 percent said the city respects its workers, and 27 percent said the city gives recognition to employees who do a good job.

"Respondents do not feel that the organization as a whole values them other than to fill a space and respondents derive most of their satisfaction out of interaction with the public," wrote Meredith Reynolds, a civic affairs fellow with the Coro program, who conducted the survey.

Members of the city management said the survey results, unfortunately, rang true, and that they would begin working right away to make some changes suggested in the report.

"People do like the work that they do. But the overall morale is low, because of the budget," Assistant City Manager Audrey Seymour said.

With revenues remaining listless, the city is cutting the equivalent of 10.75 full-time positions this year. City Manager David Boesch agreed that budget woes were a likely cause of the morale doldrums, but added that he wanted to look further into the issue.

"I'm looking forward to the team drilling down deeper on that question (of morale), trying to find out if there are root causes that we need to address," Mr. Boesch said.

The report includes several possibilities for improving the situation, suggested both by respondents and Ms. Reynolds. To boost morale, officials could create an employee of the month program, award certificates of appreciation, and have department events.

There are also suggestions for improving internal communication and access to training.

Ms. Seymour said employees from all departments will be working in groups on making changes.

"We haven't really paid attention to the organizational culture. But we're small enough (of a city) that we could actually change it," she said.

On a more positive note, about 78 percent of the survey respondents said the city was generally a good place to work, and nearly three-fourths said their job "makes good use of their skills and abilities" and "gives a feeling of personal accomplishment," according to the report.

The survey was sent to the city's 260 employees via inter-office mail and yielded 100 responses, Ms. Reynolds wrote. All responses were anonymous.

Community services director Curtis Brown agreed that his department needs to improve its internal communication and recognition for employees' achievements.

"I don't take it personally," he said of the survey. "I think about how I can be a better director."

Ms. Reynolds proposed the survey as part of her fellowship, but city officials said they had already hoped to do one and therefore were pleased to have her do it.

A longtime city employee who did not want to give her name told the Almanac that morale is the lowest it's been in years. She agreed that the budget situation is a major factor.

"I think everybody's just kind of drained with all the budget meetings and the union meetings," she said.

She added, though, many employees feel dissuaded from suggesting solutions: "Just because you're pointing out a problem in the workplace ... there's a perception among some elected officials and staff that we're trouble-makers."

For a copy of the survey results, call the City Manager's office at 330-6610.

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