I need to warn you: The topic of this post is extremely disturbing, but we can’t keep ignoring it.
It’s a warning of what can happen when a toxic workplace, led by managers who bully, goes unchecked, and when mental health is not taken seriously.
It’s about an employee who felt so abused and so beaten down that she felt she had nowhere to go and no hope. Please keep reading. Nothing changes if we don’t…
Heather Hughes, an Environmental Health Specialist at the LA County Dept of Public Health jumped from the 18-story building of her workplace to her death. She suffered from depression, had requested FMLA leave (supported by her doctor) and Associate Director Brenda Lopez denied her request. That denial, along with accusations by Hughes of bullying, harassment and not taking her needs and complaints about the division seriously were mentioned in her suicide note.
The Dept apparently has been the subject of complaints, investigations, cease and desist letters and votes of “no confidence” from the union for years. Senior management and the board allegedly met to discuss how they could keep the specifics of Hughes’ suicide from the media. Inspectors were reportedly threatened with termination if they spoke to the media about Ms. Hughes’ death.
Liza Frias, Dept Director, in a memo referred to Hughes’ suicide as an “unexpected passing”. Other employees have reportedly told media sources anonymously (for fear of retaliation) that Frias also bullied workers and led a tyrannical workplace. The Division’s 50% vacancy rate would seem to attest to allegations of a stressful, toxic workplace.
On Monday, Frias died, reportedly of a stress-related heart attack.
Btw, the Health Dept’s Suicide Prevention Dept is housed in the same building. I know I’m not the only one who sees the irony. I can imagine some people asking why Ms. Hughes didn’t just contact them. Think about it though. The Suicide Prevention Dept is another division of the LA County Dept of Public Health, which had already betrayed and abused her. Is it any wonder she had no confidence that another division within the same County Dept would be any better — or why it might not even occurred to her to reach out to them at all?
Yes, Ms. Hughes’ family/estate can sue. Maybe they will. The FMLA denial alone is bad and blatantly illegal. Yet it looks like that is merely the tip of the iceberg, if even — and that’s saying a lot. The specifics of what led up to Ms. Hughes’ suicide could probably take up a book, so while I won’t name them all here, you can look up Heather Hughes and get at least some of them.
So, please, tell me why you don’t think you need to address your workplace culture. You think you don’t have a problem? Maybe you’re right, but what’s the harm of looking into it? What if you’re wrong?
Do you see good things in the LA County Dept of Public Health’s future? I don’t. Their lawyers have their work cut out for them. If they’d worked with them at the first sign of trouble (or even before any such sign) there are at least two people that might well be alive today.
Of course, I haven’t even discussed what appear to be many other employees with mental and physical illnesses probably caused by years of bullying, abuse and toxicity. That too, could probably fill many books.
Don’t kid yourselves. If your company doesn’t prioritize wellness — mental and physical–this situation could happen to your company too. LA County probably never believed it would happen to them. Just sayin’…
Are you an employer interested in proactively addressing workplace challenges and company culture? Visit my website, http://www.janetteleveylaw.com to contact me for a complimentary 20-minute consultation.
Watch my television interview on Good Morning HR with Mike Coffey on Mental Health and the ADA.
Contents of this post are for educational/informational purposes only, are not legal advice, and do not create an attorney-client relationship. Consult with competent employment counsel in the state(s) in which you employ people with your specific questions.
Before choosing an attorney, you should give this matter careful thought. The selection of an attorney is an important decision. If you find this communication to be inaccurate or misleading, you may report it to the Committee on Attorney Advertising Hughes Justice Complex, CN 037, Trenton, NJ
