At the same time there are some areas in which we fare quite well. Issues reflected in the survey range from ethics awareness to commitment to those values by oneself, managers and supervisors and co-workers. Feelings about openness, fear of reprisal and complaint satisfaction were also monitored, as were observations of ethical misconduct. Last fall's survey also contained 20 questions about human resources issues such as job and pay satisfaction and communication within the organization. Energy Systems President Bob Van Hook and ORNL Director Al Trivelpiece are already responding.
Some work needs to be done to understand the underlying messages.
I plan to meet personally with some employees selected on a random basis to learn from them their views on the survey and its message. In addition, the Lab will have some focus group discussions on the survey as preparation for a response. The lack of favorable movement in the answers to the questions troubles me and I plan to learn what I can to improve our situations. Van Hook stresses that, in a time of transition and a new relationship with DOE, Energy Systems employees should be especially aware of ethics issues that may arise. As Energy Systems focuses on defense programs and advanced technology at the Y-12 site, its collaborative arrangements with ORNL and the orderly transition of the EM work to Bechtel Jacobs Company, it becomes even more imperative that we pause to take stock of how each of us conducts our daily activity.