Thurston Co. commissioner asks for independent review of workplace complaints

A Thurston County commissioner wants an independent review of workplace complaints about the county’s Public Health and Social Services Department.

Commissioner Rachel Grant made a motion for the review during a Tuesday morning work session, but then withdrew it after her seatmates requested a closed-door executive session be held first.

Grant said she has spoken with 19 current and former public health employees, including several members of the executive leadership team, about concerns related to workplace culture, leadership, employee retention and retaliation within the PHSS department over the past several weeks. She said the employees she’s spoken to work across the organization, many of whom do not know each other, as well as employees who have left within months of being hired.

“Every time we recruit, hire, onboard, and train someone, only to lose them because of a work environment, it costs taxpayers money, and it makes it harder to provide the services our community depends on,” Grant said.

PHSS is a local health jurisdiction that’s responsible for promoting the wellbeing of the public. The department includes several divisions that oversee matters including disease control and prevention, environmental health, housing and homelessness, mental health and substance use treatment and more.

The department has been led by Director Jen Freiheit since 2024, The Olympian previously reported.

What concerns her most, Grant said, is that so many of the employees she’s spoken to have told her they’re hesitant to speak up because they fear retaliation.

“Whether those fears are ultimately justified isn’t what we’re voting on today. What we’re voting on is whether our employees deserve a process that they can trust,” Grant said.

In her motion, Grant asked the board to approve five specific directives: First, staff must return to the board within two weeks with a proposed scope of work for an independent third-party review of the workplace concerns in the PHSS department.

Second, staff must return with a competitive procurement process for selecting the independent reviewers. Third, she asked the board to approve both the final scope of work and the selection of the independent reviewer before the contracts are executed.

Fourth, she asked that the reviewer report findings and recommendations directly to the board. Last, she asked that there be a process that provides “confidential opportunities” for current and former employees to participate in the review, “consistent with applicable law.”

Commissioner Emily Clouse seconded the motion, opening it up for discussion. Commissioner Carolina Mejia said she had not previously reviewed Grant’s request and wanted more time to consider it.

“I’m concerned about the process on how this was brought,” Mejia said. “… I’m not opposed to the objective, but it’s just the process and how this was brought up and then put forward.”

County Manager Leonard Hernandez said he believed this conversation should take place in an executive session.

“To Commissioner Mejia’s point, I have not received or reviewed this material,” Hernandez said. “And the HR director hasn’t received or reviewed this material, so we’re not prepared to talk about it today, at this moment. But, I do think there are some things that we need to be sensitive of communicating in an open session as relates to complaints and HR process.”

Commissioner and Board Chair Tye Menser said he would probably support Grant’s direction, but he agreed that he wanted input from HR in an executive session.

“I need to know what’s been done and where it stands,” Menser said.

Hernandez said he’s been planning to hold an executive session, but this week was too soon for HR.

“I will say that HR has been hard at work responding and looking into every complaint that has come through,” Hernandez said. “… They look at every single complaint that comes through.”

He said he consulted with the county’s legal counsel and intends to include them in the executive session sometime next week.

Grant ultimately withdrew her motion, saying she will revisit it after the executive session next week.

The Olympian has asked the county to comment on the workplace concerns and the status of the PHSS department.