Yesterday, I placed my job in danger. I doubt I have heard the last of this, one way or another.
When I began work, I was getting calls only related to the same program I have written negatively about previously. First few calls I thought little of it. However, into the second hour I had not received a single case which was not of that program. Sometimes with minutes between calls, which makes no sense on Fri morning, which is typically spastic.
I IM'd my supervisor to ask if I had been removed from other programs. I figured it was some mistake or computer glitch. Ultimately she found it had been changed by another supervisor, higher up. I asked to have my other skill sets restored and was told no by the higher up.
I got irate at that point and logged out. My supervisor finally talked me into logging back in with one other skill set (much faster and more organized) was restored.
While I was logged out, I wrote an email to my supervisor and the CEO expressing my objection to the situation. I told them I objected to having my skills suspended with no prior inquiry or notification. I did also include my view of this program, with the opinion that it is having negative effects on the company as a whole.
Later, I received a call. From three supervisors at once. This was nothing short of an inquisition. I stayed pretty calm until one ot them started twisting my words. Then I did not get angry but very firmly corrected her. I had said I did not ask for anything unreasonable but to be informed of changes which affect me directly. She twisted that into, "Okay, we'll keep you informed of everything that's happening." (Of course, spoken in a derisive tone.) I responded, "That is not what I am asking and that would be ridiculous. I am not asking for micro-management, only that I be informed of changes which affect me directly." She said they could not contact everyone affected when it affects numerous people. I said there is always the option of mass email or posting an announcement on the front page of the website. Here is where I will note that this is an information technology company. There is no excuse for employees not being informed. I did not say this but the company has many options for alerting employees. Cell phone, home phone, company phone, IM, email, a running banner across the top of our work page and TWO company websites! After that, her response was more calm and somewhat cowed. "Well, yeah, I guess that could be done." Really? Ya think?!
I later got an IM which told me I was not the only one unhappy with the situation. A number of other clinical reviewers had expressed dissatisfaction with the whole thing. I just took it further than anyone else.
One of the supervisors also was upset that I had included the CEO in the email I sent. They claimed I jumped my chain of command. I pointed out that I had already discussed it with my supervisor, who discussed it with the higher supervisor and no positive result came from it, only a flat answer. The only real thing they could come up with after that was that I used a term for the program which the CEO does not like. The program has two names, so I used one of the names which has been used numerous times and is most common in correspondence, so it was only a matter of semantics. Fine, if he doesn't like the one term, I will use the other. That has nothing to do with the issue.
I rather hope that I do hear something back from the office of the CEO. Since I wrote about this program last, it has expended further. With tragic results. All queues across the board have exploded. Medical director (MD) queues are atrocious and the time frame for MD reviews are basically never met any more. I've seen cases waiting for a week, when it should take no longer than two business days. Fax queues have gotten so long they are begging people to do OT and were discussing mandatory OT this weekend. That did not happen, probably because they figured out it would not be legal. Even if legal, many people would be unable to comply and it would result in disciplinary actions, destruction of morale and loss of employees. Call times have been unreal, with callers telling me they had been holding or working on a case for as long as two hours!
So, at this point, the callers are not happy. The members are not happy. The doctors offices are not happy. The clinical reviewers are not happy. The medical directors are not happy. The supervisors are working OT and some of them are about to blow an aneurysm. Yet we get emails talking about how successful this program is. When nobody is happy, there is no organization, things take much longer than they should and the risk of error is drastically increased, I really tend to wonder where they are seeing any success in this?! I have previously compared this program to removing a good tire from a car, replacing it with a flat tire and calling it successful because the engine starts!
Okay, I am waiting for it to warm up a few degrees, then get some things done.
Oh, I got the new quartz heater yesterday and it really does seem to put out a decent amount of heat. Looks like a good investment!
When I began work, I was getting calls only related to the same program I have written negatively about previously. First few calls I thought little of it. However, into the second hour I had not received a single case which was not of that program. Sometimes with minutes between calls, which makes no sense on Fri morning, which is typically spastic.
I IM'd my supervisor to ask if I had been removed from other programs. I figured it was some mistake or computer glitch. Ultimately she found it had been changed by another supervisor, higher up. I asked to have my other skill sets restored and was told no by the higher up.
I got irate at that point and logged out. My supervisor finally talked me into logging back in with one other skill set (much faster and more organized) was restored.
While I was logged out, I wrote an email to my supervisor and the CEO expressing my objection to the situation. I told them I objected to having my skills suspended with no prior inquiry or notification. I did also include my view of this program, with the opinion that it is having negative effects on the company as a whole.
Later, I received a call. From three supervisors at once. This was nothing short of an inquisition. I stayed pretty calm until one ot them started twisting my words. Then I did not get angry but very firmly corrected her. I had said I did not ask for anything unreasonable but to be informed of changes which affect me directly. She twisted that into, "Okay, we'll keep you informed of everything that's happening." (Of course, spoken in a derisive tone.) I responded, "That is not what I am asking and that would be ridiculous. I am not asking for micro-management, only that I be informed of changes which affect me directly." She said they could not contact everyone affected when it affects numerous people. I said there is always the option of mass email or posting an announcement on the front page of the website. Here is where I will note that this is an information technology company. There is no excuse for employees not being informed. I did not say this but the company has many options for alerting employees. Cell phone, home phone, company phone, IM, email, a running banner across the top of our work page and TWO company websites! After that, her response was more calm and somewhat cowed. "Well, yeah, I guess that could be done." Really? Ya think?!
I later got an IM which told me I was not the only one unhappy with the situation. A number of other clinical reviewers had expressed dissatisfaction with the whole thing. I just took it further than anyone else.
One of the supervisors also was upset that I had included the CEO in the email I sent. They claimed I jumped my chain of command. I pointed out that I had already discussed it with my supervisor, who discussed it with the higher supervisor and no positive result came from it, only a flat answer. The only real thing they could come up with after that was that I used a term for the program which the CEO does not like. The program has two names, so I used one of the names which has been used numerous times and is most common in correspondence, so it was only a matter of semantics. Fine, if he doesn't like the one term, I will use the other. That has nothing to do with the issue.
I rather hope that I do hear something back from the office of the CEO. Since I wrote about this program last, it has expended further. With tragic results. All queues across the board have exploded. Medical director (MD) queues are atrocious and the time frame for MD reviews are basically never met any more. I've seen cases waiting for a week, when it should take no longer than two business days. Fax queues have gotten so long they are begging people to do OT and were discussing mandatory OT this weekend. That did not happen, probably because they figured out it would not be legal. Even if legal, many people would be unable to comply and it would result in disciplinary actions, destruction of morale and loss of employees. Call times have been unreal, with callers telling me they had been holding or working on a case for as long as two hours!
So, at this point, the callers are not happy. The members are not happy. The doctors offices are not happy. The clinical reviewers are not happy. The medical directors are not happy. The supervisors are working OT and some of them are about to blow an aneurysm. Yet we get emails talking about how successful this program is. When nobody is happy, there is no organization, things take much longer than they should and the risk of error is drastically increased, I really tend to wonder where they are seeing any success in this?! I have previously compared this program to removing a good tire from a car, replacing it with a flat tire and calling it successful because the engine starts!
Okay, I am waiting for it to warm up a few degrees, then get some things done.
Oh, I got the new quartz heater yesterday and it really does seem to put out a decent amount of heat. Looks like a good investment!
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