Donna Dell has left the building! Donna Dell has left the building!
She made the announcement today that she will be gone in December. I always wondered about her "employee-relations" background, as it would have been more appropriate to coin it as "employer relations." I don't think she'll be missed, as she really didn't do anything while she was here. No, I'm wrong. She did do something. She rubber-stamped a bunch of stuff that businesses like WalMart would love. Remember WalMart? They're the business that loves cut their employee benefits even further. The NY Times article is right here. It sounds like Donna and Wal-Mart would make a great "employer relations" couple.

How is it that the DLSE think they have the power to tell someone what to do during their non-work hours? The State Personnel Board (SPB) deals with disciplinary issues regarding certain illegal behavior during non-work hours, or behavior that would reflect poorly upon the Department should it be known that the individual works for the State. State employees who invoke their federally-protected civil rights are being targeted by the very own Department that enforces labor standards for California; what an excellent way to set the example! I was recently told that CASE, the union that represents DLSE lawyers and Deputy Labor Commissioners, is in the process of filing a grievance because of this problem. Here's how it will probably play out: each DLSE/DIR manager will deny the grievance at all levels, typically rubber-stamping the same decision with the same gibberish. Then, several bureacratic months later, DPA will eventually set up an arbitration date for both sides. Ultimately, it's a waste of time and resources. It's not like the arbitrator will make a decision that supercedes the US Constitution. Wanna come work for this Department? I guess you could call this type of action a 'benefit,' couldn't you?