Seattle City Light is committed to a workplace free of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation, and takes all reports of inappropriate behavior seriously. After multiple concerns were raised about alleged workplace misconduct within one workgroup, including drinking on the job, retaliation and sexual harassment, we hired a third-party investigator to fairly and thoroughly investigate the allegations. As the investigation unfolded, additional allegations emerged to include 40 employees as subjects.
Through this investigation and its follow up actions, City Light leadership has uncovered inappropriate behavior, taken action to correct it, and is determined to continue driving positive culture change. Additionally, in a commitment to transparency, we are making available the investigator’s executive summary.
“The work we do here at City Light is important, essential, and at times, very dangerous. Our most valuable asset is our people. Their commitment, knowledge, ingenuity, and care for this community enable us to deliver on our core mission and serve our customers. But this investigation has shown that we fell short of our own expectations, and we have work to do,” said Dawn Lindell, General Manager and CEO. “It is my job as the leader to set the tone, and I am determined to create and maintain a culture of trust, accountability, and safety. Workplace misconduct, harassment, retaliation or discrimination will not be tolerated. Reports of misconduct will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated.”
“Providing strong City services and being a great employer for our workers requires a dedicated focus on driving sustainable culture change,” said Mayor Harrell. “We are focused on building a work environment where every employee feels safe and supported – especially women in fields that have historically been male-dominated. When I learned of these allegations of workplace misconduct, I directed City Light to initiate a comprehensive effort to uncover the truth and to not stop until we had a clear path to root out longstanding, deep-seated issues. When we hired Dawn Lindell to lead City Light, I made clear to her that this was one of my highest priorities, and I am grateful for her leadership in seeing this investigation through and delivering on our shared commitment to uncover and stamp out inappropriate workplace behavior. I also want to thank the investigator, as well as the City Light employees who shared hard truths in an effort to create a better utility for fellow workers and our customers.”
Background and investigation summary
City Light’s Network Group is part of the Transmission and Distribution Operations Division. These crews are involved in all construction performed to build and maintain the underground electrical distribution network. Over a period of years, 2017-2021, the Network Group had been the subject of sporadic, anonymous complaints that employees were drinking and intoxicated at work, sharing pornography, and treating coworkers with disrespect. Despite its best efforts, initially City Light could not identify witnesses or sufficiently substantiate the reports to warrant an investigation.
On October 5, 2022, a Network employee came forward with similar claims, followed eight days later by a union representative’s phone call to City Light’s Chief Executive Officer, and a few weeks later by two anonymous reports to the City of Seattle Office of the Employee Ombud. The new allegations were, again, concerning but still anonymous.
In collaboration with the Mayor’s Office and at the direction of Mayor Harrell, City Light engaged an independent, outside investigator to look into the numerous allegations of wrongdoing by Network employees with strong direction to identify and root out longstanding bad behavior. City Light allowed the investigator unfettered access to the organization and ample time to understand the full scope of issues.
From the beginning, individuals accused of particularly egregious behavior were placed on administrative leave. Additionally, City Light has repeatedly taken measures to eliminate similar behavior and prevent retaliation within the workgroup. This includes changes in leadership, in-person workgroup meetings, mandatory reporter training, making on-site counselors available to all employees, and implementing a retaliation awareness campaign.
The investigation began slow as people were reluctant to talk, fearful of being targeted or bullied, or of incriminating themselves. Initially, seven subjects were implicated. As more interviews were conducted, the investigation expanded in scope. Ultimately, 40 individuals were identified as subjects and 259 allegations of workplace misconduct were investigated. Over the course of the investigation, the investigator interviewed 73 individuals, some on multiple occasions, including complainants, witnesses, and the subjects of reports. At the conclusion, the investigator found credible one or more claims against 33 subjects for a total of 160 allegations substantiated. Another employee implicated in the broader investigation had already been terminated following a previous investigation.
City Light has taken urgent and appropriate action. This includes 5 terminations (including resignations/retirements in lieu of termination), 7 suspensions, and 9 written or verbal warnings. The other 13 individuals with more minor substantiated claims received additional coaching and training.
Cultivating a Positive Culture
To ensure a culture of trust and accountability, in addition to investigating and taking follow-up action where necessary, City Light has prioritized, strengthened, and improved relevant processes, training, and resources available to all employees. Immediate measures include:
- Launching Mandatory Reporter training for every people leader.
- Engaging coaching and employee support for those directly impacted by the allegations and findings.
- Adding Anti-Retaliation posters in our buildings with a hotline for anonymous reports.
- Making training available for all employees so that everyone can understand what mandatory reporting means and how to contact the Ombudsman to discuss something without mandatory reporting and learn other options.
- Using our Current Culture Survey as a guide to improve communication, change management and how we work together. We will be rebuilding culture throughout the organization over the coming months.
- Developing and delivering leadership training so that all leaders, going forward, receive skills training to make them capable leaders as they are promoted.
- Encouraging employees to come forward with workplace concerns and sharing resources for doing so.
- Rapidly investigating concerns and disciplining employees who violate anti-harassment and on-the-job policies.
- Conducting routine checks of work vehicles to ensure that they comply with workplace expectations.
- Resetting clear expectations: We will not tolerate drinking or recreational drug use before work, at breaks, at lunch/dinner or between work and OT shifts. This is a terminable offense. It puts our professionals and our public at risk and is 100% unacceptable.
- Resetting clear expectations: Sexual harassment is not okay – in physical, virtual or written form.
- Resetting clear expectations: We will not tolerate retaliation in any form – doing anything designed to make a person feel bad in retaliation for real or perceived wrongs. If an employee cannot solve a conflict on their own, then we are directing them to request help from their boss or from People and Culture to help mediate it.
Additionally, all employees have been made aware of this investigation and reminded of workplace expectations, as well as resources for reporting should they witness or be subjected to misconduct. All reports will be taken seriously and fully investigated.
City Light leadership is committed to continuously improving our culture so that we represent the values of our customers and the communities we serve. Our culture will ensure the physical and psychological safety of all City Light employees.