CareFirst just completed its virtual Week of Equity & Action for all employees. Last year it was a full day activity on-site in multiple locations, primarily in Baltimore. E&A is undoubtedly very important and should be addressed, but one wonders if all the money spent the last two years could have been better managed so that dozens, perhaps 100’s, of jobs might have been saved and some layoffs avoided. How much did it cost to rent out the ENTIRE Baltimore convention center in 2019? Add to that costs for food, bus transportation, etc. Do the outside speakers get paid by CareFirst or do they volunteer their time? The video conf costs alone must be pretty hefty. Manufacturing & mailing costs for ANOTHER t-shirt & other swag for ALL associates; yeah we know, it’s low cost advertising when worn in public (who does though?) Company charter says to give back to the community, but at what cost that employees lose their jobs? Trainers still work at CareFirst, would it have been more cost effective for them & HR to lead these efforts? Oh wait, execs are too busy hiring overpriced consultants to backfill laid off employee positions. Yes, equity and inclusion are important and cannot be ignored, this is a very sensitive subject. Anyone else think too much money is being spent though? Would like to hear thoughts from others.
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BDP. Brian D–k Pieninck. Brian Douche Pieninck. Over his head and floundering. His senior hires have been a joke. Just like his predecessor who hired HIM! The Board must be id–ts to keep this imposter around.
Just look at the cheerleading the CEO and others do on LinkedIn. It’s funny to watch how all these people prop each other up. It all about preserving themselves and their buddies. CF is playing a numbers games. Sorry, but if you hire women and minorities to hit quotas you’re discriminating against others who may be more qualified but just are the wrong gender or skin color for the quota numbers now. How is that not discrimination?
I just had to ask, and to emphasize was a joke WEA was, did everyone else get the coffee and tea bags from the company's pantries mailed to their homes? With the note that they were manufactured by LGBTQ owned companies (Seattle's Best is not, last I checked)?!? How much money did CareFirst waste sending us c-appy coffee in the mail?
I do really appreciate understanding how to be more inclusive in the workplace. But this was not it. As a woman, I've experienced firsthand discrimination and being treated differently over something I have no control over (my gender). But equality doesn't just mean "a number" and the end of the week's messages around hiring did not sit well with me. Making "quotas" - such as what was said about hiring Latino/a(s) felt patronizing. And at this time when so many are experiencing hunger and potential homelessness, it seems disingenuous to assume just because you are white, you are "privileged". For many, who've lost their jobs or businesses, it doesn't matter what race or color you are.
But I don't think these forums were meant for actual dialogue or conversations, especially around such hard subjects. Like others said, this was a feel good for Brian and allows him to publicize at board meetings and other places.
I wasn't offended by anything said and I'm WM too, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion. How leadership is doing this is another matter...... mandatory attendance or use pto, whether you agree with discussions or not. Maybe previous reply was right this is a feel good for execs.
One point, BP said on Friday that only 1% of company is Latino and he wants it higher. He failed to point out that race is determined when associates self identify in PeopleSoft. His stats from HR might be off if people don't select. Maybe college educated Latinos in the area have heard company is on the skids, and they've decided to stay away?
I was offended last year with this day and some of the things that were said by the speakers me being a white male. I didn’t attend this year due to the is reason.
It’s all marketing gimmicks. The CEO wants to shrink the company by 20%. That’s people. The layoffs that have occurred, 20 here, 50 there, etc are no where near the scale they want to do. So 20% is about 1500 people. And if you look at the size of CareFirst you know that 5000 employees is way too many to be managing 2 1/2 million members. A lot of the bloat is in Ops ... that’s claims, enrollment, and billing ops as well as all of IT.
I think everyone was expecting the new CHRO to come in and really change the culture that’s not the case she’s a hatchet man go look at her history and what she’s done prior to being hired at CareFirst. Don’t be fooled.
I didn’t like that those of us who already volunteer our time to social causes were force fed this. Of course we can all learn more about equity and diversity. But I live this and don’t need to hear it. And I felt resentful at the end of the week. Especially the last day on the closing conference where it came across like if you don’t think like us, leave. It seemed like the ultimate hypocrisy in not allowing diversity of thought.
I live paycheck to paycheck (barely with COVID as my spouse was laid off) and am a minority whose child is dating someone in a majority class. He is a good kid and not privileged getting out of Baltimore city schools with his Dad working three jobs to support his family. So is it fair to brand this person on the basis of his class or skin color? No. I ended the week liking what I heard up until the very disturbing closing session. As a minority, there is a way to do this and a way not. Thus was far too heavy handed and frankly distasteful at the end. At least for me, do I was really disappointed.
I volunteer at the Md food bank and have done so for many years. Why? Because you never know when you might need it snd I am fortunate to not have needed it - yet.
But stop with the mugs, shirts, speakers, and conception center. Make a donation to the food bank instead I can’t help this is a feel good for the execs and it makes me upset this is the community giveback when I see people struggling every day.
I really liked the resource CareFirst provided about all the volunteer opportunities earlier in the year. I think a better use of time and money and a solid give back to the community would be to have people pick something from this list (or their own opportunity) and directly give back.
At the end of the week, I did feel uncomfortable like Brian said. Unfortunately it was for the wrong reasons. No matter, I have my own moral compass and will keep contributing and don’t need these sessions to expand my already diverse views of people and the world.