Before I retired I'd noticed the disconnect between language used by executives and their actions toward hospice employees. Generic Hospice employees suffered similar injustices as you've experienced under Gentiva, now Kindred. Although I must say Generic Hospice executives lacked the complete tone deafness of Kindred's leaders. Who gets $110,000 in relocation reimbursement and deserves another $250,000 for moving nearly two years after the hire? It's not a lowly hospice employee.
I noticed a Kindred subsidiary will pay the $250,000. It would be mildly interesting to know which one. It would be sad if it were the hospice division with staff burdened by health insurance cuts.
Our longtime medical director, a very talented hospice physician, advised executives to take care of their people with good pay, benefits, openness and respect. He'd seen properly treated staff provide great hospice care with little turnover. Last I heard he is widely ignored by Generic executives and turnover is through the roof. What does he know with decades of hospice experience?
Healthcare has become bizarre with the over-enrichment of management to the detriment of staff. The obsession of corporate profits over service is similarly distressing. These two pipers will be paid. I don't know how or when but it will happen. Just observing from my rocker,
StrangeTony
StrangeTony,
ReplyDeleteThe "robust set of benefits" will now be a secret to Gentiva employees. Paystubs historically showed how much Gentiva paid toward employee benefits, which David Causby cut more than once prior to Kindred's takeover. Employees could see how much the company contributed toward health insurance, dental, etc.
Gendred will stop the practice come 2016. How much of the load are employees bearing? My guess is a significant amount, given all the obfuscation and double talk. That way employees can't see how many initials from the word synergies are stamped are their backsides. I can't wait to see how this fuels executive incentive pay.
Anonymous (from Gendred)
Hi Gendred,
ReplyDeleteKindred did take over, but actually Gentiva is doing the takeover....all employees are being taken for a ride all the way to the poor house....with the exception of the double talk executives...we are better together us employees, but we all got played for suckers!!!
Kindred just laid off 70 employees from Kindred HQ. Kindred said no changes for Gentiva for 2015. 2016 is just weeks away. Tick tock.
ReplyDeleteMoody's just cast doubt on Kindred's ability to achieve synergies and delever. Gentiva pretty much drove any value from Girling/Lighthouse Hospice with its botched integration. I don't believe Kindred can make that big a mistake, but they need to pay attention to employees and customer service. Gentiva has historically been tone deaf to staff and overreached more than once in cutting back.
ReplyDeleteThe Moody's shift to "negative" will give Kindred executives the rationale to slash to produce cash. Also, I fail to understand why companies who "understand branding" are so casual about casting aside current name recognition. The shift to Kindred at Home will predictably confuse patients and referral sources. Gentiva executives should know this well from their history of botched name changes.