Humana and Rapscallion Partners Ignore Kindred at Home Employees

Strange Tony,

Why did Humana and two financial rapscallions make Kindred at Home a more difficult place to work?  Why have executives continued ignoring employees' needs by not giving raises as household expenses rose year after year?

This wave of dissatisfaction is especially perverse because corporations now have access to decades of scientific research about how to make jobs better. “We have so much evidence about what people need,” says Adam Grant, a professor of management and psychology at the University of Pennsylvania (and a contributing opinion writer at The Times). Basic financial security, of course, is critical — as is a sense that your job won’t disappear unexpectedly. What’s interesting, however, is that once you can provide financially for yourself and your family, according to studies, additional salary and benefits don’t reliably contribute to worker satisfaction. Much more important are things like whether a job provides a sense of autonomy — the ability to control your time and the authority to act on your unique expertise. People want to work alongside others whom they respect (and, optimally, enjoy spending time with) and who seem to respect them in return.  And finally, workers want to feel that their labors are meaningful.

Kindred at Home's Human Abuse Department is strategic and employs big data that somehow misses repetitive social media comments on the lack of raises for years on end.  Basic financial security has deteriorated for employees at our hospice.  One tenth of our jobs disappeared after executives promised no changes.  Our sense of autonomy has been displaced with Homecare Homebase, a huge time eater that takes time away from patient care and family support.

My dedicated coworkers are tired of receiving no respect from above.  We know our labors are meaningful and grateful for the opportunity to perform hospice work.  It's a calling.  I wish our executives and new owners a calling to pay staff fairly, stop the heavy erosion of health insurance, and be in real relationship with employees.

Anonymous (from Humana's independent home health company)