Louisiana
Workplace survey paints mixed picture of embattled leadership at Louisiana environmental regulator
A majority of employees at Louisiana’s Department of Environmental Quality were satisfied with their jobs and felt their direct managers had respect and integrity, but staffers had far less favorable views of the agency’s top leadership, a new state workplace audit has found.
The report and its survey findings from the state’s Legislative Auditor provided a mixed picture within the agency amid claims that DEQ Secretary Aurelia S. Giacometto has harshly treated staff and imposed restrictive operational rules.
Giacometto has pushed the agency to be more efficient and marry its environmental protection goals more closely with economic development, as has been sought by Gov. Jeff Landry. But several departures from her handpicked administrative staff have helped fuel criticism. One resignation letter harshly condemned Giacometto’s management style, while another exit survey did the same.
More than three-fourths of DEQ employees believed morale had worsened in the first six months of 2024 and near majorities didn’t believe the agency’s top leadership valued what they did or respected them, according to a survey conducted for the state audit.
Employees told surveyors that to improve DEQ leadership, agency brass should “improve the way they treat employees, obtain more knowledge about DEQ processes and trust employees.”
According to the report, the audit and survey were conducted to respond to a legislative request “to review the culture and concerns within LDEQ.”
“The legislative request referenced concerns about issues within the agency’s work environment and their potential impact on the agency’s ability to effectively carry out its essential functions,” the audit says.
The employee workplace survey, which was conducted in July, drew responses from 52.9% of the department’s 712 employees.
The Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office made the report public Friday afternoon, just days before Fat Tuesday and as many residents prepared for a weekend of big Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and other parts of the state starting Friday night.
Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack declined to comment on the audit Friday.
Giacometto provided a statement in response that questioned the auditors’ methods, saying they didn’t follow governmental auditing standards and had data that wasn’t relevant to DEQ’s operations.
Though those criticisms led her to question the validity of the audit survey data, she did highlight, what she said, was one of its findings, that nearly 90% of employees enjoyed working at DEQ and were satisfied with their jobs.
“We believe this result speaks for itself,” she wrote. “The current administration has implemented rapid changes to make LDEQ more efficient and responsive, and this speaks volumes as to the talent and resiliency of the great majority of employees at LDEQ.”
The cited statistic takes a generous view of the actual survey results.
According to the survey, nearly 47% said they enjoyed working at DEQ “a great deal” or “a lot” and nearly 56% said they were “satisfied” or “very satisfied.”
With those who said they enjoyed working at DEQ a “moderate amount,” the response reaches nearly 82%. Adding in those who responded they enjoyed working at DEQ “a little” brings the figure into the nineties, at 95%.
Auditors found a complicated picture of DEQ staff’s feelings about where they worked, their departments and immediate co-workers and bosses, but less favorable views of the agency’s top leadership.
Nearly 46% disputed that the agency had a “toxic work environment” and nearly 60% said they never or rarely experienced or witnessed unprofessional behavior in the first half of 2024.
More than 58% agreed or strongly agreed that their opinions are valued when they speak up, the survey found.
Nearly 81% also said they felt no pressure to do “something against the law, LDEQ policy, or civil service rules” in the first half of 2024.
But 46.3% also disagreed or strongly disagreed with the idea that the agency’s executive leadership “values the contribution” that their division or office provides to DEQ’s mission. Another 31% had no opinion one way or the other. Nearly 23% agreed or strongly agreed with that idea.
About 22% agreed or strongly agreed that executive leadership “treats them with respect and appreciates them.” Nearly 47% “disagreed” or “strongly disagreed” with that notion.
At the same time, more than 76% “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that their supervisor, manager or administrator offers them respect and appreciation, the survey found.
While 73% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their division, office or group communicated effectively with them, just 15% felt the same about communication from DEQ’s executive leadership.
Though a strong majority said they felt no pressure to do something against rules or laws, a small percentage, 13.6%, said they did feel those pressures and aired a variety of concerns that led to those feelings.
They included “pressure to not follow agency policies related to closing sites and completing inspections” and “noncompliance with grant requirements and rules for contracts.”
The small minority also had concerns about “Human Resources and Department of State Civil Service policies related to compensatory time and leave.”
Other employees in that small minority aired concerns “about a temporary directive to not communicate with outside entities, which according to survey respondents, impacted their ability to do their jobs.”
In a separate question, some employees told auditors that various “barriers affect their ability to do their job, or do it as well as they would like.”
Those barriers included “inadequate staffing levels, a lack of independence and authority, and inadequate technology and training.”
Drawing the most responses among all the barriers listed was “inadequate staffing” at more than 43%.
Louisiana ranks among the top 10 most affordable states to retire, according to a new study from Retirement Living, a national journal of retirement research.
Researchers analyzed each state’s housing costs, living expenses and tax friendliness to compile the ranking. Louisiana, they say, is the eighth most affordable state for retirees.
In Louisiana, the median monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $932, the median home sale price is $255,000, monthly grocery spend per capita is $272, the average price per gallon of regular gas is $4, the average Medicare Advantage monthly premium is $13.35 and the average effective property tax rate is 0.55%.
West Virginia is the most affordable state to retire, followed by Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Louisiana, Indiana and Kansas. Researchers describe the South as “the sweet spot for an affordable retirement.”
The most expensive state to retire, meanwhile, is California, followed by Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Utah, New York and Minnesota.
Read Retirement Living’s full report here.
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – With hurricane season approaching, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority is bringing the community together to prepare before a storm forms.
“We can’t stop disasters from happening. We can’t stop hurricanes from happening. But what we can do is equip our communities with the resources that they need to prepare for these storms ahead of time,” said Jayda Morris, CPRA outreach manager.
The agency hosted an event featuring interactive storm simulations and a full model of the Mississippi River.
“If you do it now, like on a sunny day like today, you’re ready to go for the rest of the season,” Jay Grymes said.
El Niño may reduce storms, but Louisiana still at risk
State Climatologist Jay Grymes said an El Niño pattern may reduce the number of storms in the Atlantic but warned against a false sense of security.
“In those 25 years, Louisiana, some part of the state has been impacted by 29 storms. That’s one a year, regardless of El Niño. So that should tell you something,” Grymes said.
He said the bigger concern is storms that can form in the Gulf with little warning.
“If we’re going to get a storm, it very possibly could be one that bubbles up in the Gulf and doesn’t give us five or seven days to track it coming our way. It gives us 40 hours to get ready for a landfall. So it’s imperative that you go ahead and do it now,” Grymes said.
Preparation goes beyond stocking water
Preparing now includes walking through yards, checking trees, and knowing whether everyone in the family can survive two weeks without power.
PhD students with the LSU College of the Coast and Environment gave the community a virtual reality experience that puts users inside a storm.
“If they wear the goggles or play with the Apple Vision Pro, they can understand how high will the flood be, and they can know how dangerous is the hurricane scenario,” said Yixuan Wang.
The VR simulation uses real historical data to show users what compound flooding looks like in New Orleans and surrounding areas. The goal is to make the science real for people who can’t picture what a flood map means.
“It’s just to let you understand the environment. We will add the audios, the different sound of the wind and the storm. And you can see how tense of the rainfall around you,” Wang said.
Organizers said the event is about making sure that when a storm threatens the area, families already know their plan.
Information from the event is available on CPRA’s website. Hurricane season runs through Nov. 30.
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BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Louisiana homeowners can get financial help to upgrade their roofs and ensure they can better stand up to strong storms.
According to the Louisiana Department of Insurance, registration for next Louisiana Fortify Homes Program lottery opens at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 1. The registration period will stay open through 5 p.m. on Friday, June 19.
Under the latest round of the program, 3,000 grants of up to $10,000 will go out. After applying, homeowners will get placed into a lottery and will be randomly selected.
There are many specific benefits of having a roof upgraded through the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program. Officials said the roofs have stronger shingles that can protect against hail up to two inches wide, sealed roof decks to help prevent water damage, and stronger edges to keep wind from getting underneath.
Homeowners with a fortified roof can also get a certificate to receive a discount on insurance premiums.
“At the end of the day, this program is about more than just roofs,” said Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple. “It is about protecting families, it is about strengthening communities, and it is about putting Louisiana in a stronger position—both physically and economically—to face the challenges ahead.”
Only people living in Ascension Parish, Livingston Parish, Assumption Parish, Tangipahoa Parish, Acadia Parish, Calcasieu Parish, Cameron Parish, Iberia Parish, Jefferson Parish, Jefferson Davis Parish, Lafayette Parish, Lafourche Parish, Orleans Parish, Plaquemines Parish, St. Bernard Parish, St. Charles Parish, St. James Parish, St. John the Baptist Parish, St. Martin Parish, St. Mary Parish, St. Tammany Parish, Terrebonne Parish, and Vermilion Parish are eligible to apply for the latest round of the program.
People living in a newly built home, mobile home, or condominium are not qualified.
For a detailed list of eligibility requirements, click here.
If a person registered for the program previously, he or she must do so again. The person will also need to provide the following information:
- A homestead exemption on the primary residence.
- A policy of insurance that provides wind coverage for the primary residence.
- A flood insurance policy on the primary residence if it is in a special flood hazard area.
For more information about applying, click here.
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Click here to subscribe to our WAFB 9 News daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.
Watch the latest WAFB news and weather now.
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