New HR chief must work on-site, reside locally

Image by 政徳 吉田 from Pixabay
Image by 政徳 吉田 from Pixabay

Local 2822 earned yet another major victory. The next chief human resources officer must live in the Twin Cities metro area instead of logging in at their convenience from sunny California. Hennepin County has effectively admitted that remote management doesn’t work. Here’s an excerpt from the job listing for the new chief human resources officer:

“This position will be performed onsite in Hennepin County, Minnesota, and in flexible workplace [sic] as job duties require. The person in this position must reside in the greater Twin Cities area.”

Michael Rossman, the outgoing chief human resources officer, fled to Palm Springs, California, shortly after the pandemic started in 2020. Chad Helton, the problematic, short-term head of Hennepin County Libraries, retreated to a condo in Los Angeles around the same time. The Star Tribune reported on both controversial figures during the pandemic.

Both Rossman and Helton claimed they could do their jobs from thousands of miles away. Helton’s tenure at Hennepin County

ended with a messy settlement that cost Hennepin County taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars. Hennepin County hasn’t had an official library director since then. Rossman’s relocation has been equally unpopular with Hennepin County residents and workers alike.

AFSCME Local 2822 sounded the alarm about remote management back in 2020. Based on the new residency requirements for the top HR job, Hennepin County leadership apparently agrees with Local 2822. Remote management just doesn’t work.

When we speak up, we win!

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