Washington state Insurance coverage Commissioner Mike Kreidler is going through allegations that he verbally mistreats employees and has grown more and more unstable in latest months, resulting in excessive turnover within the workplace.
The Northwest Information Community reported {that a} prime staffer, legislative director Jon Noski, filed a proper grievance in February accusing Kreidler of bullying him and antagonizing employees and stating that he’s “not match to steer.”
Kreidler, a Democrat who’s the state’s oldest and longest-serving present statewide elected chief, advised Northwest Information Community he has no plans to resign.
In a press release issued after the story posted, Kreidler mentioned he has apologized to employees and “shall be open to their suggestions as I transfer ahead.”
“I deeply remorse that a few of my conduct and actions have taken consideration away from the great work we do on behalf of insurance coverage customers,” he wrote. “We maintain one another to excessive requirements, and I’m not above these. Clearly, I’ve work to do.”
Kreidler, 78, has served because the the state’s elected insurance coverage commissioner for greater than 20 years, and was re-elected to his sixth time period in 2020. He has a popularity as a troublesome shopper advocate keen to go toe-to-toe with the insurance coverage trade. He’s not too long ago confronted blowback from adopting a rule prohibiting insurers from utilizing credit score scoring to set charges for auto, house owner and renter insurance coverage, a problem that has drawn a authorized problem from insurer teams.
Lonnie Johns-Brown, who served because the company’s legislative director from 2014 to 2020, described two sides of Kreidler.
“What I noticed on the time was somebody who cared about points, sincerely cared about points,” Johns-Brown mentioned. “I additionally knew he had a mood. He by no means crossed a line with me, however I noticed many cases of unhealthy conduct.”
Johns-Brown mentioned that included snide remarks and frequent belittling of employees in entrance of their friends.
Within the formal grievance, Noski described an incident that occurred on February 1 after he testified earlier than a legislative committee on behalf of the OIC. Noski mentioned Kreidler wasn’t pleased with how the listening to had gone and used crass phrases to berate him over the telephone afterwards.
A former govt assistant, who left the workplace final yr, stored a non-public log of incidents throughout which she mentioned Kreidler verbally mistreated her, together with telling her: “It’s important to determine which job is extra necessary to you, your job right here or your job within the residence.”
Kreidler mentioned he didn’t want to deal with particular person accusations or accounts, however denied treating his feminine staff in a different way.
The allegations come amid excessive turnover within the insurance coverage commissioner’s workplace and observe a latest worker satisfaction survey that exposed deep dissatisfaction with the workplace’s COVID-19 return-to-work coverage and with Kreidler’s management type.
In accordance with the company, 22.5 % of employees resigned or retired between January 2021 and February 2022. Since March 2020, 5 of Kreidler’s seven deputies have departed, together with three of 4 ladies who held that place.
There’s additionally been turnover within the chief deputy place which serves because the equal of the company’s chief of employees.
Since 2018, the workplace has had 4 chief deputies. The latest departure was Mark Dietzler who resigned with out clarification on February 21 after simply 4 months within the job. Dietzler didn’t reply to a request for remark.
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