DOE TO PROBE HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT IN ACQUISITION AND PROJECT MGMT. OFFICE

The Department of Energy is gearing up for an inquiry into an allegation of a hostile work environment within the DOE Office of Acquisition and Project Management. DOE issued a solicitation yesterday seeking a contractor to provide “fact finder services” to look into a “recent allegation” of a hostile work environment filed by a federal employee in OAPM’s Office of Corporate Services, which is headed by Director Barry Ross. The solicitation notes that there are approximately 54 staff members in the office. According to the solicitation, work is scheduled to be performed May 5-June 5. It is unclear why DOE is looking to bring in an outside contractor to examine the allegation; the Department did not respond to a request for comment yesterday.