Staff Reports
NS&D Monitor
3/13/2015
Consolidated Nuclear Security has acknowledged that implementation of benefit changes at Y-12 and Pantex has not gone as planned or hoped, but a top official recently sent a message to thousands of workers promising to address their complaints and make things better. Morgan Smith, the contractor’s chief operating officer, said the amount of the change in a short time “clearly brought with it considerable challenges” that exceeded the company’s expectations.
Among the biggest complaints has been the lack of response and insufficient information from the insurance carriers introduced at the sites, and Smith said there would be more “boots on the ground” from the insurance reps in the near future. “While we fully understood that changes were needed to reach compliance with our contract, we did not sufficiently scope the total impact and challenge in benefits delivery that would result at Pantex and Y-12,” Smith said in the employee memo. “We clearly recognize more attention is needed, and we have been working on several actions over the last month to address our current issues.”
Employee Sessions to be Held at Pantex, Y-12
Additional employee session will be held at Pantex, beginning next week, with similar ones to follow soon thereafter at Y-12, he said. “These consultation sessions will consist of 30-minute one-on-one meetings between employees and vendor representatives from our health care benefits providers,” Smith said. “We recognize that not all issues can be resolved in that time frame, so there will likely be take away actions and a means for follow up in some cases”
Smith said CNS also plans to “turn up the level of health care benefits updates and information” to keep employees informed about changes. In addition, the two-plant contractor plans to form a “working group” to review current plans and make a determination on whether more adjustments are needed. The contractor has said benefit changes were required in order for CNS to meet compliance with a Department of Energy order for spending. “While changes in benefits were and remain necessary under the CNS contract, the challenges employees have faced in using their benefits is not acceptable to us,” Smith said.
