In a recent Florida Today article, reporter Kaustuv Basu tells the story of Brevard County Clerk of the Court Mitch Needelman and his decision to outsource 143 of the approximately 335 jobs at his office to a private staffing company. The change, which took effect last week, is expected to generate nearly $900,000 in savings, including reduced benefits in the form of lost sick time accruals and a switch to a new health insurance plan under the staffing company umbrella. He claims it to be a six-month long “pilot project”.
The story resulted in significant debate, generating over 200 comments on the Florida Today website. Political affiliations obviously weigh heavily on which side the public falls. Supporters of Needelman’s actions argue that the measures are not unlike that which commonly happen in the private sector workforce. Further, they support Needelman’s assertions that “nobody lost a job” and that the move is simply a form of “staff-sourcing” rather than outsourcing.
Opponents of the move, however, suggest that the cuts, which affected primarily lower-level and less-tenured workers, is simply another example of a governmental agency overstepping its bounds. They cite the short window for acceptance of the offer as an insufficient amount of time for evaluation, deeming it as essentially a “forced” employment change. Several commenters even questioned the legality of the move, wondering aloud whether Florida Statutes grant Needelman the authority to make such a change.
Furthering the controversy is Needelman’s newly enacted policy that forbids employees from speaking with the media, an act that opponents claim to be a violation of the right to freedom of speech that is granted by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Regardless of which side of the argument you find yourself on, one thing rings as undeniably true; We are likely to see more and more examples of government agencies using employee outsourcing as a cost-cutting measure in these times of depressed budgets and political pressures.
We are interested in hearing what you have to say on this topic. After reading the full Florida Today article and formulating your own opinion, please feel free to leave us a comment below. As always, if you or your company/agency is seeking an expert opinion on the logistics or legalities of specific outsourcing scenarios, the employment specialists at Kavaliro are here to help.