As many as 300 new Baltimore County school system employees are accusing county administrators of intentionally stalling the workers? enrollment in the government?s retirement system through forced repeated medical exams.
Some employees have been waiting nearly a year to enroll in the county pension system while undergoing up to four physicals, said Lora Williams, president of a union representing 2,300 school support employees. The union plans to file a grievance with the county?s Board of Education alleging county Administrative Officer Fred Homan ? who also oversees the county?s retirement trust ? is ordering the medical exams to cut costs.
“He has been scrutinizing all of these applications, some of which are almost a year old,” Williams said. “He doesn?t want to pay out any benefits.”
Several employees affected hold a commercial driver?s license, which itself requires a federally approved physical, Williams said. The county rejected the exam, required employees to be re-evaluated through its contracted provider, Concentra Inc., and are now requiring a third evaluation at a Rosedale clinic.
Changes in pre-employment physicals were implemented after learning Concentra was “unable to guarantee a doctor would provide the physicals,” county spokesman Don Mohler said. The county has contracted with a new company ? Occupational Medical Services ?without a procurement bid on an “emergency basis” to avoid delaying employee enrollment, Mohler said.
After “the backlog” is cleared, Mohler said, a bid will be issued for an official contract.
“This is pure and simple,” Mohler said. “It?s to make sure an individual is able to do the job they are hired for.”
Meanwhile, employees said they have missed out on time they could be contributing to their retirement plans, and earning interest. Roxanne Fleming, a heating and air conditioning worker, estimated she lost $2,500 in the year between her hire and enrollment in the system.
“Is the county going to make that up?” Fleming said. “No.”
Fleming directed her anger toward Homan, who is the subject of a lawsuit alleging he orchestrated the firing of a county employee who disrupted him and a female colleague in an after-hours “awkward scene” in a county office. The suit, filed last week in federal court, does not detail the encounter.
Also last week, Homan, the county?s longtime finance director, was confirmed by legislators as administrative officer with a $190,000 salary, a 36 percent increase over his predecessor.
The county recently overhauled its post-employment benefits package ? including extending the minimum retirement age and reducing health care ? to prepare for an aging work force.
