Where to start? How about training? One would think that training the employees that work hands on with something as potentially dangerous as live electricity would be first and foremost at Eversource, you would be sorely mistaken. The company repeatedly and knowingly installs equipment (13,000 volt switches and transformers) without even showing a picture of them, never mind training employees on the proper procedures for operating them. Many times the first time we find out a new piece of equipment is on the system is when there is outage and we have to operate it, which we can't because we are not trained. When asked for assistance most supervisors are unaware how to operate said equipment. But alas upper management, manager position and up, don't care the only time they might care is if someone, God forbid, gets hurt. And then they will circle the wagons and do their best to find a reason why it's the employee's fault, no theirs. Maintenance is woefully overlooked, if looked at at all. Equipment in need of replacement will sit on the system for YEARS until its removed or replaced. All of this is do to "budget restraints". Training, maintenance and safety all take a back seat to budgets and stock prices, hence the accounting firm reference above. Worker morale, in my opinion, is at an all time LOW in my 20 years. This is due in large part to the severe Union vs Management mentality that is pervasive. This cancerous attitude is fed by upper management. In fact when approached by employees about the low level of morale a director, now president, said "If they don't like working here they can leave. I have plenty of applications". This is the foundation of the wall between Union and management and it is only getting taller. There are thousands of men and women at Eversource who strive to do their job well, but find it difficult to do so while constantly looking over their shoulder waiting to micromanaged. Micromanagement is about the only consistent policy put in place by upper management. I sat down at my computer last month and almost fell out of my chair when I read on he companies work portal "Corporate Goal: To Be the #1 Utility by 2020". The only way for this to happen would be for every other utility in the nation to all of a sudden go out of business. I have a wife, kids and a mortgage, providing for them is the only thing that keeps me at Eversource. I will trudge thru my remaining years knowing nothing will change. Not even their precious J.D. Power rankings can tell hem how bad we are (15th out of 17 Utilities in the eastern region and well below average. Not sure if #1 in the nation is within reach).
