County Told to Stop ‘Coercing’ Workers to Give to Charities

A Superior Court judge ordered Los Angeles County administrators Friday to stop “coercing and intimidating” their employees into contributing to United Way, the Brotherhood Crusade and other major charities that solicit in the workplace.

Judge G. Keith Wisot, calling the solicitations “shameful,” ruled that fund raising should not be conducted during business hours, but only during periods such as lunches, breaks and before and after work.

Last year, another judge had issued a temporary order limiting such solicitations to 15 minutes during work. Wisot said, however, that the county had disregarded that order and that stronger measures were needed to ensure that employees are not harassed.

Wisot’s ruling came as a result of a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles by a group of county employees who said during the trial that they were illegally forced to spend thousands of hours soliciting for the charities, instead of doing their jobs.

They testified that they were ordered by superiors to threaten new employees with firing if they did not make donations, and that they were forced to attend fund-raising rallies on county time and perform chores such as washing dishes during the events. They also said supervisors’ yearly bonuses depended, in part, on how much money they were able to raise from subordinates.

Wisot ordered the county to cease maintaining a “hit list” of names of workers who declined to donate. He also instructed management to tell employees that participation in fund raising is voluntary and that they would suffer no adverse employment consequences if they did not participate.

County administrators argued that the fund raising is legal and that the court has no authority to oversee its administration. Attorney Stephen Morris, who represented the county, disputed allegations that worker harassment was involved in soliciting the donations.

In 1989, a total of $2.7 million was raised for charity from among the county’s 70,000 workers.

Chief Administrative Officer Richard B. Dixon, the highest-ranking county administrative employee and a member of the United Way board, testified that the program is voluntary and that there had been no intimidation of, or retaliation against, workers who did not participate.

But the plaintiffs introduced a 1987 memo in which Dixon told campaign coordinators: “I expect 100% participation by our employees. If there are exceptions to this, I will meet with you individually one week prior to the close of the campaign to discuss your division’s lack of support.”

For years, United Way has been afforded time by government agencies and private firms to solicit during working hours. Employees can arrange to have weekly donations directly withdrawn from their paychecks.

Friday’s ruling applies only to county workers.