300 Health Department Employees With Secret Side Gigs Come Forward After Scandal

[Leroy N. Soetoro]

https://sfstandard.com/public-health/300-health-department-employees-with-
secret-side-gigs-come-forward-after-scandal/

At least 300 people have held unauthorized second jobs while working for
the city’s Department of Public Health and are only now seeking approval
as the city investigates the practice.

The health department said on Wednesday that it has received 300
additional requests for secondary employment since Oct. 21, the day that
Jail Health Services director Lisa Pratt resigned from her second job at a
city-contracted nonprofit.

The surge of dual employment applications came after the health department
reminded employees of their responsibilities to seek permission for
secondary jobs. The city launched an audit of the practice after The
Standard revealed that Pratt, a top public health executive, was
moonlighting 20 hours a week for the nonprofit Baker Places in violation
of city rules.

The department said that of 304 currently pending applications, 44 are in
need of additional paperwork and 260 are under review.

“In other words, those 300 were violating the law, never asked for
permission and are now asking for forgiveness?” said Supervisor Aaron
Peskin.“Well shit, somebody call the police.”

There are 137 health department employees who have an already approved
side job for an entity outside of city government, the most of any city
department by far. If you add that number to the 304 pending requests,
then 441 health department employees work second jobs, making up 6% of the
department’s total workforce.

Meanwhile, the Public Utilities Commission has the second-most employees
working second jobs, with 18 employees reporting side gigs, which amounts
to 1% of its workers.

At least 22 health department employees are holding jobs at an
organization that is affiliated with, or receives funding from, their
department. Those organizations include Instituto Familiar de la Raza,
Institute on Aging, San Mateo County as well as seven different hospitals
and schools.

“This seems to be just the tip of iceberg. This is just shocking,”
Supervisor Ahsha Safaí said. “How many of them might have an inherent
conflict? It’s causing me to have less and less faith in the leadership in
the Department of Public Health.”

Safaí submitted a letter of inquiry to the SF Ethics Department on Tuesday
to urge for more oversight of the additional employment approval process.

The health department said that it’s in the process of revamping the dual
employment approval process and working to increase awareness about the
necessary guidelines around the practice.

Employees are barred from working jobs that contradict, interfere or
present a conflict of interest with their city job, according to the city
attorney’s Good Government Guide.

In Pratt’s case, her city job running health care in the city’s jails
requires her to be on call for the city 24/7, and public record emails
obtained by The Standard show her routinely responding to emails for the
nonprofit during normal business hours. Pratt earned $123,000 annually at
Baker Places on top of her $428,750 city compensation.

“The department is confident that this new process will ensure greater
compliance and reduce confusion among employees about their
responsibilities when seeking additional employment,” said the health
department in a statement.

The dual employment practices raised alarm at City Hall after The Standard
reported that Pratt was collecting a second salary from Baker Places as
its finances were unraveling. Baker Places and Positive Resource Center,
its administrative arm, have asked the city for two cash bailouts since
the summer and are now in the process of transitioning five of its
programs to other providers.

Pratt resigned from her position at Baker Places in October.

David Sjostedt can be reached at da...@sfstandard.com


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