How embarrassing: the HR department that blamed staff for its own mistake

A Philadelphia HR department is suffering in its boots after the mistakes it blamed “fraudulent” employees for has turned out to be its own fault – and it cost nearly half a million dollars

A Philadelphia HR department that accused dozens of employees of fraud has had the tables turned on its own team.

The nine HR professionals at Bucks county have been called “lax, unprofessional and inadequate” by a grand jury after the jury found the HR department deliberately lied about its behavior.

The storm began in January 2013 when HR director Meredith Dolan announced the results of an audit showing that dozens of county workers had included about 200 ineligible dependents in their health plans, costing $450,000 a year in premiums.

You might also like: Chicago HR supervisors face investigation over "disgusting commentary"


The department had blamed apparently fraudulent employees for the problem, which instigated a yearlong investigation. However, on Friday, it was found the ineligible dependents listed were actually a result of bungling on behalf of the department itself, which was accused of losing its way by the County Controller.
 

You might also like: Hell hath no fury like an HR manager scorned


The department was found to manage healthcare plans for its 1,700 employees using an honor system that was limited to paper records and had no electronic documentation at all. Many employees had tried to remove ineligible dependents from their plans, the investigation revealed, but the department had failed to follow through.

Dolan, who is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management, has served as the County’s HR director since August 2009.
 

Recent articles & video

Talent mobility: What’s the most challenging country for remote workers?

Organisations warned about 'overconfidence' dealing with threats in cybersecurity

Which countries hired the most expats in 2023?

4 in 5 employers redesigning workspace with return to office: survey

Most Read Articles

U.S. proposes legislation pushing 4-day workweek

Over 4 in 10 managers hope AI can replace their teams

Expert calls for quarterly cybersecurity training given threat of human error