On the field, the Cardinals are better than many expected. Off the field the fight continues.
Kalyn Kahler of TheAthletic.com took a close look at the alleged “culture of fear” within the Cardinals organization.
The story begins with an account of an employee survey that “was evaporated,” apparently because the responses were “torn.” [owner] Michael Bidwill torn to pieces.”
Kahler spoke with more than a dozen current or former employees who provided details about the situation. All were granted anonymity out of fear of retaliation from Bidwill.
And Bidwill is the common denominator of the complaints. In the information given to employees, he appears unpredictable and unpredictable. The report also contains information suggesting that a different standard was applied to female employees.
“There are a lot of cubicles outside of his main office and you can’t really speak normally most of the time,” a former employee told Kahler. “Like you have to take a look and see: Is Michael here today? Can you behave normally? Can not you? It was so unpredictable. Sometimes he’s in a good mood, sometimes he’s not.”
Regarding the survey, a team spokesperson made the following statement to Kahler: “The 2019 survey was not ignored. In fact, significant actions were taken based on the feedback, the most important of which was the creation of the role of Chief People Officer. Some changes were immediate, such as the employee well-being initiatives announced in February 2020, just weeks before the coronavirus crisis shut down the country. Others took longer due to the pandemic.”
The full article is worth reading. The real question is whether the people of 345 Park Avenue will read it and whether it will be the final straw that leads to the Commissioner sending Mary Jo White to conduct a full investigation.
The flood of public complaints from former employees such as Terry McDonough and Ron Minegar have not triggered any external scrutiny. The fact that Kahler’s report calls into question the way some former employees were treated could rightly draw the league’s attention.