(The Center Square) — A new workplace culture survey conducted by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor reveals low morale and growing discontent among employees at the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, raising further questions about the agency’s leadership under Secretary Aurelia S. Giacometto.
The survey, conducted in July 2024 and included in the latest audit report, gathered responses from 377 of the agency’s 712 employees, a 52.9% response rate. The findings suggest that many workers feel undervalued, overburdened and at odds with the agency’s leadership.
More than three-quarters (78.2%) of respondents said workplace morale had worsened over the first half of 2024, a period that saw key departures from Giacometto’s handpicked administrative staff.
Resignation letters from former officials have described a toxic workplace culture, and some departing employees have openly criticized Giacometto’s leadership style.
Despite these concerns, a slight majority (55.7%) of respondents reported overall job satisfaction, citing their work, colleagues, and flexible schedules as positive aspects. However, only 43.2% said LDEQ fosters a culture that promotes its mission of environmental protection, and fewer than half (45.7%) disagreed that the agency had a toxic work environment.
The audit also highlighted significant barriers to job performance, with employees identifying inadequate staffing, outdated technology, and insufficient training as primary concerns. A large majority (80.9%) said they had not felt pressured to violate laws, policies, or civil service rules, while more than 75% expressed confidence in the integrity and professionalism of their direct supervisors.
However, communication from top leadership appears to be a major sticking point. While 73.2% of respondents felt that internal communication within their divisions was effective, only 14.8% said the agency’s executive leadership clearly explained the purpose of changes and initiatives.
Giacometto has dismissed the audit’s findings. In a letter to the auditor’s office, she criticized the methodology and questioned the report’s relevance to agency operations.
“You have admittedly (and inexplicably) chosen not to abide by Governmental Auditing Standards in issuing the report, and the report contains a lot of data, some of which is not particularly useful or relevant to the operations of LDEQ,” Giacometto wrote.
The audit follows months of upheaval at the agency. At least five high-ranking officials have left LDEQ since the beginning of Gov. Jeff Landry’s administration, some citing a difficult working environment under Giacometto.
The Times-Picayune previously reported that four officials appointed by Landry to key positions within LDEQ left within months after conflicts with Giacometto, further fueling concerns over the agency’s internal dynamics.
