Kaiser Permanente: Failure to Thrive — A Managed Care Watch Web Site

Kaiser Permanente Thrive Exposed

February 21st, 2006 at 9:14 pm

More racial discrimination at Kaiser Permanente?

From a former Kaiser IT employee:

I was employed by Kaiser Permanente in Walnut Creek California in the Information Technology Department.

During my employment there I developed a comfortable working relationship with a Kaiser programmer. She confessed that Kaiser had an official senior management policy against the hiring of any Hispanics in the Information Technology department.

Intrigued, I asked why and she stated that upper management felt that Latinos were too much trouble and Kaiser could hire individuals of Asian ancestry that would not complain or make any trouble for them.

Considering that a substantial amount of Kaiser’s business is conducted in California — a state with a substantial Latino population estimated in excess of over twenty five percent — I am confident that Kaiser would not want it to be public knowledge that they intentionally discriminate against this very large and influential group.

California Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, himself a Latino, will no doubt find this news amusing.

The question Latinos need to ask themselves before they join this HMO is that if Kaiser feels they are too inferior to work within this organization can they really trust Kaiser to do the correct and ethical thing when it comes to their children?s medical treatment?

I am sure this will be a soul searcher. This is the first time in my twenty year programming career that an employer actually admitted they actively and intentionally discriminate against a specific group.

6
  • 1

    That’s stunning. I hope publicizing this helps Kaiser get a clue. The problem is that Kaiser’s mindless support of managers, no matter what they do, creates an environment where important problems like this are suppressed.

  • 2

    asians are less likely to sue / make complains because of the culture in asia, and latinos who grew up in america are more likely to sue than asians. although that is sterotyping but it’s somewhat true

    another kaiser IT employee on March 17th, 2006 17:11
  • 3

    What is more than somewhat true is that this kind of discrimination is highly illegal.

    We have never met one single person, patient or employee, who has been treated fairly in a dispute with Kaiser due to its policies of breaking the law to avoid being sued, and breaking the law to avoid losing when it is sued.

  • 4

    STEROTYPING IN KAISER IS COMMON,ASIANS ARE FIRED WITHOUT FAIR DUE PROCESS-FILIPINOS ARE PERCEIVED AS LAZY,THIEF AND LIARS.

    SC RN CONSULTANT on May 18th, 2006 10:28
  • 5

    Hello. I am an ex-KPIT employee, Hispanic, that has recently filed a lawsuit against Kaiser for discrimination. Would like more information about this policy to use in my case.

    Regards,
    Francisco Ramos

    Francisco Ramos on December 12th, 2006 16:43
  • 6

    What you see is all the information we have. Perhaps your attorney could advertise for other victims? I’ll pass on any responses that come our way.

 

RSS feed for comments on this post | TrackBack URI