Ford defends TCHC CEO after report shows disregard for HR policies

Mayor Rob Ford is coming to the defence of Toronto Community Housing Corporation CEO Eugene Jones after a recent ombudsman report criticised the organization’s hiring and firing practices.

During a press conference at city hall Thursday afternoon, Ford accused the city’s ombudsmen Fiona Crean of “politicking and serving special interests” in a report that called to question the TCHC’s human resources policies.

“Eugene was told to clean up the mess and he did exactly what he was told to do,” Ford said.

“Can things get better? Absolutely. But we are on the right track,” he added.

The report, which was released on Wednesday, pointed to Jones as one of its biggest problems facing the TCHC.

“This is the story about the failure of leadership from the top,” Crean said at a press conference Tuesday.

Jones was hired as chief executive officer at the TCHC in June, 2012. Since then, the TCHC has blatantly ignored its own human resources policies, the ombudsman said.

In the 18 months after Jones took over, 45 people were fired and 32 resigned, according to the 111-page report. Forty-one of those firings were without cause. Most external hires were done without proper job postings, employees were promoted to positions for which no job descriptions existed and raises were given without performance reviews, Crean said.

The ombudsman said of the 233 staffing changes at the TCHC, only 119 were properly documented. In a random audit of 30 hiring files, only two contained proper reference checks.

“TCHC has good human resources policies. They’re just not being followed,” Crean said. “And somehow, some of the senior executives came to believe those policies didn’t apply to them.”

Crean said it was the worst case of disregard for an organization’s HR policies she’s seen in her five years as ombudsman.

TCHC Chair Bud Purves said Tuesday that the organization will study the report and consider the ombudsmen’s recommendations.

Ford urged the board to allow Jones to remain on as CEO.

“Let Eugene Jones continue doing the excellent work he was asked to do and that is clean up the mess at Toronto Community Housing,” he said.

The TCHC board is scheduled to discuss the report during a meeting at city hall Friday morning.

Ford cannot attend the meeting unless his designate Coun. Maria Augimeri gives him her seat.

With files from CP24