Blevins makes national boss list

Sebastian County Circuit Clerk Ken Blevins (R) has been named to a top 100 list along with Rev. Jesse Jackson, former GOP Presidential candidate Herman Cain and former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.

OK, the Sandusky mention probably ruined the surprise that the list is not a good list.

And it’s not.

Blevins, who has been the target of several employee harassment claims and was recently forced to reinstate two employees, has placed 95th on the eBossWatch list of “America’s Worst Bosses 2011.”

To date, the 2011 America’s Worst Bosses have cost their employers over $145 million in monetary damages and lawsuit settlement payments,” noted a statement from Asher Adelman, founder of eBossWatch.

The website uses a panel of workplace experts to compile the list, which has the tagline, “Nobody should have to work with a jerk.” The website was launched in June 2007 to help people avoid bad bosses. Employees may also use the website to anonymously rate a boss’ behavior.

“Because it is extremely difficult during the job interview process to discover the true atmosphere at a potential employer and the true nature of a potential manager, eBossWatch is a critical job search resource for people who are considering a career change,” the website explains.

Blevins recently faced a contempt of court charge and possible arrest, but finally agreed to allow employees Tyanna Caldwell and Cassie Vega to return to work in the clerk’s office.

He fired Caldwell and Vega on Nov. 16, but a grievance committee ruled Dec. 7 that he did not have cause to fire them. A subsequent order from Sebastian County Judge David Hudson required Blevins to allow the two employees to return to their jobs. Blevins refused had a Sebastian County Sheriff’s deputy escort the women out of the office.

On Dec. 9, Sebastian County Prosecutor Dan Shue prepared a document, signed by all six judges in the Sebastian County Circuit Court system, that forces Blevins to allow Caldwell and Vega to return to their jobs at 8 a.m. on Monday (Dec. 12). Shue said failure to follow the order would now subject Blevins to “the contempt powers of the Circuit Court.” Failure to follow the order could have resulted in Blevins’ arrest and, possibly, removal from office.

Blevins said Friday afternoon he was not impressed by Shue’s action, but had changed his tune by Sunday evening.

“We continue to be shocked and outraged by the egregious harassment and discrimination that happens in far too many American workplaces,” Adelman said in the statement. “The America’s Worst Bosses list sends a clear warning to would-be toxic managers: abusive behavior towards one’s employees and coworkers will not go unpunished.”

The states with the most worst bosses are: California (19), Florida (8), New York (6), New Jersey (6), and Wisconsin (5). Blevins was the only Arkansas boss to make the list.

Tops on the list was Hollywood producer Jon Peters, who was found guilty of sexually harassing an assistant and was forced to pay her $3 million in damages.