Rapid mgmt changes needed at France Telecom: report

France Telecom will need to implement rapid, radical, changes to its operating practices if it hopes to put the suicide crisis to bed, a study commissioned by the company has found.
 
New CEO Stephane Richard has only weeks to implement a new leadership style, according to the report leaked to the media.
 
The report, prepared by HR consulting firm Technologica, has given 107 separate recommendations, the New York Times reported
 
Among the more radical changes are a moratorium on staff reorganisations, the creation of an internal network of mediators to make the personnel department more accessible, and the close monitoring of psychological risk factors.
 
France Telecom has confirmed the content of the report, and said it was working with unions to implement the recommendations.
 
“We don’t have a magic wand that we can wave and just fix the problem in a few weeks,” spokesperson Jean-Bernard Orsoni told The Times.
 
France Telecom has been embroiled in controversy for months, after it was revealed that 35 employees committed suicide in a two-year period. Employees blamed corporate stress, as well as the company's policy of frequent staff relocation.
 
The scandal claimed the scalps of former CEO Didier Lombard, who resigned in February, and deputy CEO Louis-Pierre Wenes, who stepped down last year.