Raytheon Team Encounters Determined, Grateful Employees on Gulf Coast
When a Raytheon team of Human Resources and health professionals traveled to the Gulf Coast to assist employees who were victims of the recent hurricanes, they embarked on a three-state odyssey during which they encountered real-life examples of the importance Raytheon and its employees place on people, integrity and meeting customer needs.

Addressing Immediate Needs
Support efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina began immediately after the hurricane made landfall on the coast of Mississippi and Louisiana, where several Raytheon businesses are represented, including Integrated Defense Systems and Raytheon Technical Services Company. Hours after the disaster, a team of IDS and RTSC business and Human Resources leaders had established a response team to work together to address the immediate needs of employees. "The main priority was the safety of employees and their families," says Joanne Bockmiller, the IDS Human Resources senior manager who led Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

Lee Atkinson, director, IDS Integrated Ship Electronics, was one of the key forces behind the Raytheon response team, traveling to Pascagoula, Miss., and Avondale, La., just days after the hurricane. Atkinson; RTSC's Myron Hohensee, LPD shipboard test manager; and IDS' Dave Gross, senior LPD program manager, Gulf Coast Shipyards, made personal contact with 20 employees in those locations, visiting them individually to assess their situations. Among the initial issues addressed were basic needs such as water, food, cash advances, payroll issues and medical questions.

In the second assistance phase, a larger team of employees from IDS, RTSC and Global Health Resources drove from Pensacola, Fla., to Pascagoula and Avondale to meet with additional employees affected by the storm and provide them with both emotional support and direct assistance. They distributed information about available resources — including Raytheon's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) — and provided health services support — such as immunizations and consultation.

Affected Employees Grateful for Assistance
During their on-site visit, one of the team's most important goals was to provide information to affected employees about the resources offered to them by the company's Employee Disaster Relief Fund program.

In her first-person account of her visit to Avondale and Pascagoula, RTSC Human Resources Manager Jan Seward writes:

The most rewarding experience was to see the looks on the faces of our employees when they learned the details of the checks they would receive shortly from the Raytheon Employee Disaster Relief Fund … [W]hen they were told about the funds [available to be disbursed] to them, many reacted with big tears in their eyes and were unable to speak.

To me, it seemed like it was one of those "this is the least we could do" situations. To them, I believe it meant more than we will ever know. 

IDS Human Resources Manager Grace Lee is grateful for the opportunity to let the employees know that they, and Raytheon, care. "When I talk about Human Resources, and how we can touch people's lives, this is a real example of that," she says. "I have never felt so good about how a company takes care of its employees."

Unified Company, Unified Team
Besides Lee, Myron, Jan and Grace, team members who traveled to the area were: Irv Kooris, Employee Assistance Program manager; and Jennifer Lim, Comprehensive Health Services' national director.

While many of the affected employees and their support teams were employees of Raytheon Technical Services Company and Integrated Defense Systems, such labels disappeared on the ground. "We saw only Raytheon employees," says Jan.

Joanne praises the support team for its dedication to the relief efforts. "There were no boundaries or labels in terms of business assignments or job titles," she says. "Everyone got involved and did what was needed to take care of our employees."

Remembering the Customer
Across the Gulf Coast area, the team encountered Raytheon employees who were determined to rebuild what had been destroyed in their lives. This commitment included going back to work to fulfill their promises to Raytheon's customers as soon as they were able, a dedication and focus that impressed Jan. "My hat is off to them — they have a can-do attitude," she says. "Nothing is going to get them down. I feel honored to have met them."

Continuing Support
The hurricanes may be over, but Raytheon's support of its employees will continue through Human Resources and the EAP. John Cannon, head of Human Resources for RTSC's System and Product Support Solutions, says, "The immediate events have passed, but the effects may be felt for some time." Offering encouragement to affected employees, he counsels those in need to maintain contact with their Human Resources representative and to take advantage of the company's EAP.

Through their own determination — and support from the Raytheon Employee Disaster Relief Fund — nearly all Raytheon employees in Pascagoula and Avondale are now back to work, seven weeks after the disastrous Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast and affected millions of lives, both directly and indirectly.

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