PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Preliminary data results of a January 2023 survey of employees in the Multnomah County district attorney’s office reveals how workers feel about their job satisfaction and how they feel in regards to the direction of their workplace.

The survey, which was provided to KOIN 6 News through a records request, had employees answer questions on a one-to-five scale, with one meaning that they “strongly disagree” and five meaning they “strongly agree.” The survey had 182 respondents, according to the document.

Most answers were neutral when it came to job satisfaction, with scores of mostly three’s and four’s; however, the document showed that lower marks for the question “I am satisfied with the way things are going.” The lowest marks on the survey, which were twos and threes, came from women and people of color employed in the Multnomah DA’s office.

Looking at quotes from the anonymous feedback provided by the document, several employees spoke about insufficient access to supervisors, low morale and poor mental health.

“People that speak up about stress and vicarious trauma are often reminded by management that not everyone is cut out for this line of work,” one employee wrote.

Other employees mentioned diversity, with one saying, “Bullies abound. It’s accepted.”

Another said they “didn’t know … if we value BIPOC and people with different identities and their opinions as much as we tokenize them for photo ops.”

In a statement to KOIN 6 News, Schmidt said he was committed to “transparency, and to a just, equitable, and diverse workplace.”

Schmidt added that the district attorney’s office’s first equity manager, who was hired last year, has been working with him “to assess our internal culture, identify areas where improvement is needed, and develop ways to address those areas. We cannot improve if we don’t take a look at where we’re starting.”

His statement added the survey of employees marks “the first step in establishing a starting point” for improvements and that he will share the full survey report when it’s prepared.