A caustic environment at Metro’s ROCC pushes out trainees and experienced employees alike
TRANSIT By Stephen Repetski (Editorial Board Alum) September 18, 2020

Metro’s Rail Operations Control Center (ROCC) doesn’t provide the proper training needed for employees and is also a caustic work environment, according to a recent report from the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission. Controllers reported not having the knowledge needed to do their jobs and suffered racial and sexual harassment along the way.

This is the fourth part of a series diving into issues at the ROCC identified by the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission. The introduction can be found here.

Harassment in the workplace has led controllers, both those experienced and still in training to leave. ’“People are leaving because there is not enough structure in the control center,” one controller said in the report.

“ROCC managers engage in racial, sexual and other forms of harassment, and use profanities and threats against controllers, which adds to the chaotic environment and creates additional layers of safety risks,” the report reads. “Multiple controllers expressed concerns about explicit sexual comments that they observed toward women, racist remarks, and homophobic remarks.” ... One example cited in the WMSC audit, “I wonder if you taste as good as you look,” was directed towards a female controller.

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