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Placing Ron Harris — the retiring manager of Salt Lake City's Metro Wine Store — on paid administrative leave may have been a harsh move by the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, but it did not violate state employment rules.

Still, DABC critics and outraged customers say the treatment of the 20-year-veteran employee is another blow for state liquor-store workers who for years have endured low pay and poor morale.

"We are aware of the concerns. We have researched them and we are confident that there were no HR policies violated," said Wendy Peterson, deputy director of the Utah Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM).

While there is no written review or letter sent on the issue, "there were conversations with Sal Petilos" — DABC executive director — and it's been "dealt with," Peterson said.

Gov. Gary Herbert's office requested the review after receiving a letter from Kerri Adams, a retired DABC employee who worked as the liquor department's human-resource specialist and training manager.

"I [still] get frequent calls asking me how to handle disciplines and other disputes," Adams wrote in a letter to the governor dated March 22, "and I no longer know how to give advice because the DABC does not seem to be adhering to state HR rules or common management practices."

Adams' letter listed several complaints about mistreatment of employees by upper-level managers.

"It does not appear that the current upper-level managers have any belief in the merit system, understand how to motivate employees or have any regard for how employees are treated," she wrote. "Their behavior is impacting the health and productivity of DABC employees."

In her letter, Adams asked Herbert to "look at DABC management practices and take appropriate corrective action."

Mike Mower, the governor's deputy chief of staff, said after receiving the letter, DHRM was asked to review the concerns.

"There are two sides to every story, and we are limited as to what we can say to protect the privacy of employees," Mower said. "But Human Resources found that the DABC has not violated any rules. As always, we are open to comments from the public and appreciate [Adams] bringing it to our attention."

Adams said she wasn't surprised by the response.

"Talking with the director doesn't get to the root of employee issues, since problems come from the top down and he sets the tone," she said of Petilos. "Just because they are allowed to do things, doesn't mean it's right. Mistreating people until they quit on their own doesn't help employee morale or productivity."

Adams sent her letter just days after the DABC put Harris — who had just announced his April retirement — on paid administrative leave. Gary Clark, the store's assistant manager who also had planned to retire March 28, quit immediately in protest.

Customers were outraged at the treatment of the two longtime employees, who had a combined 55 years of experience and were known for their wine knowledge and attention to customer service.

Clark and Harris had been vocal opponents of the DABC's centralized ordering system, saying it doubled employee workload and caused stores to run out of popular items.

Since Harris' departure, several former DABC employees also have contacted The Salt Lake Tribune, saying they, too, quit or retired after alleged mistreatment by DABC's upper management.

Craig Anderson was one of the few willing to use his name, writing in an email: "The older managers have been systematically targeted and bullied until they quit, retire or get fired. The organization is imploding from within and important employees are leaving en masse. The department is toxic!"

Anderson was a DABC employee for 40 years, the last 25 as the manager of the liquor store at 204 W. 400 South, Salt Lake City.

He retired in May 2014 but said his problems began months before when, among other things, he criticized the new automated ordering system. After that, he said, he felt targeted for termination by his supervisor.

"I and many other store managers feel like the ordering process was limiting our ability to generate revenue and presents an image of incompetence at the store level because the shelves look bare," he said. While the policies are " well intentioned," they "choke the life out of our efficiency and ability to be effective."

The stress of being continually reprimanded by his boss caused Anderson to have chest pains and he was forced to go on medical leave, he said. "I was on FMLA [Family and Medical Leave Act] for 12 weeks, at which time I decided, for health reasons, it was no longer worth it to continue."