Iowa Workforce Development director Teresa Wahlert appeared before the Iowa Senate Oversight Committee Wednesday and defended the way she runs the agency.

“My management style is direct,” Wahlert said.

On Tuesday, administrative law judges in the agency told legislators Wahlert has pressured them to rule in favor of businesses rather than employees in contested unemployment cases. Wahlert told lawmakers the statistics show employees win those cases more often and the rate of employee wins has been increasing.

“To think that I have been influencing people to rule on behalf of employers — the data just does not support that,” Wahlert said.

On Tuesday, several workers in the agency appeared before the senate committee to say Wahlert’s primary management tool was fear. Wahlert on Wednesday told lawmakers she had to make changes to save money and make the agency run more efficiently — and she’s aware her management style isn’t popular with everyone in the department.

“I know that some personalities adapt to change more quickly and readily than others,” she said.

Wahlert and Democrats on the committee quarreled about the agency’s March overpayment of unemployment benefits to 85 people who didn’t seek another round of benefits. Democrats blasted Wahlert for telling employees in the agency not to talk about the computer glitch, and questioned whether the overpayment might be larger. Wahlert responded: “We knew exactly how many people reported it in to us. I have no reason to think it’s more.”

Wahlert said it’s just a cost of doing business and the state will not seek repayment of the 27-thousand dollars worth of unemployment benefits sent to those 85 Iowans since the mistake was the state’s and the employees aren’t at fault.