HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-01-19 City Commission Packet Materials - SP2. City Progress Report - Equal Pay
Commission Memorandum
REPORT TO: Honorable Mayor and City Commission
FROM: James Henderson, Human Resources Director
SUBJECT: City Progress Report – Equal Pay
MEETING DATE: April 1, 2019
AGENDA ITEM TYPE: Special Presentation
RECOMMENDATION: Review progress, listen to proclamation, ask questions, and
provide comments.
BACKGROUND: On June 8, 2015, the City Commission passed Resolution 4601, Equal
Pay for Equal Work which committed that the City would work to collect data, identify best
practices, evaluate employment practices against the “Thrive Index”, and commemorate Equal
Pay Day annually.
This year we return with:
A. City Employee Earnings, by Gender & Education
B. City Full Time Employees, by Gender & Department
C. City Full Time Employees, Top 25% Earnings details
D. City Full Time Employees, Bottom 25% Earnings details
E. Changes to practices in our Firefighter and Building Inspector programs
F. Historic applicant and employee data tracked for specific positions
G. City of Bozeman Thrive Index assessment.
128
Since Resolution 4601 was adopted, the City’s Human Resources Department has thoroughly
analyzed and documented pay for existing employees. Pay discrepancies within job classes are
easily explained by data in the City’s Human Resources Information System (HRIS), and often
point to time in position and level of education and experience at the time of hire.
A. City Employee Earnings, by Gender & Education: In the last year, the Human Resources
Department again analyzed employee data to provide earnings information by gender and
level of education. The results show the City fares slightly better than state averages that
compare gender and level of education.
The State of Montana’s Equal Pay for Equal Work Task Force documented that women with a
Bachelor’s degree earned 73% (or $11,481 less) compared to men with a Bachelor’s degree
(above). Our data this year shows that women at the City of Bozeman earn 72.1% compared to
men at the City of Bozeman with a Bachelor’s degree. Data regarding the “gap” between
129
women’s and men’s 2018 earnings at the City of Bozeman is shown in the same format in the
chart below.
Since last year, the “gap” between the earnings of male and female employees has increased for
those with Bachelor’s and Graduate degrees as their highest level of education. The gap has
decreased for those with “High School Diploma” and “Some College” as their highest level of
education.
Source: City of Bozeman, Human Resources Dept, 12/31/2018
B. City Full Time Employees, by Gender & Department:
We continue to be responsive to requests for information from the Bozeman Business &
Professional Women. This year, they requested that we produce information regarding gender-
by-department within our full-time workforce. Later in the report, we will show more details of
the characteristics of these 365 full-time employees, as measured on December 31st, 2018.
$-
$10,000.00
$20,000.00
$30,000.00
$40,000.00
$50,000.00
$60,000.00
$70,000.00
$80,000.00
$90,000.00
$100,000.00
High School
Diploma/GED
Some College Associates Bachelors Graduate
2018 Median Earnings by Education Category
Men Women
69.1%
$20,770.17
74.2%
$18,273.80
60.3%
$32,331.14 72.1%
$21,030.89
73.3%
$25,037.45
130
Departments - Employees by Gender Female Male Total
City Manager 5 1 6
Clerk 2 0 2
Community Development 10 17 27
Economic Development 1 2 3
Facilities 2 3 5
Finance 10 4 14
Fire 1 43 44
GIS 2 3 5
Human Resources 2 1 3
IT 0 7 7
Legal 7 3 10
Library 15 2 17
Municipal Court 8 1 9
Parking 1 4 5
Parks & Rec 8 24 32
Police 9 61 70
Public Works 10 96 106
Total 93 272 365
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110
City Manager
Clerk
Community Development
Economic Development
Facilities
Finance
Fire
GIS
Human Resources
IT
Legal
Library
Municipal Court
Parking
Parks & Rec
Police
Public Works
Number of Employees
City Departments -Employees By Gender
Female Male
131
C. City Full Time Employees, Top 25% Earnings details:
The information below shows the characteristics of the City’s top 25% of full-time employee
wage earners as of December 31st, 2018.
7.7%
92.3%
0.0%
20.0%
40.0%
60.0%
80.0%
100.0%
Female Male
Top 25% Earners, By Gender
Graduate
21%Bachelors
38%
Associates
15%
Some College
18%
High School
Diploma/GED
8%
Top 25% Earners, By Education
1 1
43
21 25
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Teamster MPEA Management Police Fire
Top 25% Earners, By Union Representation
132
D. City Full Time Employees, Bottom 25% Earnings details:
The information below shows the characteristics of the City’s bottom 25% of full-time employee
wage earners as of December 31st, 2018.
56.0%
44.0%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
Female Male
Bottom 25% Earners, By Gender
Graduate
7%
Bachelors
46%
Associates
9%
Some College
17%
High School
Diploma/GED
21%
Bottom 25% Earners, By Education
32
52
2 5 00
10
20
30
40
50
60
Teamster MPEA Management Police Fire
Bottom 25% Earners, By Union Representation
133
E. Changes to practices in our Firefighter and Building Inspector programs:
The City is committed to continually improving processes in order to accomplish goals related to
diversity and pay equity. Over the past year, we have worked on two important efforts that are
aimed at removing barriers for qualified applicant in gaining employment with the city and
providing training for entry-level, hard to fill positions.
1. Targeted recruitment efforts: We have made an important change in our recruitment
of Firefighters. Nationwide, “firefighter” continues to be a predominantly male role.
National statistics for 2018 show 5.1% of all firefighters are female. Bozeman has never
had a female firefighter on staff. During the past year, our Human Resources and Fire
Departments worked together to make changes that allow us to receive firefighter
applications from a broader pool of applicants across the country. Previously, as a
member of the Montana Fire Testing Consortium, we have required a valid Montana C-
PAT (standard firefighting physical ability test) in order to apply for a Bozeman
Firefighter position. We changed the requirement for our most recent recruitment in
order to attract more applicants, both male and female. A valid C-PAT from anywhere in
the United States is now accepted with an application. Preliminary indications show that
we have received a number of female applicants.
2. Career development and training programs: Another significant change occurred
with our Building Inspector I (entry level, with city-provided certification training)
program. This was a collaboration between the Human Resources and Community
Development departments. Nationwide, there are very few women working in the
traditionally male-dominated construction and building inspection trades. National
statistics for 2018 show 14% of all Construction and Building Inspectors are female.
Locally, we have struggled to recruit and hire experienced certified Building Inspectors.
We also see very few, if any, applications from women for our Building Inspector
positions.
In mid-2018 we launched our first Building Inspector I position posting with the new
training program. The new position does not require years of experience in the
construction trades at journeyman level, or any current building certifications. Instead,
134
this entry position is a train-as-you-go program that can attract people with limited
construction-industry experience. The program is open to men and women with only a
high school diploma required.
F. Historic applicant and employee data tracked for specific position:
1. Female Applicants for Police Officer Positions: The number of female applicants for police officer positions has declined from the prior year.
2018 – 29
2017 – 33
2016 – 30
2015 – 15 2. Female Police Officers on Staff: The number of female police officers on staff has
declined from the prior year. (Shown as a percentage of current officers on staff.)
2018 –3 (6.92%)
2017 – 6 (9.2%)
2016 – 5 (7.7%)
2015 – 3 (4.6%)
2014 – 2 (3%) 3. Female Teamster Employees on Staff: The number of female employees in the Teamster union (Public Works/Parks/Facilities) has remained the same from the prior year.
2018 – 6 (5.94%)
2017 – 6 (6.1%)
2016 – 7 (7.3%)
2015 – 5 (5.2%)
We believe it is critical to continue to utilize best practices in administering pay:
• Pay based on market data for positions o Collective bargaining rules apply
BPPA, IAFF, MPEA, Teamsters
• Annual increases are based on pre-set steps, and are applied equally
• Pay transparency o Pay rates are available for all positions
No prohibition or punishment for discussing pay with anyone, including
co-workers, supervisors, or Human Resources
G. City of Bozeman Thrive Index assessment:
We have also continued to evaluate employment practices against the Thrive Index with very
good results (see below.) We have found that the City has been consistently upholding the
objectives put forth, as hiring and employment practices are designed to be fair and equitable to
all applicants and employees. No changes have been made in our general response this year, but
we continue to see great participation in our Leave Bank programs. These programs continue to
135
help employees obtain paid leave for maternity and family care by voluntary pooling employee
sick leave hours.
CITY OF BOZEMAN AND THE THRIVE INDEX
Adequate wages and benefits City of
Bozeman
Comment
Are part-time workers paid the same (per hour, including benefits)
as full-time workers performing the same or similar tasks?
Y
Are most part-time workers guaranteed a minimum number of hours
per week? If not, are there ways they could be?
Y Some departments
guarantee a range of
hours vs. a set schedule -
i.e. at least 12, but not
more than 18
Are workers who remain on the job for a specified period of time
eligible for a pay increase?
Y
Are workers who remain on the job for a specified period of time
eligible for paid sick leave for themselves or to care for a family
member?
Y
When job-skill demands or responsibilities increase, are wages
adjusted upward?
Sometimes The City works to ensure
employees are working
within their class
specification.
Reclassifications and/or
promotions are the
avenue for pay increases,
and department heads
request those during the
annual budget process.
Are workers paid for their entire scheduled shift, even if business is
slow?
Sometimes Employees get paid for
the hours they work.
Shifts are not typically
cut short, but if there is
an urgent need to close a
facility, employees would
not be paid for the
closure. This rarely
happens.
136
Are hourly wages higher for nonstandard shifts, such as nights or
weekends?
Sometimes Depending on the
Collective Bargaining
Agreement, there may be
shift premiums.
Opportunities for Upward Mobility
Do low-wage workers have opportunities for on-the-job or cross-task
training or outside educational opportunities that can lead to upward
mobility?
Y
Can schedules accommodate workers’ pursuit of educational
opportunities?
Sometimes The City makes every
effort to accommodate
employees’ requests for
time off and/or modified
schedules. However,
based on the need to
efficiently and safely
operate City business, not
every request can be
granted every time.
When skill demands or job responsibilities increase, is training
provided for newly assigned tasks?
Y
Can workers cross-train in different areas to increase their flexibility
and value to the company (recognizing that outsourcing of some
functional areas or other factors may prohibit this)?
Y
Are there opportunities for upward mobility within the company that
do not require geographic relocation?
Y
Support for personal and family needs
Can worker breaks be scheduled to accommodate the need for
phone calls at pre-specified times for working caregivers?
Y
Are occasional calls for urgent matters allowable? Can children or
caregivers call an employee at work when necessary?
Y
Are workers who remain on the job for a specified period of time
eligible during their regular work hours to care for their health or a
family member’s without losing pay (e.g., able to leave for an hour
or two for a trip to the doctor)?
Y
Can personal time be taken in small increments of an hour or two
(for doctor’s appointments, parent-teacher conferences, educational
opportunities, etc.)?
Y
137
Do you offer paid or unpaid maternity or paternity leave for
workers? Is the length of this leave negotiable?
Y Paid time is offered
through employee
accruals, our Sick Leave
Bank, and our Direct
Donation policies, and
can be used for the entire
absence (at 100% pay)
Work scheduling, predictability, and flexibility
Is there a systematic way for workers to communicate their
preferences for hours and schedules? If not, could some such system
be implemented?
Y
Does the shift/hours scheduling system take account of workers’
constraints and preferences?
Y
Are work schedules announced more than a day or two in advance?
Can workers trade shifts with colleagues when time conflicts
develop (allow “shift-swapping”)?
Y
If workers are asked to stay beyond the end of scheduled shifts to
finish assignments or for administrative procedures, are they given
advance notice of when this may be required?
Y
Does the measured workload take into account the quality or
difficulty of tasks along with simpler measures of the number of
customers, clients, or patients?
Y
Autonomy, respect, and trust
Are workers protected from “no-fault” absence or tardiness policies
(ones that lead to disciplinary actions or dismissal, even for excused
absences)?
Y
Are workers allowed or encouraged to contribute ideas to better
organize or improve their work teams or work areas?
Y
Can workers occasionally make personal phone calls? Y
UNRESOLVED ISSUES: None.
ALTERNATIVES: As suggested by the City Commission
FISCAL EFFECTS: This progress report has no immediate fiscal effects.
Report compiled on: March 11, 2019
138