PAY EQUITY AT THE PORT
Definitions
pay : salary in exchange for work performed
eq•ui•ty : the quality of being fair and impartial
At the Port, pay equity means compensating employees similarly when they perform comparable work.
We recognize there are valid reasons for differences in pay between people. For us, these reasons are
experience and job performance. However, pay equity is complicated. There is a history of systemic
bias and oppression in our society, and by extension in our organization. Therefore, the Port
acknowledges that inequities exist and we strive to end them.
Philosophy
Creating pay equity starts with transparent, equitable, and consistently applied compensation policies
and processes. Underscoring this effort is a Port-wide accountability for equitable pay decision making.
A commitment to pay equity is foundational to eliminating disparities in our compensation program.
We put pay equity into practice by:
• Regularly and proactively applying the Port’s pay equity methodology to employee pay and
resolving pay inequities when found.
• Making pay decisions without regard to protected characteristics.
• Promptly responding to concerns raised by employees and managers about pay inequities or
about potential disparities within the compensation program or its processes.
• Maintaining simple and easy to administer pay processes intended to eliminate opportunities
for bias and inequities.
• Periodically reviewing the entire compensation program with an equity lens to identify and
address concerns.
• Clearly describing our compensation program and processes so they are easy to understand.
• Regularly communicating about our pay practices and providing ongoing education about the
compensation program.
• Sharing the annual salary of each employee following the Port’s pay equity analysis.
Methodology (under development)
Our pay equity methodology provides details on how we will analyze individual pay and address
identified inequities.
