Template revised January 10, 2019.
COMMISSION
AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Item No.
8d
ACTION ITEM
Date of Meeting
May 28, 2024
DATE : May 17, 2024
TO: Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director
FROM: Katie Gerard, Senior Human Resources Director
Kecia Reichstein, Human Resources Director—Total Rewards
Chris Beck, Total Rewards Manager
SUBJECT: 2024 Salary and Benefits Program
ACTION REQUESTED
Request for adoption of the Salary and Benefits Resolution No. 3823, amending the policy
directive for salaries and benefits for employees not covered by a collective bargaining
agreement established by Resolution No. 3820 and providing an effective date for all
amendments as of June 1, 2024.
This resolution establishes pay ranges for non-represented jobs and authorizes benefits that
compromise the overall benefits package offered to non-represented Port employees.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Salary and Benefits Resolution is the Port Commission’s authorization of the pay and benefits
programs that are part of the Port’s overall Total Rewards package for non-represented
employees. RCW 53.08.170 requires the Port Commission to authorize pay and benefits for non-
represented employees by resolution. The Executive Director has the authorization to take
necessary action to make effective all terms, provisions, and conditions within the Salary and
Benefits Policy Directive. The Salary and Benefits Resolution establishes the pay ranges for non-
represented jobs, authorizes new and updates existing elements of the compensation program
and authorizes updates to benefits plans that comprise the overall benefits package offered to
non-represented Port employees. This adoption will establish the new Non-Represented Graded
Salary Range Structure and the Executive Leadership Graded Salary Range Structure, as well as
the other recommended additions, deletions, and changes to the Salary and Benefits Policy
Directive that are contained in Resolution No. 3823, provided in the package for the 2024 Salary
and Benefits Resolution.
JUSTIFICATION
The Salary and Benefits Policy Directive specifies the pay and benefits programs authorized by
the Port Commission, while specifics of these programs are maintained in Port policies and
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No.8d Page 2 of 4
Meeting Date: May 28, 2024
Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).
administrative details are found in program guides which are authorized by the Executive
Director and Senior Human Resource Director. The Policy Directive also includes benefits offered
to Port of Seattle retirees and to Port Commissioners, as well as the specifics and administrative
details of these benefits. Updates to the program are designed to keep the authorized pay and
benefits plans current and ensure the Total Rewards package they are part of continues to
support the attraction and retention of employees with the talents and abilities necessary for the
Port to achieve its mission, vision, and goals.
This year’s recommendations include the new Non-Represented Graded Salary Range Structure
and an Executive Leadership Graded Salary Range Structure resulting from the Compensation
Project. This project is in the final year and has included contributions from many employees
across the Port, together with a consultant, to review and update the non-represented pay
program. The objective has been to ensure the Port’s pay program is aligned to market and
supports both competitive and fair pay.
DETAILS
The 2024 Salary and Benefits Resolution includes the following recommended updates.
Definitions
In Section 2, Definitions, we have recommended adjusting the “At-will” definitions and removing
the section ‘When a job opening is posted for an at-will position, the at-will designation will be
identified in the posted notice. An offer of employment made to a current employee or external
candidate for an at-will position will state that the position is at-will and exempt from any
progressive discipline policy. Employees hired, or appointed, into at-will jobs prior to January 1,
2014, are allowed to continue under a legacy provision grandfathered as ‘for cause’ employees.
However, any employee hired prior to January 1, 2014, who is transferred or promoted into an at-
will position is no longer subject to the termination “for cause” standard and will be exempt from
any progressive discipline policy.’ This adjustment supports the recommendations from the
Compensation Project work, that all executive leadership will be moved to an at-will status, which
would make this section no longer valid. We are also recommended adjusting the “Seasonal
Employee” definition to indicate this ‘hire period last 6 months or less’. This is an administrative
recommendation to align better with other supporting policies and Affordable Care Act
regulations.
Policy Establishing Jobs, Pay Grades, Graded Pay Range Structure, and Pay Rates
In Section 5.1.C, Graded Salary Range Structure, we recommended adjusting the description of
this section to align with changes recommended from the Compensation Project. This
recommendation is replacing the term ‘evaluated’ with ‘assessed’ throughout this section and
the phrase ‘relative skill requirements, responsibilities’ with the phrase ‘essential responsibilities,
minimum qualifications.’ We also recommended a new proposed Non-Represented Employee
Graded Salary Range Structure, which will reduce the grades from 36 to 20 and limit the
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No.8d Page 3 of 4
Meeting Date: May 28, 2024
Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).
overlapping of pay ranges, in addition to a new proposed Executive Leadership Graded Salary
Range Structure.
In Section 5.1.D, Job Evaluation System, we recommended adjusting the language to replace any
reference of ‘evaluated, evaluation, or evaluation system’ to ‘assessed, assessment, or
assessment process,’ which will cascade throughout the entire policy directive. This
recommendation aligns with the changes from the Compensation project and how jobs were
previously reviewed to determine their value and the recommended new process to determine
their value and place them within a pay range moving forward.
In Section 5.1.E (3), Initial Pay Rates, we recommended replacing the description with ‘Pay rates
for newly hired employee will be within the pay ranges set forth in the above graded Salary Range
Structure. A newly hired employee's placement within the pay grade will be based on related
experience they bring the Port.’ This is to provide more clarity and align with the future changes
from the pay equity methodology that will be implemented later in 2024.
In Section 5.1.G(2), We recommended removing and renumbering the section.
Recommendations from the Compensation Project will be moving the Chief of Police, Fire Chief,
Deputy Chief of Police, and Assistant Fire Chief positions from the non-assessed job section to be
included in the assessed jobs within the Port’s Compensation Program.
Policy Regarding Benefit Programs Offered to Employees
In Section 5.2.C(1), Paid Leave, we recommend adjusting the definition of Port Paid Medical Leave
and Port Paid Family Leave to align more closely with the State’s definition.
SUMMARY
The 2024 Salary and Benefits Resolution includes quite a few significant changes, mainly driven
from our Compensation Project recommendations. In addition to the changes noted here we
regularly review the language in the Salary and Benefits Policy Directive to identify more succinct
ways to describe programs and clearer language to use. This year is no different and in addition
to the recommended additions, deletions and updates we have identified several places where
we will be suggesting edits to the Salary and Benefits Policy Directive to clarify a point, remove
redundancy, or otherwise make the information clearer and easier to read.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
This year’s Salary and Benefits Resolution has quite a few changes and most do not have an
impact on the Port’s payroll and related costs. With the implementation of this new pay structure
there is an estimated cost of $191,036 which is driven by 42 employees receiving an adjustment
due to their base pay being below their new recommended pay range minimum.
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No.8d Page 4 of 4
Meeting Date: May 28, 2024
Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REQUEST
(1) Draft Resolution No. 3823
(2) Exhibit A_2024 Schedule of Authorized Non-Represented Jobs
(3) Attachment A_2024 Non-Represented Graded Salary Range Structure
(4) Attachment B_2024 Executive Graded Salary Range Structure
(5) 2023 (Current) Pay Ranges for Non-Represented Jobs (for information only)
(6) Presentation
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS
May 14, 2024—The Commission was briefed and Resolution No. 3820, the 2024 Salary and
Benefits Resolution, was introduced.
