To:Administration Committee
From:Brenda Glover, Executive Director of Human Resources
Date:June 29, 1999
Subject:Conditions of Employment - Council Staff Members
Purpose:
This report is in response to City Council's request that a report be submitted on the job evaluation results for the positions
of Executive Assistants and Constituency Assistants.
Financial Implications:
Funding of the recommended actions can be accommodated in the corporate contingency account in accordance with
direction from the Chief Financial Officer.
Recommendations:
(1)THAT the Haygroup Management Consultants be authorized to determine a rate of pay for the positions of Executive
Assistant and Constituency Assistant through a salary survey study;
(2)THAT the evaluation results of the Haygroup Management Consultants be reported to the Administration Committee
for approval;
(3)THAT funding for salary reviews for council staff members be derived from the corporate contingency account for
1999; and
(4)THAT staff be authorized to take whatever steps necessary to implement the foregoing.
Background:
City Council at its meeting of June 9, 1999 requested a report be submitted to the Administration Committee on the results
of the job evaluation for the positions of Executive Assistant and Constituency Assistant.
Comments:
The City and the Haygroup are currently developing a job evaluation system for the non-unionized employees as a
component of the overall compensation framework.
The recommendations from the Haygroup for salary scales for new city positions will be placed before Council later this
year. In preparation for the new system, we have "benchmarked" a variety of positions utilizing the proposed compensation
plan pending the finalization of the job evaluation tool. This process uses a broad brush approach to slot positions until
factor weights are finalized. Job Evaluation is finalized only after all jobs are rated and internal equity issues are
considered.
City staff had reviewed the earlier job descriptions for Executive Assistant and Constituency Assistant using the bench
mark parameters, with a recommendation to the Committee that the rating be reviewed when the full job evaluation
process was finalized.
Job description amendments were approved by City Council on June 9, 1999. The revised description was again rated
relative to the benchmark positions. The rating for the position based on the revised description did not change.
A concern remains that the job evaluation system being developed for staff positions may not properly recognize the
requirements of political positions such as the Executive Assistant and Constituency Assistant. Given the unique and
political nature of the Executive Assistant and Constituency Assistant functions in the organization, it is therefore
recommended that a salary survey study of similar political positions from other municipalities and levels of government
be conducted by the external consultants. This review will establish a rate of pay outside of the proposed job
evaluation/compensation plan for non-unionized employees.
Contact:
Brenda Glover
Executive Director of Human Resources
397-9802
Brenda Glover
Executive Director of Human Resources
