COMMISSION 
AGENDA MEMORANDUM                        Item No.          8c 
ACTION ITEM                            Date of Meeting     November 12, 2019 
DATE:     November 5, 2019 
TO:        Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director 
FROM:    Tammy Woodard, HR Director  Total Rewards 
Ann McClellan, Total Rewards Manager 
Sandra Spellmeyer, Total Rewards Manager 
SUBJECT:  Resolution No. 3765, amending the Salary and Benefits Program for 2020 
ACTION REQUESTED 
Request introduction of Salary and Benefits Resolution No. 3765: A resolution of the Port of
Seattle Commission amending the policy directive for salaries and benefits for employees not
covered by a collective bargaining agreement established by Resolution 3739 and providing and
effective date for all amendments of January 1, 2020. 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
The Salary and Benefits Policy Directive establishes pay ranges for non-represented jobs and
authorizes the benefits plans that comprise the overall benefits package offered to nonrepresented
Port employees.  Resolution No. 3765 includes and adjustment to  the nonrepresented
pay ranges for 2020, recommended changes to the benefits package, and
recommended language changes to add clarity. 
Following this presentation and subsequent vote on introduction, staff will return to request
adoption of the resolution on November 19, 2019. 
JUSTIFICATION 
The Salary and Benefits Policy Directive specifies the pay and benefits programs authorized by
the Port Commission, while the details of these programs are maintained in Port policies and
supporting documents. The policy directive also includes authorization for benefits offered to
Port of Seattle retirees and to Port Commissioners as well as the administrative details of these 
benefits. Updates to the policy directive are designed to keep the authorized pay and benefits
plans current and ensure the Total Rewards package that 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. 
DETAILS 
Recommended changes to the Salary and Benefits program for 2020 are as follows: 

Template revised January 10, 2019.

COMMISSION AGENDA  Action Item No. 8c                                Page 2 of 4 
Meeting Date: November 12, 2019 
Adjustments to Pay Ranges for 2020 
The Port's goal is to have the pay ranges for non-represented jobs reflect the market pay rates
for Port jobs in these ranges.  Annually, Human Resources staff analyze data from published
salary surveys to determine how well our existing pay ranges align with current market pay rates.
Data from both public and private employers are utilized in this analysis as the Port recruits from,
and loses employees to, both private industry and public sector employers. The annual analysis
also includes analyzing data from salary planning surveys to determine what pay increases local 
employers, both public sector and private industry, are anticipating for the coming year.
Combining the data on how current ranges compare to market with data on anticipated pay
increases provides the basis for determining any recommended range adjustment for the coming
year. 
This year, our analysis indicates that the Port's current pay ranges for non-represented
employees are 1% below market. Additionally, Puget Sound area employers are reporting an
expected 2020 overall average pay increase of about 3.3%.  Based on this analysis, we are
recommending a 3.5% pay range adjustment to ensure that we maintain the Port's non-
represented pay ranges at market competitive levels through 2020. 
While not directly relevant to our pay range analysis, we also surveyed public employers in the
Puget Sound area to determine what they are projecting for their range adjustments. The pay
programs at most local public employers are based on changes to the Consumer Price Index and
include cost-of-living increases for employees equal to their range adjustments.  The cost-ofliving
adjustments are in addition to possible step and/or merit increases.  At the time of our
survey this year only four of the 14 employers we surveyed were able to provide a projected
range adjustment amount. The available projected 2020 range adjustments from the available
four employers range from 1.7% to 3.0% and average at 2.3%. 
While other local public employers provide cost of living increases to their employees, at the Port,
pay increases  for non-represented employees are based on employee performance so
adjustments to the pay ranges do not result in automatic pay increases for Port employees. The
only automatic pay adjustments for non-represented employees are when an employee's pay is
less than the new pay range minimum, and the increase is only to the new minimum of the pay
range.  With the 2020 recommended pay range increase, we estimate that approximately 34
employees will have pay rates that are less than their 2020 range minimum and the estimated
annual cost of increasing these employees' pay to their new range minimum will be about
$46,000. 
As part of the analysis that leads to the pay range adjustment recommendation, we also consider
the City of Seattle minimum wage. In 2020, the City of Seattle minimum wage will be $16.39/hour
for large employers (501 or more employees) and the Port's high school intern rate will be
$17.56/hour.   With the recommended 3.5% salary range adjustment for 2020, all nonrepresented
pay ranges will have range minimums above the City of Seattle minimum wage. 

Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).

COMMISSION AGENDA  Action Item No. 8c                                Page 3 of 4 
Meeting Date: November 12, 2019 
Paid Leave Benefits 
Beginning in 2020, benefits will become available through the Washington Paid Family and
Medical Leave program. Last year the Port applied to opt out of this state administered plan and
offer our own version of this benefit, and our opt-out application was approved. The state
requires that opt-out plans provide benefits equal to, or better than the state plan. In response
to this state requirement, the Port's opt-out plan will add two new paid leave plans in 2020 to
our leave program for non-represented employees. 
Port Paid Medical Leave will be available to employees for their own, or a family member's
serious health condition and will be a partial income replacement plan with a weekly pay rate
equivalent to what the state plan would provide.  Employees will have the option to
supplement benefits through this plan with their available accrued leave. 
Port Paid Family Leave will be available to employees adding a new child to their family and
will be a partial income replacement plan with a weekly pay rate equivalent to what the state
plan would provide. Employees will have the option to use their available accrued leave to
supplement their pay in weeks when they receive partial pay under this new paid leave
program. 
In addition, the Port will adjust the current Port Paid Parental Leave program to supplement
the partial pay of the Port Paid Family Leave to provide full pay for a portion of the Port Paid
Family Leave. Effective January 1, 2020 the Port will increase the number of weeks of fully
paid Parental Leave from the current four weeks to six weeks and the six weeks will run
concurrent with benefits payable through Port Paid Family Leave. This notification is
consistent with the notification to the Commission required in the Salary and Benefits Policy
Directive, Section 5.5. 
As required by the State's opt-outplan requirements, the Port will offer these new paid leave
benefits to represented employees as well as non-represented employees.  The Port is also
required to apply each year for our opt-out plan to be approved by the state and we will be
submitting our 2020 application shortly. We expect our application will be approved again for
benefits effective January 1, 2020. 
Other Adjustments 
We are recommending updates to the Definitions section of the Policy Directive. These updates
include adding a definition of Seasonal Employee to facilitate consistent use of the term and
treatment of employees who work in seasonal jobs at the Port, adding a definition of Employment
Date/Date of Hire so that we have a common definition, deleting the definition of the Guided
Rating Distribution, and updating the definition of For cause. 
To streamline the policy directive, we are recommending removing some secondary references
and tightening up language in places. 


Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).

COMMISSION AGENDA  Action Item No. 8c                                Page 4 of 4 
Meeting Date: November 12, 2019 
To further clarify the Port's rights and the Executive Director's responsibilities related to changes
to the salary and benefits program, we are recommending combining two related references in
different sections of the Salary and Benefits Policy Directive into one section. 
ALTERNATIVES AND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERED 
There are no alternatives recommended. 
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 
There is minimal cost associated with recommended 2020 changes to the Salary and Benefits
Resolution. Based on current data and the recommended 3.5% range adjustment, the cost of
adjusting the non-represented pay ranges will be approximately $46,000. Other recommended
changes to the Salary and Benefits Program will have no budget impact. 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REQUEST 
(1)   Resolution No. 3765 
(2)   Presentation slides 
(3)   Exhibit A 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
None 









Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).