PORT OF SEATTLE 
MEMORANDUM 
COMMISSION AGENDA               Item No.  6c 
ACTION ITEM 
Date of Meeting  November 24, 2015 
DATE:    November 12, 2015 
TO:      Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
FROM:   Tammy Woodard, Assistant Human Resources Director  Total Rewards 
Paula Edelstein, Senior Director Human Resources 
SUBJECT:  Resolution No. 3712, Second Reading and Final Passage, 2016 Salary and Benefits
Resolution 
ACTION REQUESTED 
Request second reading and final passage of Resolution No. 3712: A resolution of the Port
Commission of the Port of Seattle establishing jobs, pay grades, pay ranges, and pay practices for
Port employees not represented by a labor union; authorizing legally required benefits, other 
benefits for Port employees not represented by a labor union including retirement, paid leave,
healthcare, life insurance and disability benefits, benefits for Port of Seattle retirees, and benefits
for Port of Seattle Commissioners; and authorizing this resolution to be effective on January 1,
2016, and repealing all prior resolutions dealing with the same subject, including Resolution No.
3699. 
SYNOPSIS 
The Port Commission is authorized by RCW 53.08.170 to create and fill positions, establish
wages and salaries and establish benefits for Port of Seattle employees by resolution. The Salary
and Benefits Resolution is where the Commission authorizes these aspects of the Total Rewards
package offered to non-represented employees. The Resolution also delegates authority from the
Commission to the Chief Executive Officer to oversee administration of the pay and benefits
programs authorized by the resolution. 
Over the years the Salary and Benefits Resolution has become very detailed with descriptions of
small administrative details of the authorized programs as well as details on how these program
work and are administered. The organization of the Resolution has become somewhat random as
sections have been added, deleted, changed and rearranged over the years. The result is a very
long, complex, difficult to use document. For 2016 we are proposing a streamlined and
simplified Salary and Benefits Resolution that focuses on the primary function of the Resolution;
to authorize pay and benefits programs and create and fill positions. The program and
administrative details will be moved from the resolution to appropriate Port policy or program
guideline documents. 
The 2016 Salary and Benefits Resolution will also include recommended updates to some
existing Total Rewards programs as well as some recommended new programs. Recommended

Template revised May 30, 2013.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
November 12, 2015 
Page 2 of 4 
updates include a 2% increase to salary ranges for non-represented jobs and updating the Port's
standard workweek to 40 hours per week for all full-time employees. 
The 2016 Resolution also includes two new recommended programs, a Paid Parental Leave
program and a lump sum performance pay program. These recommended new programs are in
addition to existing leave and pay programs for non-represented employees. In addition, the
2015 Resolution contains a provision allowing Commissioners who receive medical and dental
coverage from a source other than the Port to request reimbursement from the Port for premiums
they pay. This option may not comply with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and may also result
in unfavorable tax treatment. As a result, we are recommending that this option be deleted from
the 2016 Salary and Benefits Resolution. 
The 2016 Resolution also includes updated definitions and an updated Exhibit A that shows
which pay grade and range each of the Port's non-represented jobs are assigned to. 
The 2016 Salary and Benefits Resolution submitted for second reading and final passage reflects
the Commission direction provided at the November 10, 2015, Commission meeting. 
BACKGROUND 
The Salary and Benefits Resolution is where the Port Commission fulfils its responsibility, per
RCW 53.08.170, to authorize pay and benefit programs for the Port's 940 non-represented
employees. These programs are major components of the Total Rewards package offered to
non-represented employees; a vital tool for retaining, engaging and attracting skilled employees
committed to helping the Port achieve its mission, business goals and objectives. The resolution
covers approximately 940 employees, or 53% of the Port's workforce. 
The Resolution contains the pay structure, grades and ranges, for non-represented jobs and
authorizes benefits offered to Port retirees and to Port Commissioners. To make the Resolution
easier to use definitions related to pay and benefits as well as creating and filling positions are
included in the Resolution. 
Over the years the Salary and Benefits resolution has grown into a long, complex and highly
detailed document that specifies what the Commission authorizes as well as considerable detail
related to administering some of the authorized programs. In addition, as programs have been
added, or deleted, and content changed to clarify content of the resolution it has lost its flow and
sense of continuity. 
Consistent with a focus on ensuring that the resolution is aligned with the Commission's role
specified in RCW 53.08.170 and the Port goal of becoming less rules-based by communicating
clear guidelines within which Port staff can exercise some flexibility in fulfilling their work
responsibilities, the 2016 Salary and Benefits Resolution is streamlined and simplified compared
to prior years. The resolution clearly states what pay, benefits and related programs the
Commission authorizes while details of these programs will be included in Port policy or
program guideline documents. This will continue to provide the structure to pay and benefits

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
November 12, 2015 
Page 3 of 4 
programs necessary for ensuring consistent and fair application of the programs and policies, and
also enable flexibility to make changes to administrative details when required for the benefit of
the Port operations. 
RECOMMENDED CHANGES 
The changes from the 2015 Salary and Benefits Resolution focus on streamlining and
simplifying the Resolution by moving many details to policy and program guideline documents
and reorganizing the document to group related programs authorized by the Resolution into
related categories. The Resolution will also contain some program changes. These changes
include: 
Section I  Consistent with streamlining and simplification changes throughout the 2016 Salary
and Benefits Resolution the definitions have been edited to contain definition language only. In
some cases policy language was included in definitions; this language is being moved to Port
policies. 
Section II  This section has been reorganized, related portions of the 2015 Resolution have
been combined into this one section and administrative details of the programs have been moved
to Port policy documents. This section also includes the Port's standard workweek which will
change to 40 hours per week, 80 hours per pay period, for all non-represented Port employees.
Additionally, the 2016 pay ranges reflect a 2% recommended increase.
HR staff analyzes market data for non-represented jobs each Fall to assess how well the current
ranges compare to market and how pay in the local market is expected to change over the
coming year. Data from published salary surveys indicate that the Port's pay ranges are
currently at market and that actual pay is expected to increase approximately 3.2% in 2016. The
recommended 2% increase to the pay ranges is a conservative increase that will help maintain a
market competitive pay range structure to support attraction and retention of employees with the
skills and ability necessary to fulfill the Port's mission. This adjustment will not result in 2%
pay increases for all non-represented employees. Only employees whose pay is below the
minimum of the new range will receive an automatic increase and these increases will be only
enough to bring pay for these employees to the minimum of the new range. The estimated 2016
cost of the range increase is no more than $3,000 to adjust up to two employees' pay to the new
range minimum. 
Section III  This section authorizes benefits plans for non-represented employees. Details on
how the plan is administered (e.g. what date the Port observes the Thanksgiving holiday) are
moved to policy or guideline documents. 
The Paid Parental Leave plan is added to this section. This new benefit will provide four weeks
of paid leave for mothers and fathers following the birth, adoption or placement for foster care of
a new child. This additional paid time off must be taken consecutively during the 12 months
immediately following the arrival of a new child.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
November 12, 2015 
Page 4 of 4 
Section IV  This section authorizes benefits offered to Port of Seattle retirees and is
reorganized with the 2016 Resolution. In addition, the Retiree Parking benefit which has been
available to Port Retirees for quite a while is now included in this section of the Salary and
Benefits Resolution. 
Section V  This section authorizes benefits offered to Port of Seattle Commissioners. The
option for Commissioners who pay medical and dental premiums to another entity and seek
reimbursement from the Port has been removed. HR staff consulted with our benefits consultant
and the Port Legal department and the legal opinion is that this option may not comply with the
Affordable Care Act and may also result in unfavorable tax implications. 
Section VI  This section includes information about notification to the Commission of certain
actions. A new notification reference has been added specifying the Commission will be notified
before any changes are made to the administrative details of plans or programs authorized by the
Resolution when the changes are considered material. 

CONCLUSION 
The 2016 Salary and Benefits Resolution is streamlined, simplified and focuses on clearly stating
the pay, benefits, and related plans that the Port of Seattle Commission authorize. Moving
administrative details of the plans authorized in the Resolution to Port policies and reorganizing
the Resolution have contributed to the simplification. In addition to two new programs that are
added to the Port's Total Rewards package a few other changes have been made to the
Resolution for 2016. 

ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REQUEST 
2015  2016 Salary and Benefits Resolution Comparison Document 
Resolution No. 3712  2016 Salary and Benefits Resolution 
Exhibit A, Schedule of Authorized Non-Represented Jobs and Salary Ranges effective
January 1, 2016 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
October 27, 2015 2016 Salary and Benefits Resolution Briefing 
November 10, 2015  First Reading, Resolution 3712, the 2016 Salary and Benefits
Resolution