Salary adjustments not associated with community program funding cuts

Due to receiving several requests from the media and public, we are issuing the following statement as a matter of public record.

Oklahoma Department of Human Services pay has historically been lower than the state government average for the same job class. Following the agency’s five year strategic plan, OKDHS Human Resources Management Division continues to systematically review the pay in various job classifications in order to meet the state government median for the same job classification as the budget allows. Because OKDHS’ pay was so far behind other agencies, it could not be adjusted at once. During four of the last six fiscal years, the Oklahoma Commission for Human Services authorized OKDHS administration to set aside state dollars totaling $450,000 in fiscal year 2005, $2.1 million in fiscal year 2006, $500,000 in fiscal year 2008 and $2.4 million in fiscal year 2009 for OKDHS to partially address the market rate salary adjustments needed within the department.  Funding from community programs was not used to fund any salary adjustments.

Although adjustments have been made throughout the agency during this period, in the last 18 months, from July 2007 to Dec. 2008, salary adjustments were made to 423 positions that included mostly front-line workers. This was prior to the state’s budget crisis. Many of the job classifications included in the most recent market adjustments were food handlers, direct care specialists, child welfare specialists, computer programmers, housekeeping staff at the state facilities, equipment operators and also included market rate adjustments for 29 of 39 members of the agency’s executive team. 

In order to show neutrality and transparency, OKDHS contracted with the Hay Group of Kansas City, Mo., to do a comprehensive study of jobs held by the agency’s leadership, comparing them to similar state government jobs and to make a recommendation for the pay for each executive position. The report recommended pay ranges for each position and found most were being paid below the recommended ranges. Agency leaders being paid at or above the mid-point received no increase. Executives being paid below the mid-point received the market rate adjustments to the recommended mid-point or to 95 percent of the recommended market rate.

Because of the state’s current budget shortfalls, the remainder of the recommended adjustments was put on hold as of Jan. 1, 2009. When the budget has stabilized, it is the intent of the agency to complete the market rate adjustment process to remain competitive in retaining highly qualified working professionals.

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