SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 5514

As Reported By Senate Committee On:

Government Operations & Elections, March 4, 2003

Title: An act relating to the definition of manager in state civil service law.

Brief Description: Revising the definition of manager in state civil service law.

Sponsors: Senators Roach, Kastama, Reardon, Sheahan and West.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Government Operations & Elections: 2/12/03, 3/4/03 [DP-WM].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS & ELECTIONS

Majority Report: Do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

      Signed by Senators Roach, Chair; Stevens, Vice Chair; Fairley, Kastama, McCaslin and Reardon.

Staff: Ronda Larson (786-7429)

Background: To allow state government to compete with private employers for the best managerial-level employees, civil service law treats managers differently than other employees. Statute requires personnel rules for managers to adhere to several statutory goals, including a simpler job classification system that allows movement between agencies and promotes upward mobility, and performance reviews that focus on individual accountability for program results.

For an employee to take advantage of these alternative personnel rules, he or she must qualify as a manager under at least one of five categories in the statutory definition of manager. He or she must be an employee who (1) formulates statewide policy; (2) administers statewide policy; (3) manages an agency's local branch; (4) is functionally above the first-level of supervision; or (5) has substantial responsibility in one of a list of things such as legislative relations or the administration of budgets or personnel.

Summary of Bill: The definition of manager under the civil service law is streamlined and consolidated into two categories. The category on managing an agency's local branch is eliminated. Three categories are consolidated into one.

Therefore, to take advantage of the manager personnel rules, the employee must be one who: (1) formulates statewide policy, administers statewide policy, and is functionally above the first level of supervision; or (2) has substantial responsibility in one of a list of things such as legislative relations or the administration of budgets or personnel.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on February 13, 2003.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: There are too many managers and not enough nonmanagers. As a result, the employees in the trenches are overworked. State agencies are becoming top heavy. The service delivery level is not able to keep up with demand. Service employees' biggest complaint is workload, not pay. We need to drive the resources down to the service delivery level of employees.

Testimony Against: This bill would reclassify nonmanagers as 75 percent of people who presently qualify as managers under the civil service laws. The growth in the management level of employees in the last few years is due to the fact that the state is contracting more work out and needs managers to oversee those projects. The bill arbitrarily winnows-out people in the management level. We need the flexibility of the manager personnel rules to recruit and retain leaders in state government.

Testified: CON: Gene Matt, Director of Department of Personnel; Liz Dunbar, Department of Social and Health Services; Will Rice, Director of Department of Revenue. PRO: Dennis Eagle, Washington Federation of State Employees; Lynn Maier, Washington Public Employees Association.