ACTION REQUESTED:
Title
Communication from the City Manager, Corporation Counsel and Human Resources Director with Request to APPROVE the 2020 AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLAN.
Body
BACKGROUND: The City of Peoria is fully committed to the concept and practice of equal opportunity and affirmative action. The Affirmative Action Plan (AAP) is a detailed, results-oriented, set of procedures arising from an in-depth review of all aspects of the City’s employment process, which may impact upon the full utilization of equal employment opportunities for minorities, women and people with disabilities.
The AAP is a tool designed to assist the City in detecting, diagnosing, and correcting any barriers to equal opportunity that may exist in its hiring practices. An AAP is designed to ensure equal opportunity and prevent discrimination and is more than mere passive nondiscrimination. Such a program requires the City to take affirmative steps to encourage and promote equal opportunity, to create an environment free from discrimination, and to address any barriers to equal opportunity. An AAP helps the City identify and correct underutilization and helps the sponsor establish procedures to monitor and examine its employment practices and decisions. The City must create and maintain a written document memorializing and discussing the contents of the program. The City used the services of Berkshire and Associates, the same firm that has prepared AAPs for Illinois Central College.
The written AAP must include the following components:
• A statement of applicable policies;
• A profile of the organization;
• An analysis of the job groups within the City;
• An analysis of the availability of minorities and women within the applicable region;
• Comparison of the existing workforce and estimated availability;
• Placement goals as defined by the City;
• Identification of problem areas by organizational unit and job group; and
• Development of action-oriented programs.
Of the 666 employees covered by this AAP, 158 (23.72%) are minorities and 137 (20.57%) are women. The following table reflects the Job Group analysis:
|
|
Total |
Minority |
Female |
% Min |
% Fem |
|
Officials and Administrators |
31 |
5 |
7 |
16.1% |
22.6% |
|
Officials and Administrators - OT |
7 |
0 |
4 |
0.0% |
57.1% |
|
Professionals |
35 |
11 |
19 |
31.4% |
54.3% |
|
Professionals - Union |
16 |
3 |
8 |
18.8% |
50.0% |
|
Technicians |
7 |
3 |
5 |
42.9% |
71.4% |
|
Technicians - Union |
30 |
9 |
17 |
30.0% |
56.7% |
|
Protective Service - Fire - Union |
177 |
27 |
3 |
15.3% |
1.7% |
|
Protective Service - Police - Union |
198 |
38 |
21 |
19.2% |
10.6% |
|
Paraprofessionals |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0.0% |
100.0% |
|
Paraprofessionals - Union |
34 |
10 |
20 |
29.4% |
58.8% |
|
Administrative Support |
9 |
5 |
5 |
55.6% |
55.6% |
|
PeoriaCorps Member |
9 |
8 |
2 |
88.9% |
22.2% |
|
Administrative Support - Union |
26 |
10 |
24 |
38.5% |
92.3% |
|
Skilled Craft Workers - Union |
82 |
26 |
1 |
31.7% |
1.2% |
|
Service - Maintenance |
1 |
1 |
0 |
100.0% |
0.0% |
|
Service - Maintenance - Union |
2 |
1 |
0 |
50.0% |
0.0% |
|
Administrative - Students |
1 |
1 |
0 |
100.0% |
0.0% |
|
Grand Total |
666 |
158 |
137 |
23.7% |
20.6% |
The workforce availability analysis looks at where the workers could be hired, both externally and internally. Officials and Administrators are identified as available nationwide, while the rest of the workforce is identified as the Peoria IL Metropolitan Statistical Area (Peoria MSA).
The analysis by organizational unit reveals that minorities and women are not significantly underrepresented or concentrated in any particular organizational unit. This analysis suggests that there is no policy or practice excluding minorities or women from any departments, nor is there any racial or sexual discrimination in the selection process.
The analysis of incumbency vs. estimated availability indicates that in some cases, incumbency is less than estimated availability, however, a more detailed analysis concludes that there is no significant problem concerning minority utilization. In comparing the representation of minorities and women within each job group with their geographic availability, the area that was identified has needing placement goals and more focus was hiring females into the skilled trades.
During 2019, 152 new employees were hired, including 76 minorities (50.00%) and 44 women (28.95%). During 2019, 18 employees were promoted, including 4 minorities (22.22%) and 3 women (16.67%). During 2019, 124 employees were left the employment of the City, including 55 minorities (44.35%) and 36 women (29.03%).
The City has established affirmative action placement goals and programs to address any areas of underutilization and will continue to make a good faith effort to reach the placement goals established by implementing action-oriented programs.
The City has carefully evaluated the total selection process and found it to be free from discrimination.
• We have instructed all supervisory personnel to ensure elimination of discrimination in all personnel actions in which they are involved.
• Any tests administered by the City are job related and given to all applicants for applicable positions.
• Application forms do not contain questions with potential discriminatory effects.
• The City does not and will not use any selection techniques that can be improperly used to discriminate against minority groups or women.
The City has evaluated its techniques for improving recruitment and increasing the flow of qualified minority or female applicants through the following:
• Minority and women, as well as non-minority and male, employees are actively encouraged to refer applicants to our organization.
• The City provides an orientation program to inform new employees of their equal employment responsibilities, promotional opportunities, City rules, ways to alleviate any problems that might arise, and any other issues related to affirmative action compliance.
• Local organizations will be contacted for referrals of potential minority and female employees.
• The City utilizes the Internet to identify targeted recruitment sites for qualified minority and female applicants.
Furthermore, we plan to take the following additional steps to ensure adequate representation of all minorities and women:
• Where placement goals exist as defined by the OFCCP, we will continue to contact universities and two- and four-year local colleges, vocational technical schools, high schools, local business schools, and state and community organizations which attract qualified minority and female students. We will advise these institutions of our desire to fill job openings in these classifications with minority and female employees. When possible, we will continue to
• participate in job fair and career day activities and we will consider relevant work experience programs.
• During the period from January 01, 2019 to December 31, 2019, special recruitment activities were conducted at the following schools and universities: Historically Black Colleges & Universities, Community Colleges, Private Universities, and Trade Programs.
• During the period from January 01, 2019 to December 31, 2019, targeted recruitment activities were conducted at the following sources: NAACP, Local Business, Local Recreation/ Community Centers
The City has implemented the following programs and procedures to guarantee minority and female employees are given equal opportunities for promotion:
• On-the-job training is provided to all qualified employees to assist them in developing the necessary knowledge and skills for promotion to higher level jobs.
• Neither minority nor female employees are required to possess higher qualifications than those of the lowest qualified incumbent in the job for which they apply.
• We will continue to make opportunities for advancement into more stimulating positions widely known through our career development process and by encouraging minorities and women to take advantage of these opportunities.
• Special internal training programs are provided as necessary to ensure the achievement of our placement goals. The following programs are offered to eligible employees without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law: Diversity & Inclusion Training/ Affirmative Action, Hiring and Human Resources related training, Leadership training.
The City will continue to communicate its policies, both within the organization and to the community in which it works. Since 2020 has been such a tumultuous year, and early retirement incentives have been offered through July 31, 2021, the City will plan on revising this plan again in 2022 after the conclusion of the workforce restructuring.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Recruitment and retention has a nominal cost to the City.
NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS: A workforce reflective of the community is the stated goal of the administration.
IMPACT IF APPROVED: The Affirmative Action Plan will be maintained on file as a reference tool and to inform management of the stated goals.
IMPACT IF DENIED: The City will not have an Affirmative Action Plan adopted.
ALTERNATIVES: The Council could direct the City to redo the Affirmative Action Plan recommendations or modify the action-oriented programs.
EEO CERTIFICATION NUMBER: N/A
WHICH OF THE GOALS IDENTIFIED IN THE COUNCIL’S 2017 - 2032 STRATEGIC PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION ADVANCE?
1. Financially Sound City
2. Grow Peoria
WHICH CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR(S) FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOES THIS RECOMMENDATION IMPLEMENT?
1. Have an efficient government.
2. Grow employers and jobs.
DEPARTMENT: City Manager's Office