Special Emphasis Project

Designed to ensure a working environment in which employees are treated in a fair and equitable manner. The ultimate goal of the SEP is to develop new, and/or enhance existing programs to address employment trends and to improve the functioning of the human resources system for all employees.

Special Emphasis Project's Background

The North Carolina Office of State Personnel (OSP) annually provides the State Personnel Commission and the North Carolina General Assembly with several reports detailing workforce representation, promotions, disciplinary actions, and performance management ratings. These reports relate to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and diversity within state government. Over the years, the analysis of these reports revealed several unfavorable trends related to various demographic groups. Each demographic group possessed its own unique set of concerns, which our current HR system did not adequately address. To address these trends and respond to concerns that are unique to specific demographic groups, in 1999, OSP embarked upon a Special Emphasis Project (SEP).

Implementation

Under the guidance of a 23-person SEP Advisory Committee, a decision was made to conduct further research. Analysis of findings revealed that African-American male employees experienced the greatest disparities. Therefore, the Special Emphasis Project would initially focus on African-American male employees. A template for developing future Special Emphasis Project initiatives was derived from this initial focus.

African-American Males Background

Throughout the late 1990s, several unfavorable employee trends were identified by OSP in relation to African-American male employees. No conclusions have been drawn as to the cause of these trends. Some of these trends included:

African-American males had the lowest percentage of workforce representation of the four major demographic groups (white males, white females, African-American males, and African-American females), representing 12.2% of the entire state government workforce as of December 31, 1999. In addition, African-American males represented only 6.1% of the Management Related and 6.7% of the Professional occupational categories.
African-American males had the highest percentage of representation in the lowest salary grades (50-54). Approximately one quarter of all African-American male employees were represented in the lowest salary grades.
African-American males had the highest percentage of disciplinary actions of the four major demographic groups. African-American males accounted for 31% of all disciplinary actions in calendar year 1999. Of these disciplinary actions, 14.5% resulted in dismissals. This is the highest percentage of dismissal of the four major demographic groups.
A review of performance management (PM) data for Cycles 3-11 (1991-99) revealed that African-American males were the only race-gender group to have a disparity from the highest PM rating group in every Cycle since 1992. African-American males, as a race-gender group, have consistently received the lowest PM ratings between 1991 through 1999. .

African-American Male Report

Progress Report

Females: Employment in North Carolina State Government

In April 2004, the Office of State Personnel established the Women's Advocacy Partnership that identified, developed, implemented, monitored, and evaluated initiatives in order to address the findings of the study that addressed employment trends for females. As shown in the December 2004 report, data reports, PMIS, and perceptions shared by focus group participants, trends were identified:

Findings

African-American females hold the majority of the low wage occupations.
There is limited representation of females in occupations that have decision-making responsibilities.
Higher education levels do not always correspond with representation.
Promotional opportunities for females are at a lower rate than those of white males.
Promotional opportunities within the university system are better for white females.
Female dominated jobs are often paid less than male dominated jobs even if they require the same or a greater amount of education, experience, and responsibilities.

Recommendations

Study the impact of raising the wages of the lowest paid employees.
Develop a Women Leadership Development Program, which should include a Career Advancement component.
Develop Mentoring Program for female employees.
Develop a Support Network for female employees .
Design Work Life Programs to address issues that impact employment for female employees and study the emotional/psychological challenges for females within State Government.
Design training programs for supervisors and managers to include information on cultural issues, sensitivity, and communication.
Review Career Banding implementation process to determine its impact on compensation for female employees and other demographic groups.
Review the human resources practices within the university system to examine any disparities between EPA and SPA female employees.

Review in range adjustments increases to determine the impact on females and other demographic groups.

Female: Employment in NC State Government Report

Pilot Initiatives

White Males: Diversity Partners

SEP is incorporating white males as diversity partners in state government. OSP recognized the importance of all employees in order to continue to make North Carolina state government a fair and equitable place to be employed. Therefore, the component is aimed at the inclusion of all state employees in initiatives to address our changing workforce

Objectives

To develop effective diversity programs that are inclusive of all state employees.
To explore with white male employees their perceptions and experiences with diversity initiatives in order to provide information for continuous process improvement.
To explore effective communication and interaction processes to facilitate a productive, competitive, and diverse work environment.
To emphasize to diversity stakeholders that white male employees are an integral partner in developing and implementing effective diversity initiatives.
To respond to the needs of a changing workforce to ensure that the State of North Carolina continues to attract and retain a diverse and competitive workforce.

White Males as Diversity Partners Report

Special Emphasis Project: Young Employees Project Report

The Office of State Personnel has commenced another component of the Special Emphasis Project. After completing studies on the status of African American male employees, female employees, employees with disabilities, and white male employees, the next step in the research was to look at young employees. In determining how the Special Emphasis Project could impact young employees, the decision was made to examine how to recruit, engage, and retain young employees in state government.

To address these issues, the Office of State Personnel organized a committee who represents the interest of young employees to identify, develop, implement, monitor and evaluate initiatives that will enhance agencies/universities efforts to recruit, engage and retain the younger generation of employees. The goal of this report is to present:

Initiatives that will increase and retain the number of younger employees in NC state government.
Ideas to improve the work environment that respects and values young employees.

Based on research and comments from the focus groups, recommendations were made as to how state government can address the issues. Below are recommendations made by the committee:

Improve employee orientation

Provide information on tuition reimbursement
Discuss mentorship opportunities
In addition to discussing benefits, explain how employees can maximize benefits to their advantage

Policy recommendations for
- Benefits
- Business operations
- Professional development
Enhance recruitment strategies for young employees
Develop retention strategies for young employees
Market state government to prospective employees

Young Employees Project Report

Special Emphasis Project: People of Color
(Hispanic/Latinos, Asian, American Indian)

With the level of minority representation increasing throughout this nation, the workforce should reflect these changes. Likewise, North Carolina is growing due to the American Indians, Asians, and Hispanic/Latinos becoming 12% of the national working population (16-64) and 14% of North Carolina’s working population (16-64) according to the 2000 Census Bureau. Therefore, NC State Government will become more reflective in future years of the growing population. Diversifying the working population enables creativity, fresh thinking and multiple perspectives to respond fast and effectively to organization needs and objectives. The idea is that all employees should feel valued and respected for their culture, skills and traits, and to know they can fulfill their ambitions.

The focus of this Special Emphasis Project is on People of Color employees in NC State Government; Hispanic/Latinos, Asian, and American Indian ethnic groups. The quantitative analysis in this report represents data for permanent full-time employees under the State Personnel Act taken from the State’s Personnel Management Information System (PMIS) as of April 30, 2007, unless otherwise indicated. The findings of this report will attempt to provide some insight on the importance of the increasing of minority representation within NC State Government, as it pertains to Asians, American Indians, and Hispanic/Latinos.

Focus groups were held to gather information directly from Hispanic/Latinos, Asian, and American Indian employees regarding ways that NC State Government can develop a more diverse and inclusive work environment.

Based on the People of Color focus group findings, the following recommendations have been established for initiatives that NC State Government can implement to accomplish proposed goals:

Special Emphasis Project's Available Programs

For further information about the programs available under the Special Emphasis Projects, please contact Charlene Shabazz at 919-807-4874.