FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 11, 2021

MEDIA CONTACTS

Tanisha Jumper, Media and Communications,tjumper@cityoftacoma.org, (253) 591-5152
Maria Lee, Media and Communications, maria.lee@cityoftacoma.org, (253) 591-2054

City Council and Public Utility Board Presented With Workforce Equity Study Results

TACOMA, Wash. -- In ongoing efforts to ensure equity and fairness in its personnel policies and practices, the City of Tacoma engaged a consultant in 2019 to conduct an organizational Workforce Equity Study. Today, during a joint Study Session, the City Council and Public Utility Board were presented with a final report that provides a detailed look at the organization's employment data, including the geographic area from which it hires, its outreach and hiring practices, and employee advancement, retention and inclusion. The report also offers insights gleaned from interviews and focus groups with City employees.

"Diversity continues to be one of our greatest assets," said City Manager Elizabeth Pauli. "While we have been successful in some respects in diversifying our workforce, we want to clearly acknowledge that we have more work to do to achieve an inclusive environment for a diverse workforce. Our next steps will be to thoroughly review the findings and recommendations in this report, analyze how these findings relate to the City's overarching long-term transformational goals and objectives, and establish a plan for implementation."

“We are committed to achieving diversity, equity and inclusion in our workforce. We look forward to working with our human resources partners at the City to implement the recommendations from the Workforce Equity Study into our hiring and workplace practices,” said Tacoma Public Utilities Director Jackie Flowers. “Implementing the findings of the study will help us continue to strengthen Tacoma Public Utilities’ culture where richness of ideas, backgrounds and perspectives are harnessed to aid us in our mission of providing services that are vital to quality of life.”

The final report is available here. A recording of today’s presentation to the City Council and Public Utility Board will be made available soon on the City’s Legistar page.

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