News and Events 

4/17/12 Whooping cough has reached epidemic levels
The number of whooping cough cases continues to rise, putting kids and especially babies at risk for this serious illness. Kids usually catch this illness from adults, so all adults and teens can make a real difference by getting vaccinated. Read a message from Department of Health Secretary Mary Selecky on how you can help protect children.

4/12/12 Workforce data receives national mention
A recent article from Governing magazine highlighted our enhanced Workforce Data and Trends pages with this statement in the opening paragraph: "...we were very impressed by Washington state's online data about its workforce. If you can think of a question you'd want to know about a state workforce, we bet you can find the answer there."

The data pages were updated on April 10 with the latest quarterly figures.

2/2/12 Leadership Award Nominations Due March 7
Agency nominations for the 2012 Governor's Awards for Leadership in Management are due to the Office of the State HR Director by March 7. A call for nominations went out from the Governor to agency directors, statewide elected officials, and small agency cabinet members in early January. View more information or access the nomination form.  

12/19/11 Enhanced workforce data available
In an ongoing effort to provide accurate and timely workforce data, the Office of the State Human Resources Director has completed a major enhancement to the Workforce Data and Trends pages.  The enhanced pages are a combination of data previously provided on the state employee data web pages and the core workforce data published in the annual State Workforce Report.

The look of the pages in this section has been completely revised with new charts and a new navigation menu that is found on the right of each page. The new structure provides context for the displayed data and ease of navigation. Data updates will occur on a quarterly and fiscal year schedule with the first quarterly update occurring in January 2012.

If you use direct links to any of the workforce data pages, please update your personal bookmarks and any links that you may have on your agency intranet or internet websites.
 
If you encounter any problems, please contact us at strategichr@ofm.wa.gov  or call 360-664-6271.

10/27/11 State employees give feedback to leaders
The 2011 State Employee Survey is currently open and collecting employee feedback. The cutoff date for most agencies is November 9. Some agencies are on a slightly different schedule, so check with your HR office if you need to know the date for our agency. 

The survey is administered every two years by the Office of the State HR Director (formerly DOP). This time, it includes a new question about general job satisfaction. 

Statewide results will be comunicated to the Governor and Executive and Small Agency Cabinets in January 2012. 

10/13/11 Website address will change on October 17
As part of the transition to the new Office of the State Human Resources Director and the Department of Enterprise Services (DES), this website will become the Washington State Human Resources website. The URL will change from www.dop.wa.gov to  www.hr.wa.gov. 

The migration to this new URL will take place after 5:00 p.m. on Monday, October 17. The website may be unavailable for up to four hours during this migration.

The appearance of the site will remain the same, and it will still contain all of the HR information, tools, and other resources that you’ve come to rely on. This site will be maintained as a joint effort between the Office of the State HR Director and DES so that state employees and the HR community will have one place to go for HR-related information.

If you use direct links to any pages within the site, please update these links by substituting hr for dop in the address. In order to make the transition as easy as possible for our customers, the old URLs will continue to work after the migration. However, we recommend that you update any bookmarks or links that you may have on your agency intranet or internet websites. We will also notify agency webmasters of this change.

If you encounter any problems, please contact the servicecenter@dop.wa.gov or call 360-664-1960.

10/10/11 Email addresses have changed as a result of the agency consolidation. All employees who were part of the Department of Personnel have new email addresses that reflect their new agency assignments.  

10/1/2011 Consolidation of central service agencies effective today. As part of government consolidation, the Department of Personnel has been abolished and HR functions have been divided between the Office of State Human Resources Director within the Office of Financial Management and the new Department of Enterprise Services.

9/28/2011 Last DOP GMAP report released. Online Leave, No Print, Small Agency HR, and Government Reform HR work are featured in DOP's September GMAP report.

7/25/20011 On July 25, 2011, The final group of Department of Personnel (DOP) staff moved to the 1500 Jefferson Building. Staff who relocate to this building will become part of the new Department of Enterprise Services when DOP expires on October 1, 2011. More information on this subject. 

7/25/2011 July 25 payroll was the first to reflect this year's 3 percent salary reduction for most state employees. The salary reduction started on July1 and will continue through June 2013.

7/1/2011 Beginning July 18, 2011, a large portion of the Department of Personnel (DOP) will relocate to new offices at 1500 Jefferson in Olympia. The move is in preparation for the consolidation of five agencies into the new Department of Enterprise Services (DES). With the exception of our main service numbers, phone numbers will change for all staff who are moving.

6/24/2011 The Department of Personnel's GMAP report now includes a new page about the agency's work to implement recent legislation that affects state employees. The report also features Small Agency HR Services, the Online Recruitment System, electronic earnings statements, WMS reform and more. The full Government Reform GMAP report includes projects from DIS, GA, OFM, and DOL.

6/20/2011  Three percent paycut Q&A, proposed salary schedules posted
The Department of Personnel has posted questions and answers on the Temporary Salary Reduction (TSR) and TSR leave, the emergency civil service rules for implementing the paycut, and the proposed reduced salary schedules.

6/16/2011 On June 15, 2011, the Governor signed ESSB 5931, a bill that will consolidate DOP with other central service agencies into a new Department of Enterprise Services. Learn more about new legislation that affects HR services in a message from DOP Director Eva Santos.

6/8/2011 The Department of Personnel’s Melia Olsen was one of 20 state managers honored at the 2011 Governor’s Leadership in Management Awards luncheon June 7. View photo of all award winners.

 

In her role as recruitment manager, Melia’s strong leadership led to the creation of a new, easy to use recruiting system for state government.

Last year’s launch of careers.wa.gov resulted in better access for job seekers, addressed accessibility issues, created efficiencies, and reduced operational costs. She collaborated with other agencies and the project was finished on time and under budget.

 

“Creating a new single point of entry for citizens to find state jobs involved many people from within DOP and countless stake holders from other agencies,” said DOP Deputy Director Mike Sellars, “One person stood above all others to guide the project and make sure it got done right: Melia Olsen.”

5/27/2011 The Washington State Legislature has passed ESSB 5931, a bill that consolidates the state's central service agencies as proposed by Governor Gregoire. The effective date is October 1, 2011. Learn more.

5/27/2011 Temporary salary reduction
SB 5860 was passed by the Legislature and is awaiting the Governor's signature. This bill reduces base salary by 3 percent for most state employees of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches whose full-time monthly salary is $2500 or greater. Read more.

5/25/2011 Employee Assistance Program launches new Resiliency Project web site.  The Resiliency Project uses the power of the Internet to provide information and resources that can facilitate positive outcomes in difficult times. 

The site is divided into four areas:

• Community Resources connects you to a variety of government and private sector programs that provide very useful services for those experiencing financial hard times.
• Lemonade is a collection of strategies for transforming your financial miscues into positives (lemons to lemonade).
• Sharing Success is a place where people can share their success stories and ideas.
• Adapting to a Changing World brings periodic articles from experts in a variety of areas.

The site is designed for EAP's primary clients, public employees and their families, but any Washington resident can benefit from the information found here.

5/18/2011  DOP updates website to reflect changing customer needs
You may notice some changes to this website, including a new tab for the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). We've also renamed the Strategic HR tab to Workforce Data & Planning. A wider format provides room to add Small Agency HR to the customer groups in the center of the home page.

These changes reflect feedback from a recent customer survey as well as increased demand for EAP and Small Agency services.  

5/18/2011  Central Services Consolidation Bill passes out of Senate
On May 17, the Senate passed ESSB 5931, which would consolidate a portion of the Department of Personnel and four other agencies into a new Department of Enterprise Services. The bill is now in the House Ways & Means Committee. Learn more about the proposed consolidation.

5/11/2011 Small Agency HR Services receive high marks in survey
Small Agency HR Services (SAS) recently sent out a survey to 34 small agencies that they currently serve. Both the service and expertise received high marks. 

28 of 34 Phase 1 agencies provided feedback in a March survey:

• 93% said SAS is professional and service oriented
• 89% said SAS has the expertise they can rely on
• 13 of 18 questions showed satisfaction from 75% or more of the agencies
• Agencies are most interested in improving Policy Review and Development services
• Individual low scores will be followed up to address any service issues

View survey results and next steps.

5/10/2011 HRMS conversion to centralized security is complete
On May 5, 2011, the Department of Social and Health Services successfully converted to centralized security for the Human Resource Management System (HRMS). This conversion marked the culmination of an all agency conversion process that started in September 2010. The conversion from a decentralized security model was made in response to security issues identified in an audit by the State Auditor’s Office.

Under centralized security, state employees no longer contact their agency security staff to get a password reset, or to report issues when using ESS. They contact the DOP Service Center. This means that state employees who once coordinated HRMS security for their agencies are able to focus on activities more closely aligned with their agency missions.

The conversion project was inclusive; many state agencies were involved in developing new business processes. A change management initiative was integrated within the project to ensure that all state agencies and employees were informed and understand the impact of this change.

HRMS originally came on line in 2006. It is an “enterprise system” and is used by all of Washington’s state government agencies to maintain HR data and produce payroll.

4/20/2011 DOP offers helpful employee resources in stressful times
Across the nation, states are shrinking their budgets and increasing workloads at public agencies and institutions. State employees are facing constant changes in the workplace which can increase stress. Washington is no exception.

The Washington State Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers free services on a voluntary and confidential basis to help employees with personal or work-related problems that may be affecting work performance. EAP is available to all state employees and their adult family members, including those at most state colleges, universities and other governmental programs.
Services EAP provides include:

• Assessment and short-term problem solving for employees and family members.
 
• Referral to appropriate resources for employees and their family members experiencing personal problems.

• Consultation with human resources, managers, supervisors, labor representatives and employees.

• Follow-up services.
 
• A variety of presentations on health and wellness topics designed to assist managers and employees.
 
• Critical incident management services.

Layoff information and resources

The Department of Personnel (DOP) recognizes that many state employees have very real concerns about layoffs. To address these concerns, DOP partners with experts from Health Care Authority, Department of Retirement Systems and the Employment Security Department to provide information about

• Registering on the statewide layoff list
 
• Registering for the General Government Transition Pool

• Where to look for a new job

• Unemployment insurance
 
• Health care benefits
 
• Deferred compensation
 
• Retirement benefits
 
Half-day workshops are held the third Thursday of each month at the Department of Personnel. More layoff information and resources. 
 
4/16/2011 Office of Insurance Commissioner joins ESS Leave Pilot
The Department of Personnel recently expanded the pilot of the Employee Self Service (ESS) Leave Application to include the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC). OIC has participated in the project since inception, with the intent of automating its leave process as soon as possible.

DOP piloted a successful release of the ESS leave application last November. The Project Team is currently working on Release 2, which will provide a standard configuration that will be offered to all state agencies. A number of agencies have expressed interest in using the application.
 
DOP expects to offer the application to additional state agencies in August 2011. Agencies that wish to use the leave application need to do some preparatory work, and request the application using an online process that will be made available at that time. The final implementation schedule will be determined by the scope of work coming out of the legislative session.

2/18/11 2011 New DRS transmittal tool is more accurate, efficient and green
The Department of Personnel Information Services Division has improved the Department of Retirement Systems’ transmittal interface, making it more accurate and efficient. The new interface will go into effect with the April 10 payroll.

 

DOP worked with representatives of state agencies to identify areas within the existing system that needed repair or improvement. This change drastically improved the process performed by the agencies to balance their retirement information. The result is a tool that provides more accurate employee and employer contribution information, reduces staff time, and eliminates hard-copy reporting, saving 2,100 sheets of paper each pay period.

2/18/11 2011 Governor's Leadership Award nominations due March 7

Agency nominations for the 2011 Governor’s Leadership in Management Awards are due Monday, March 7. 

Nominations are submitted by agency directors and encompass performance results accomplished in 2010. Process questions can be directed to Leslie McGuire, 664-6349, or LeslieM@dop.wa.gov

2/1/11 Dept of Revenue Has Unclaimed Checks from Shroll Lawsuit
Unclaimed checks from the Shroll Lawsuit Settlement have been transferred to the Dept. of Revenue and can be claimed through the unclaimed property site.

The Dept. of Revenue site lists individuals with unclaimed property of $25 or over. If you believe you may be entitled to a check from the Shroll Lawsuit Settlement that is under $25, that will not show on the Revenue unclaimed property website but you may still contact the unclaimed property division of the Department of Revenue to see if they are holding funds for you.
 
1/27/11 Consolidating Central Service Agencies
The Washington State Legislature is considering a proposal from the Governor to consolidate central service agencies.

If passed, SB 5503 would combine the Department of Personnel (DOP) with General Administration (GA), the Office of Financial Management (OFM), the Department of Printing, and parts of the Department of Information Services (DIS) into two agencies – a new Department of Enterprise Services (DES) and OFM.
 
While OFM would focus on policy, DES would consolidate back office functions and operations to support state agencies. An identical House bill is expected to be introduced soon. Read more.

1/07/11 2010 DOP Customer Feedback Survey
The results of the DOP 2010 Customer Feedback Survey are in.

Overall, respondents told us DOP is quick to respond, professional and service-oriented. Participants also identified areas where HR services can be improved. Read the report.

1/07/11 2010 State Workforce Report
The 2010 State Workforce Report contains data and trends related to the Washington state government workforce.

1/07/11 Performance-Based Incentives and Recognition Report is now available
The Performance-Based Incentives and Recognition Report provides information about the number of Executive Branch employees and the number of performance-based incentives awarded to state employees.

12/27/10 DOP Director Eva Santos receives Patriot Award
On December 5, before a standing room only crowd of Navy Reserve Sailors and their families, DOP Director Eva Santos was honored with the Department of Defense’s Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Patriot Award.

 

The ESGR Patriot Award recognizes employers who exhibit exceptional support for employees who are members of the National Guard or the Armed Forces Reserve. Navy Captain and DOP CIO Steve Young assisted in the presentation and shared how Director Santos has impacted his Navy career.

 

After receiving her award, Santos, an Army veteran herself, thanked the audience for “their service and sacrifices for the sake of our freedom.”

12/20/10 Eva Santos speaks at first SHRM Diversity and Inclusion Conference
DOP Director Eva Santos was a keynote speaker at the first Seattle Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) Annual Western Washington Diversity and Inclusion Conference and Awards celebration. More than 200 human resources professionals attended the event. Read more about it at www.diversity.wa.gov.

10/22/10 DOP Director Eva Santos presents to IPMA Conference
The October 5 presentation, titled Workforce Planning in Tough Times focused on retaining talent and maintaining employee engagement in tough times. View the presentation.

8/13/10 DOP Director Eva Santos begins one-year term as NASPE President
DOP director Eva Santos recently began a one-year term as president of the National Association of State Personnel Executives (NASPE). NASPE is the nation’s authority on state government human resource issues and is dedicated to enhancing the image of public service.

7/1/10 Washington State launches new online recruiting system
On July 1, the state launched a new single point of entry for citizens to find job opportunities with state government. NEOGOV Insight replaced the state’s existing E-Recruiting System. This change addresses usability concerns, creates efficiencies, and reduces centralized costs. At the same time, the entry point at www.careers.wa.gov has been redesigned to make it more appealing and easier to use for job seekers.

6/25/10 State prepares to implement ten temporary layoff days
ESSB 6503 was signed into law on April 27, 2010.  The new law provides that agencies must close on the ten (10) days specified in the bill, unless the agency has a compensation reduction plan that is approved by the Office of Financial Management (OFM).  The law also identifies certain activities that are exempt from the compensation cost reductions.

5/17/10: State receives national recognition for accomplishments in HR management
The National Association of State Personnel Executives (NASPE) recognized the Washington State Department of Personnel (DOP) and Department of Transportation (WSDOT) with two of five national awards for great accomplishments in state human resource management.

DOP was given the 2010 Communications Awards in the Print Category for its State Workforce Report. The publication turns state workforce data into useful information for law-makers, the media, and the public. The report highlights key workforce issues and trends that impact public policy.

WSDOT was named the 2010 Rooney Outstanding Program award winner for its Return to Work program, which creates a holistic approach to managing workplace injury claims.

NASPE is a national leadership forum representing directors and deputy directors of each state’s central human resource management agency. The organization was established in 1976 to exchange best practices, strategies, and solutions among state government HR professionals and is the recognized authority on state government human resource management issues.

2/23/10: DOP hosts Classification and Compensation Roundtable
Since February 2008, DOP has been host to classification and compensation roundtable sessions. Our next session, "Overtime: Managing Risk" is scheduled from 9:00 a.m. - noon, March 25, 2010 at the State Board for Community and Technical colleges (SBCTC) in Olympia at 1300 Quince Street SE, Cascade Rooms A and B. Get more information... 

2/23/10: HRMS monthly release moved to production February 23
DOP launched a Human Resource Management System (HRMS) Release Management process in 2009 to minimize business interruptions and improve efficiencies for IS technicians throughout state government. The Release Management process combines system updates, patches, and improvements into regularly scheduled updates, or “releases” to HRMS Production environment. See the 2010 release schedule.

2/11/10: State contracts with NEOGOV to deliver online recruiting
The contract has been signed, and implementation is underway for a new online recruiting system that is expected to be in place by mid-summer. Learn more about this project...

2/2/10: DOP Director provides update on services and budget cuts
Like all of state government, the Department of Personnel (DOP) is experiencing severe budget cuts. At the same time, we are taking on new work to help streamline government operations through shared services. Read an update from DOP Director Eva Santos.

1/15/10: W-2s have been mailed to state employees. 
The 2009 W-2s for state employees have been printed and were mailed on January 13. They were mailed to the employee's address of record in HRMS (the state payroll system). Can’t recall the address you have on record? You can verify and update your mailing address by accessing Employee Self Service. If you have any questions about your W-2 form, please contact your agency payroll office.

1/15/10 Donations to Haiti earthquake relief can be made directly or through the Washington State Combined Fund Drive. Find links to charities on our Haiti Earthquake Relief page.

12/10/09: Referendum 71 (R-71) has been certified and effective December 3rd. This referendum expands rights and responsibilities for domestic partners.

 

E2SSB 5688 Effective December 3, 2009 - Provides that for all purposes under state law, state registered domestic partners shall be treated the same as married spouses and that provisions of the act shall be liberally construed to achieve equal treatment, to the extent not in conflict with federal law.

 

Title 357 WAC rules have been updated to reflect this bill effective December 3, 2009.

11/23/09: DOP Is Working to Trim Costs and Improve Service Delivery
The Department of Personnel is working with other state agencies to deliver HR Shared Services.  

 

We are finding innovative ways to trim costs, eliminate duplication of effort, leverage our economies of scale, and standardize administrative processes.

11/18/09: DOP Hosts Classification and Compensation Roundtable

 

Since February 2008, DOP has been host to the quarterly classification and compensation roundtable sessions that have included topics such as: preparing for class proposals; appeals; FLSA reviews; writing an effective position description; and the process for index/benchmarking. Our next session, “Allocations” is scheduled from 10:00 a.m. – noon, December 8, 2009 at the State Board for Community and Technical colleges (SBCTC) in Olympia at 1300 Quince Street SE, Cascade Rooms A and B. Get more information...

11/4/09: Agencies Have Option for Paperless Earnings Statements 
State agencies have the option of going paperless when it comes to employee earnings statements. 

 

More than 30 percent of all Washington State general government agencies have already made the shift to “no print” earnings statements representing almost 50 percent of the state employee population. 

10/29/09: DOP Partners with Higher Ed
The Department of Personnel often partners with state colleges and universities for our core leadership development programs. We have enjoyed partnerships with The Evergreen State College and the University of Washington Seattle for DOP leadership academies and programs.

DOP is now joining forces with the University of Washington Tacoma, our newest partner in leadership development. In February 2010 DOP will offer the LeaderPath for IT Managers program at the UW Tacoma campus.

In addition, DOP now offers a number of certificate programs or programs leading to professional certification through higher education partners. South Puget Sound Community College, Spokane Community College, UW Seattle, UW Tacoma and Chapman College are among the higher education partners offering certificate programs through DOP.

10/29/09: DOP Is Seeking More Training Contractors to Add to Pool
The Department of Personnel (DOP) has posted a Request for Qualifications and Quotations (RFQQ) for Training Services in the Washington Electronic Business Solution (WEBS) site. This RFQQ will enable DOP to renew its pool of training contractors for the next four years.

So far 229 contractors have downloaded the RFQQ, indicating an interest in participating. Responses to this RFQQ are due November 16, 2009. We expect to complete the selection and contracting process by mid-May of 2010.

10/15/09: State Workforce Reduction Data Reported
State Workforce Reduction data was reported to the Governor in the October 15 Government Efficiency HR GMAP report.

10/12/09: Small Agencies Collaborate
Under DOP's leadership small state agencies are coming together regularly to address Human Resource issues that affect them all. One current initiative is the development of a model Small Agency Continuation of Operations Plan (COOP). The group is working together on a COOP Plan that could be used by all small agencies with the ability to customize where needed for specific agency needs. The small agency group met in September to start working on the draft and is scheduled to complete the plan before the end of the year.

10/5/09: Recruitment Best Practices Report Available
DOP has completed a four month study of recruitment metrics and best practices among top employers nationwide. Read the full report.

9/29/09: State Employee Survey Underway
Employees in all state agencies are being asked to complete a brief State Employee Survey. Survey responses will be collected through October 15. 

Agencies use the survey results to:

• Improve their workforce management practices
• Improve workplace culture
• Help retain and engage a productive workforce

9/9/09: Message from DOP Director Eva Santos
DOP is trimming costs and exploring innovative ways to deliver state human resource services. Read the full Director's message.  

9/9/09: 2010 Total Compensation Survey
The enhanced online survey went live on Tuesday, September 1st! The Segal Co. is conducting this survey and has delivered the online survey tool to 290+ participants. The survey will close on October 16, 2009, however final results will not be available until after the first of the year. Learn more about the Total Compensation Survey.

9/1/09: DOP Priorities
The Department of Personnel will focus on delivering results in the following four priority areas during this fiscal year (July 2009 - June 2010):

1. Shared Services
2. Management Reform
3. Human Resource Management System Sustainability
4. Performance Culture

9/1/09: Recruitment Shared Services
Recruitment Shared Services will mean a single point of entry for job seekers. One strategy for achieving this single point of entry is through a hosted job posting and applicant tracking solution that would replace E-Recruiting. 

9/1/09: Key Stakeholder Groups Provide HR Leadership
DOP is leading statewide efforts to identify and address workforce issues by bringing together key groups of stakeholders.  
 

Last updated: 2/23/10