Employees

About these measures: These measures look at the degree that targets are met for employee survey results and safety factors. The survey ratings detail trends in employee views on workplace practices, effectiveness, accountability, resource management and satisfaction. Employee accidents and lost time information are tracked by Human Resource personnel and help inform priorities for procedure and equipment improvements as well as training and safety education.

Ratings from 2006 employee survey

Satisfaction Index: 3.62 on a 1-5 scale, 5 as best
Workplace Practices Index: 3.21
Availability of Resources Index: 3.62
Role of Employee Index: 4.08

2008 employee rating targets

Satisfaction Index: 3.75 on a 1-5 scale, 5 as best
Workplace Practices Index: 3.5
Availability of Resources Index: 3.75
Role of Employee Index: 4.2

Most ratings were similar to prior years, although employees rated the following statements more favorably in 2006 than in the 2004 survey:

"Employee are held accountable for their performance at work," and

"Overall, I'm satisfied with the level of involvement I have in decisions that affect my work."

Influencing factors: Overall, the ratings of DNRP employees on these survey questions have remained steady since the survey was first conducted in 2000. The slight increase in ratings for the accountability question is likely a result of an increased focus on supervisory responsibilities and addressing employee performance and behavior. Improvements in supervisory skills, labor relations and perceptions of fairness have likely contributed to the improved rating on the job satisfaction question.

Strategy going forward: DNRP's Human Resource work plans continue to focus on strengthening performance management, accountability, supervisory development and collaborative relationship with unions. This focus was developed in response to the concerns and perceptions expressed through prior employee surveys.

2007 employee safety results

2007 results: Total incidents with injuries: 144

Average days lost per injury: 13.2

2007 targets: Total incidents with injuries to fewer than 175

Average days lost per injury: 16

Influencing factors: 2007 was a very positive year for accident and injury reduction. We are seeing positive trends in measurable areas of health and safety, in large part due to investments in safety education, training and process improvements.

DNRP has almost 1,800 regular employees, many of whom perform challenging tasks, including operating and maintaining complex infrastructure systems that run continuously, such as wastewater treatment plants and a wide variety of heavy machinery. Employees also respond to floods, chemical spills and illegal dumping, while monitoring conditions in deep woods, fast-flowing rivers, high peaks and in Puget Sound.

The decline in lost days due to injuries can be in part attributed to increasing light duty assignments for injured employees, procedure and equipment improvements, and increased safety ethic among field employees.

The aging of DNRP's workforce also affects future workplace accidents and injuries; as employees age, many of the physically demanding jobs create the likelihood of work-related injuries and chronic conditions.

Strategy going forward: DNRP will continue to foster a safety ethic and make safety training a high priority. Emphasis will be placed on training related to safe procedures when performing tasks that lead to slip/trip hazards, or can create repetitive stress injuries. The King County Healthy Incentives program is instrumental in promoting a healthy lifestyle, which translates to employees who are more capable of performing physically demanding jobs.

At the line operation level, we will advance out comprehensive approach to safety, with the following 5 focus areas:

1. Build visible safety by addressing safety issues as they arise, in planning, new equipment selection, project management.
2. Act on the three P's:
1. Preparation (and planning)
2. Processes (policy and procedures, task lists, check lists)
3. Prevention (identifying and correcting hazards before they become incidents).
3. Correct unsafe behavior when it happens
4. Correct unsafe conditions and known hazards quickly
5. Review all accidents with long-term elimination of accidents in mind.

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