4th Quarter 2003 HRX - Oklahoma 7 Issue 4 A publication of the State of Oklahoma Office of Personnel...

11111Fourth Quarter 2003Fourth Quarter 2003Fourth Quarter 2003Fourth Quarter 2003Fourth Quarter 2003

HR ExchangeVolume 7 Issue 4 Fourth Quarter 2003A publication of the State of Oklahoma Office of Personnel Management

The FY 04 Annual Compensation Report,submitted December 1 by OPM to the Gov-ernor and legislative leadership, reveals thatfor the second year in a row, pay for stategovernment classified employees is, on aver-age, 11.3 percent below the competitive la-bor market.

The state Legislature has provided stateemployees with only one pay raise in the lastfive years—a $2,000 increase for all state em-ployees effective October 1, 2000. It was notsufficient to reduce the market gap. Neitherhas state agency use of a variety of discre-tionary pay adjustments that the Legislaturehas authorized since FY 00. State agencies areprohibited from requesting additional fund-ing to provide for these pay adjustments forstate employees, and the current revenueshortfall and resulting budget reductionshave left many agencies without the meansto continue to fund these adjustments outof existing appropriations, particularly forjob family levels that are significantly belowmarket.

“OPM recommends that the Legislatureaddress this market deficit by providing ad-ditional funding to state agencies to accom-plish targeted market adjustments,” OscarB. Jackson, Jr., OPM Administrator andGovernor Brad Henry’s Cabinet Secretary ofHuman Resources and Administration com-mented. “Such an allocation would enablestate agencies to address critical recruitmentand retention issues without creating the payalignment problems that typically result fromacross-the-board increases.”

“OPM also recommends that the mini-mums, midpoints, and maximums of clas-sified pay bands be adjusted upward by fivepercent,” Jackson continued. “If such anadjustment is made, it would cost approxi-mately $1 million to bring the pay of 1,014

OPM Issues FY 04Compensation Report

Dayna Petete, OPMstate employees currently employed by 20different state agencies up to the adjustedminimum of these pay bands. And, it ispossible that this pay band adjustmentcould be implemented without additionalfunding from the Legislature, as was thecase with the last adjustment in 2001,” Jack-son added.

“Though OPM does not recommenda general increase for all state employees,primarily because of the continuing tightbudget situation that has resulted in sub-stantial reductions in many state agencybudgets,” Jackson noted, “we wouldstrongly encourage the Governor andmembers of the Legislature to consideran across-the-board pay raise for all stateemployees in the event funds available forappropriation exceed current expecta-tions.”

The Report also indicates that althoughturnover has decreased since last year whenthe overall rate for the classified workforceas a whole was 11.8 percent and the volun-tary turnover rate was 10.3 percent, it stillremains high at 11.2 percent overall and9.6 percent for voluntary turnover. Theoverall turnover rate reflects resignations,retirements, and discharges that occurredduring FY 03, while the voluntary rate isbased on resignations and retirements only.OPM conservatively estimates that in FY03 turnover cost the state over $54 mil-lion.

This year’s Report also considers the payof state government’s top agency execu-tives. OPM has studied this issue since2001, when Senate Bill 224 became law.The study required by SB 224, which wascompleted in January 2002 and revised this

Comp Report, continued on page 4

State EmployeeClassifications

Targeted byTask Force

Reprinted with permission of GIT, Inc.10/23/03 Capitol Network NewsClassification of state employees was the

focus the initial meeting of the Task Forceon State Classification which was held Oc-tober 23.

Oscar Jackson, . . . administrator for theOffice of Personnel Management (OPM),said the merit system dated back to 1936when the people voted to add it to the Con-stitution. He said it put some restrictionson the employment of classified positions.

Dayna Petete, assistant administrator forcommunications and legislative liaison forOPM, said the Social Security amendmentto the state Constitution allowed for a “rea-sonable” number of exemptions from theclassification category.

Petete said a number of changes weremade to the procedures regarding classifica-tion and the oversight of those issuesthroughout the years since the originalamendment. The Oklahoma Merit Protec-tion Commission and OPM were both cre-ated in 1982, Petete said.

Currently, Petete said the merit systemwas structured to include the following:• position classification;• compensation and benefits;• salary administration;• recruitment and certification;• job analysis, selection and test adminis-

tration; and• human resource development.

Merit system agencies under the currentsystem include classified positions and em-ployees as well as unclassified employees,Petete said, while non-merit system agen-

Task Force, continued on page 2

22222 HR ExchangeHR ExchangeHR ExchangeHR ExchangeHR Exchange

From the Desk of the Administrator

Oklahoma Office of Personnel Management2101 N. Lincoln Boulevard, Suite G-80

Oklahoma City, OK 73105(405) 521-2177

Oscar B. Jackson, Jr.Administrator and Cabinet Secretary of Human Resources & Administration

Dayna R. PeteteAssistant Administrator for Communications & Legislative Liaison

Editor

Tom Patt, Natasha Riley, Carrie Rohr, Robert Stevens, Kimberlee WilliamsContributors

This publication has been printed and distributed by the Office of Personnel Management as authorized by the Administrator, Oscar B. Jackson, Jr. One hundred copies have beenprinted at a cost of $100.20. Copies have been deposited with the Publications Clearinghouse of the Oklahoma Department of Libraries.

cies had only unclassified positions andemployees.

In the area of hiring, Petete said classi-fied positions had hiring rules, open com-petitiveness and a preference for veteranswhile unclassified positions had no univer-sal procedures for recruitment and appoint-ment, no veterans’ preference and the hir-ing rule did not apply.

Petete said, in dealing with compensa-tion, classified employees were governed bythe classification and compensation provi-sions of the Oklahoma Personnel Act andthe Merit Rules. However, unclassified em-ployees had issues related to compensationand job duties typically determined by theappointing authority unless otherwise pro-vided for in the Oklahoma statutes.

As for discipline, Petete said classifiedemployees were given notice and opportu-nity to respond, there was a statutory pro-cedure and they could appeal to the MeritProtection Commission. On the otherhand, unclassified employees were not giventhese rights unless there was an alleged vio-lation of the prohibition against discrimi-nation or freedom of expression.

Rep. Joe Sweeden, D-Pawhuska, askedwhy an employee would be moved fromclassified to unclassified, and Petete re-sponded it was usually to allow for someform of compensation outside what wasallowed through the merit system. Peteteadded sometimes it was done to make iteasier to fill a position.

Petete pointed out there was little agree-ment among other states as far as whoshould be in the unclassified service andwhat laws applied to it, and she mentionedthe states of Texas, Georgia, Florida andColorado as examples of states that had

Task Force, continued from page 1

As this calendar year draws to a close, Ihave been reflecting on the accomplish-ments of the past 12 months. I believe youwill agree that 2003 was one of the mostchallenging years for the Office of Person-nel Management during my tenure as Ad-ministrator and Cabinet Secretary.

As I mentioned in my last From the Deskof the Administrator, the OPM budget hasbeen significantly reduced, and we now havefewer positions and employees. My first in-clination was to focus on what we have lost;a more positive exercise, however, is to con-centrate on what remains: Specifically, thecontributions that 88 OPM Team membershave made and continue to make, despitebudget challenges, on behalf of the 114 stateagencies (65 Merit System and 49 non-MeritSystem) and 37,759 state employees (27,817classified and 9,942 unclassified) we serve.

Many of you may have heard me statemy strong belief that “LeadershipCounts!”. Throughout 2003, OPM Teammembers have risen to the occasion in pro-viding excellent human resource services tostate agencies and their employees with pro-fessionalism and integrity. Further strength-ening OPM’s commitment to quality andunderscoring that leadership really does count,the 14 members of the OPM ManagementTeam listed below have provided outstand-ing management and direction for OPMduring the past year:

Hank BattyDeputy Administrator for Programs

Janet AndersonExecutive Assistant

Marilyn CappsAssociate Administrator for

Financial Management Services &Chief Financial Officer

Dayna R. PeteteAssistant Administrator for Communications

and Legislative Liaison

Kimberlee WilliamsChief Policy Attorney

Diane Haser-BennettAssistant Administrator for

Management Services

Glenda GesellAssistant Administrator for

Information Technology Services

Carrie RohrDirector of Human Resource

Development Services

David HaysDirector of Classification

Tom PattDirector of Compensationand Workforce Planning

Tom ImpsonDirector of Applicant Services

Natasha RileyDirector of Personnel Assessment

Brenda ThorntonDirector of Equal Opportunity

and Workforce Diversity

Robert StevensDirector of the OPM State

Employee Assistance ProgramWhile there are sure to be new challenges

in 2004, there will also be fresh opportuni-ties to excel and to continue to fulfill ourcommitment to the OPM Mission: “To servethe people of Oklahoma by delivering reliable andinnovative human resource services to our partneragencies to achieve their missions”.

Best wishes for the holiday season andthe coming year! Task Force, continued on page 3


an employee that required several opportu-nities to get it right.

Batty said the most difficult situationswere when an applicant remembered priorduties or jobs only after filling out theforms. Corn asked why there was not auniform policy for this type of situation,and Batty said there would likely be someopposition.

Gary Jones, executive director for theOklahoma Public Employees Association,said there was a proliferation of unclassi-fied positions and more agencies were “gam-ing” the system. Jones said there are agen-cies that use legislators to move people intounclassified positions.

“They can do things with unclassifiedpositions that they can’t do with classifiedpositions,” Jones said. “We believe that’sunfair.”

Jones added that many agencies usedthis move in the area of compensation,which allowed those with political clout togain compensation through a loophole.Jones said this was not the initial purposeof the system.

Oscar B. Jackson, Jr., OPM Administrator and Cabinet Secretary of Human Resources andAdministration; state Representative John Carey (D-Durant), chair of the State Classification

Task Force; Dayna R. Petete, OPM Assistant Administrator for Communications and LegislativeLiaison; and Diane Haser-Bennett, OPM Assistant Administrator for Management Services.

Normally, when I write an article, it isbacked up with lots of studies and research.This article, however, I will try to approachjust from the heart.

So many things have happened to allof us, whether it was the possibility of los-ing a job due to the financial situation instate government, a family member goingto war, the loss of a loved one, a divorce oreven a child having trouble in school.

As we go through this holiday season Ihope you will take time to reflect on whatyou have verses what you don’t have. Ifyou give something, give it from the heart,if you spend time with family and friends,take time to say “thank you” for being there.If you are unable this season to give a toy,money or even a can of food, what you cangive someone is a hug, handshake, a kindword or even a “Hello” with a big beautifulsmile. For some of us, going through ourdaily routine is difficult enough withoutadding holiday stress to it. We can wish fora lot of things, but sometimes we have allwe need. Remember the simple things thatyou have experienced in your life—fromGrandma baking that wonderful scratchcake, to mom baking sweet potato pie, tosomeone who cannot cook trying to makefudge, or even giving you the dreaded fruitcake. (By the way, you do not want to carrythat through the airport!)

I guess what I am trying to say is gothrough this holiday season not thinkingof what the wallet can bring, but insteadwhat the heart can bring.

Always remember to be safe while shop-ping, be aware of your surroundings whengoing to and from your car at the mall orgrocery store. Remember, friends /familiesdon’t let friends / loved ones drive drunk.Always keep an eye on your stress level dur-ing the holiday season but most of all re-member the things of the heart.

gone different routes.Diane Haser-Bennett, assistant admin-

istrator for the department of managementservices at OPM, said general types of au-thorizations varied from agency to agency.The Oklahoma Health Care Authority wasgiven as an example of an agency that had100 percent non-classification of employ-ees.

Sweeden asked why this agency was setup this way, and Haser-Bennett said thisoption was done in 1995. Rep. Jari Askins,D-Duncan, said it had been allowed so theagency could set up quickly but attempts tochange the full non-classification at theagency had been either vetoed or rejectedevery year by the legislative or executivebranches of government.

“They have fought it successfully thusfar,” Askins said.

Sen. Kenneth Corn, D-Howe, saidsome agencies had classified employees thathad evaded the hiring requirements set inlaw. He said there were some unqualifiedpeople qualifying for various positions.

Hank Batty, deputy administrator forOPM, said some agencies did not allow thistype of procedure, and when an unquali-fied employee was found it [the application]was sent back to the agency.

Corn said, if an employee changed hisapplication once, that was acceptable. How-ever, he questioned who would want to hire

Task Force, continued from page 2 Happy Holidays?Robert Stevens, OPM

State offices will beState offices will beState offices will beState offices will beState offices will beclosed closed closed closed closed TTTTThursdayhursdayhursdayhursdayhursday, January 1,, January 1,, January 1,, January 1,, January 1,

2004, in observance of2004, in observance of2004, in observance of2004, in observance of2004, in observance ofNew YNew YNew YNew YNew Year’ear’ear’ear’ear’s Day.s Day.s Day.s Day.s Day.


past summer, compared the salaries paid tothe directors of both appropriated andnonappropriated state agencies to those ofexecutives in both the public and privatesector labor markets. The resulting reportrecommended adoption of a salary rangestructure for agency director salaries; payadjustments, without additional fundingfrom the Legislature, to the minimum ofthe pay range for agency directors whosecurrent pay falls below the minimum; andestablishment of an Oversight Committeeto deal with administration of the system.

“Failure to deal appropriately withagency director pay can create salary compres-sion problems, since the director’s salaryoften serves as a barrier to salary growth ofsubordinate managers and employees,”Jackson commented. “For this reason,OPM recommends that the Legislatureadopt the recommendations in the January2002, Agency Director Compensation Report,thus enabling the state to administer agencydirector pay in a manner that will ensureinternal equity and external market competi-tiveness consistent with principles similarto those employed in the state classified paysystem—a system that has been in placesince 1982, and which serves 27,500 classi-fied state employees.”

The only start-up cost associated withthe creation of such a system is approxi-mately $564,285 (which includes mandatoryretirement benefits and Social Security) nec-essary to adjust the pay of the 51 state agencydirectors whose current pay would fall be-low the minimum of the proposed paybands.

OPM presented the FY 04 Annual Com-pensation Report to members of the BiennialCompensation Review Board on Decem-ber 15. This Board was created during the2003 legislative session to review the an-nual OPM compensation study and to makecompensation adjustment recommenda-tions.

The FY 04 Annual Compensation Reportis available in its entirety on the OPMWebsite at http://www. opm.state.ok.us/index.htm.

Comp Report, continued from page 1

OPM has several emergency rulemakingactions that have been completed in the lastfew months or are currently pending. Be-low is an update on the status of theseemergency rulemaking actions as of Decem-ber 17, 2003:

• Emergency amendments to clarify thereduction-in-force rules and to makethem consistent with statutory changeshave been in effect since October 22, 2003.These rules are included in Subchapter13 of the Merit Rules available on theOPM Website (http://www.opm.state.ok.us/opm-13.rtf or http://www.opm.state.ok.us/opm-13.pdf).

• Emergency amendments to the Volun-tary Payroll Deduction rules are pendingapproval of the Governor. Theseamendments make the rules consistentwith recent statutory changes. Theamendments include rules to implementthe law permitting vendor access passedduring the 2002 legislative session andamended last session.In addition, OPM staff members are

putting final touches on miscellaneousamendments to the Merit Rules. Theseamendments are intended to make the rulesconsistent with other statutory changesmade last legislative session. We expect tofile these emergency amendments with the

Rules UpdateKimberlee Williams, OPM

Governor by the end of the year.State agencies will be notified when the

Governor takes action on OPM rule pro-posals via All Appointing Authorities Memo-randum and through the OPM Website.The Merit Rules on the OPM Website willbe amended to include emergency amend-ments that become effective.

OPM is also beginning work on perma-nent amendments to the Merit Rules andthe Voluntary Payroll Deduction Rules.These proposals will include currently-effec-tive emergency amendments, as well as otherproposed changes. The rule proposals willbe distributed to state agencies by All Ap-pointing Authorities Memorandum and will beposted on the OPM Website.

A public rules hearing will be held mostlikely in February or March 2004. A specificdate and time will be announced at a laterdate.

Happy New Year!

The Second Session ofThe Second Session ofThe Second Session ofThe Second Session ofThe Second Session ofthe 49th Oklahomathe 49th Oklahomathe 49th Oklahomathe 49th Oklahomathe 49th OklahomaLegislature convenesLegislature convenesLegislature convenesLegislature convenesLegislature convenesat noon on Monday,at noon on Monday,at noon on Monday,at noon on Monday,at noon on Monday,February 2, 2004.February 2, 2004.February 2, 2004.February 2, 2004.February 2, 2004.

Members of the OPM Compensation and Workforce Planning Team (l to r) James Perez;Tom Patt, Director; Everett Slavik; and Austin Gilley; on their way to the State Capitol

to distribute copies of the FY 04 OPM Annual Compensation Report to theGovernor and legislative leadership and staff.


Biennial Compensation Review BoardDiscusses State Classified Compensation

Tom Patt, OPMThe Biennial Compensation Review

Board, established earlier this year in accor-dance with Enrolled Senate Bill 194, has nowmet twice: October 23, 2003 and December15, 2003. The Board is composed of twomembers from the House of Representa-tives (Rep. Danny Morgan and Rep. RonPeterson), two members from the Senate(Sen. Jay Paul Gumm and Sen. JonathanNichols), two members appointed by theGovernor (Albert Smith, Department ofHuman Services Human Resources Direc-tor, and Ronald Wilson, Oklahoma HealthCare Authority Human Resources Director)and a representative from the OklahomaPublic Employees Association (Gary Jones,Executive Director). The purpose of theBoard is to review OPM’s Annual Com-pensation Report and make recommenda-tions regarding compensation adjustmentsto the President Pro Tempore of the Sen-ate, the Speaker of the House of Represen-tatives, and the Governor.

During the first meeting, Tom Patt,OPM Director of Compensation andWorkforce Planning, gave a presentation tothe Board on the state of Oklahoma’s com-pensation system. The presentation focusedon the history of the compensation sys-tem, including changes made by the Classi-fication and Compensation Reform Act(CCRA); the history of general pay increasesgranted by the legislature since 1992; the ef-fect of pay movement mechanisms autho-rized by CCRA on state compensation; and

information contained in the Annual Com-pensation Report. The Board also used thisfirst meeting as an organizational meeting,electing Sen. Jay Paul Gumm as chairmanof the Board.

During the second meeting, the Boardreviewed the analysis and conclusions in theFY 04 Annual Compensation Report. Af-ter the review, the Board tasked OPM Com-pensation staff with providing supplemen-tal analysis and a draft report from the Boardto the Legislature. This information will beconsidered at the final meeting of the Boardon Tuesday, January 6, 2003.

Interim Study CommitteeConsiders PaidFamily Leave

Tom Patt, OPM

On November 3, 2003, the Mid-AmericaTechnology Center in Wayne, Oklahoma,was the first remote testing site to adminis-ter Merit System tests in the IntegratedComputerized Examination (ICE) System.

This new system allows applicants totake a Merit System exam on a computerand get the results immediately after answer-ing the last question. Also, applicants test-ing in ICE go on the register for that job onthe same day they tested, usually just a fewminutes after completing the test. Whentaking a pencil and paper test, an applicantwaits two days to be placed on the registerand four days to receive test results in themail. (Applicants still receive a letter in themail informing them of their test scores,their final earned ratings, and their rankingson the registers.)

Debbie Doty monitors Merit Systemtesting at Mid-America Technology Center.Ms. Doty administered three tests on thefirst day and since then has administered 12more in ICE. Ms. Doty said the ICE Sys-tem makes test administration much easierfor her, and the applicants appreciate theinstant feedback the system gives them.

Other remote testing sites that haveagreed to go online with ICE are thePontotoc Technology Center in Ada, theSouthern Oklahoma Technology Center inArdmore, the Caddo-Kiowa TechnologyCenter in Fort Cobb, the Pioneer Technol-ogy Center in Ponca City, and the Employ-ment Service Commission One-Stop Ca-reer Center in Tulsa.

OPM implemented the ICE System on

ICE UpdateNatasha Riley, OPM

Ron Wilson, Human Resources Director for theOklahoma Health Care Authority and

Governor’s appointee to the Oklahoma BiennialCompensation Review Board; Diane Haser-

Bennett, OPM Assistant Administrator forManagement Services; Tom Patt, OPM Directorof Compensation and Workforce Planning; andAl Smith, Human Resources Director for the

Department of Human Services and Governor’sappointee to the Oklahoma Biennial

Compensation Review Board.

ICE, continued on page 6

Paid Family Leave, continued on page 6

The Oklahoma Legislature is currentlyexamining the topic of paid family leave asan interim study. The first meeting of theStudy Committee was held on October 23,2003. Senator Bernest Cain, Committeechair, set the tone for the meeting by invit-ing participants from both sides of the is-sue to openly and candidly express theirviews. Among those addressing employeeconcerns were the Oklahoma Institute forChild Advocacy and the Community As-sistance Project, among others. Those pre-senting the employer viewpoint included


January 22, 2003. At that time, three tests covering 15 job families were released in the ICEsystem for applicant testing. Currently, 75 tests are released in the ICE System. Applicantshave taken over 7,500 tests in the new system.

Questions about the ICE System may be directed to Natasha Riley, Director of Per-sonnel Assessment, at [email protected].

ICE, continued from page 5

Paid Family Leave, continued from page 5

On December 1, 2003, OPM Team member Lezlie Thiery (center) resigned after 15 years ofemployment with OPM. For nearly two years, Ms. Thiery served as Human Resources Lead forthe CORE Oklahoma Project for PeopleSoft Implementation. On December 2, 2003, OledaE. Hicks (left), Department of Human Services, was appointed to serve as OPM Human

Resources Lead for the CORE Project. Oleda Hicks has been employed by the State of Oklahomasince 1988. She initially worked for the State Insurance Fund (1988), and the Office of

Personnel Management (1988 - 1989), before joining the Department of Human Services (DHS)in 1989, where she has worked in the Human Resources Management Division in a variety of

positions for over 14 years. Pictured with Ms. Hicks and Ms. Thiery is (right) Oscar B. Jackson,Jr., OPM Administrator and Cabinet Secretary of Human Resources and Administration.

Kudos!Everett Slavik

Office of Personnel Managementhas received the designation

“Certified Personnel Professional”.

the State Chamber of Commerce, GeneralMotors Corporation, and BancFirst. All par-ticipants expressed empathy with the un-derlying problems of maintaining a balancebetween work and family life.

The second meeting of the Study Com-mittee was on November 18, 2003. LissaBell from the National Partnership forWomen and Families gave a thorough re-view of the approaches and best practicesadopted by other states in the area of paidfamily leave. Ms. Bell reported that 28 stateshave introduced paid leave legislation. Shepointed out that 80 percent of employerswho have some form of income replace-ment program have found that the benefitsoutweigh costs. She said that 90 percent re-port a neutral or positive effect on profit-ability and growth. When asked by the Com-mittee if large employers appeared to be re-sistant to paid leave, she indicated that thatwas not her impression.

Tom Patt, OPM Director of Compen-sation and Workforce Planning, gave an over-view of the state’s leave sharing program,which has proven to be a viable approach toproviding income to employees who are un-dergoing family emergencies. Scott Bargerand Gary Jones of the Oklahoma PublicEmployees Association provided the OPEAperspective on the need for paid family leavein state government service. They expressedtheir support for paid leave and indicatedtheir interest in proposing a pilot programof paid leave for the state.

The State Chamber of Commerce Hu-man Resources Committee presented a pri-vate sector viewpoint, urging that cautionbe applied in levying a mandatory paid leaveon employers, who are trying their best toaccommodate employee needs while pre-serving the viability of their businesses. Sen.Cain adjourned the meeting by expressinghis appreciation to all in attendance and stat-ing that this would be the final meeting andthat all comments and presentations wouldbe taken under advisement.

Oscar B. Jackson, Jr., OPMAdministrator and Cabinet

Secretary of HumanResources and

Administration (right) andOscar Quiroga, chair of the

Governor’s AdvisoryCouncil on Latin-Americanand Hispanic Affairs (left)

met with Governor BradHenry on December 19

regarding the workof the Council.


Thirty-one Certified Public Manager(CPM) candidates participated in the Ex-ecutive Development Seminar held Octo-ber 21 - 24 at Western Hills State Lodge.

The participants were divided into fourgroups that worked to prepare a task forcereport on how to improve state govern-ment in the areas of Safety and Security,Commerce and Tourism, Finance and Rev-enue, and Health.

These reports will be sent to the Gov-ernor and members of his Cabinet. Eachgroup worked with a facilitator who assistedthem in the process. This year’s facilitatorswere Pamela Freeman and Patricia Ander-son, Department of Human Services; JeffGifford, Office of Juvenile Affairs; andJoyce Smith, OPM.

OPM Hosts CPMExecutive Development Seminar

Carrie Rohr, OPMIn addition, participants attended work-

shops related to the Myers Briggs Type In-ventory, dealing with the media, and deal-ing with difficult people. Speakers for theseminar included Gayla Sherry, KerryRobertson, and Mark Jones.

One of the highlights of the seminar isbuilding a tower with only newspaper andmasking tape. This exercise demonstratesthe different personality types and how theyrelate in a team environment.

The Executive Development Seminaris the capstone of the Oklahoma CPM pro-gram. For more information regarding theCPM program, please contact Carrie Rohr,Director of OPM’s Human Resource De-velopment Services Division, at (405) 521-6344, or [email protected].

ASE UpdateKimberlee Williams, OPM

Staff members of OPM and the Okla-homa Merit Protection Commission (MPC)are nearing completion of an update to theAgency Self-Evaluation of HR ManagementPractices and Agency Human Resource Manage-ment Plan (Agency Self-Evaluation).

The Agency Self-Evaluation is, in essence,a checklist that agencies can use to deter-mine whether they are in compliance withstate and federal laws affecting human re-sources, in order to discover and correct de-ficiencies (if any). This may lead to an im-proved human resources function for theagency, and can even reduce the agency’s le-gal liability in certain circumstances. TheAgency Human Resource Management Planportion of the Agency Self-Evaluation is in-tended to assist agencies in developing aplan to bring the agency into compliance ifany deficiencies were noted, and also to con-sider the development of new policies orprograms that may be beneficial to theagency.

OPM and MPC are considering severalchanges to the Agency Self-Evaluation tomake it easier to read, more visually attrac-tive, and to enable it to be easily posted onWebsites maintained by OPM and MPC.Another change under consideration is toprovide the Agency Self-Evaluation in bothhard-copy format and an electronic formatthat can be completed on the computer foragencies having Microsoft Word software.

The Agency Self-Evaluation is a past re-cipient of the National Association ofState Personnel Executives’ Eugene H.Rooney, Jr. Award for Innovative State HumanResource Management Programs, and aGovernor’s Commendation Award.Executive Development Seminar participants included (front row, l to r) Jody Harlan, Department

of Rehabilitation Services (DRS); Ade Abioye, Department of Human Services (DHS); LisaKnauf, Conservation Commission; Jackie Whiteacre, DHS; Mark Briscoe, Oklahoma Tax

Commission (OTC); Mary Hanson, OTC; Carol Dodge, Oklahoma Housing Finance Authority;Tawanna White, Department of Public Safety; Pam Jenkins, DHS; (second row, l to r) Sandy

Humphrey, Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department; Tammy Robinson, OklahomaDepartment of Transportation (ODOT); Maleatha Patterson, DHS; Janet Hailey, DHS; Verla

Kirk, DHS; Mitch Richardson, ODOT; Sara Jordan, Oklahoma Military Department; JeffHoogendoorn, Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ); Saba Tahmassihi, DEQ; Leann

Reynolds, OTC; (third row, l to r) Michelle Smith, DHS; Jimmy Martin, Department ofCorrections (DOC); Chris Sutterfield, Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training;Susan Dozal, Board of Pharmacy; Shawn Fipps, ODOT; Sheila Adkins, State Auditor and

Inspector; Rosalyn Jacquett, Corporation Commission; (fourth row, l to r) Earl Merriman, DHS;Stan Greene, ODOT; Susan Bohl, DHS; Eddie Sills, ODOT; and Jasper Harrison, ODOT.

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www.youroklahoma.com.www.youroklahoma.com.www.youroklahoma.com.www.youroklahoma.com.www.youroklahoma.com.


Jackson ReceivesAsia Society Award

During the 15th annual presentation of the Asia Societyof Oklahoma Awards for Excellence on November 15, 2003,Oscar B. Jackson, Jr., OPM Administrator and Cabinet Sec-retary of Human Resources and Administration, was recog-nized as an Outstanding Civic Leader along with Oklahoma Lt.Governor Mary Fallin and Dr. Kuang-Hua Chang, AssociateProfessor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Okla-homa.

Dr. Chang was honored for his work on behalf of indi-viduals with disabilities—in 1999, Dr. Chang and his stu-dents designed and built a special walker that assisted a three-year-old Norman boy in exercising his paralyzed legs. In 2001,they built a special baby crib to help a disabled mother inNorman take care of her newborn baby. And, in 2003, heand his students modified a shopping cart at the Pratt’s storein Tecumseh to help a young mother take her disabled sonwith her when she shops for groceries.

The Asia Society of Oklahoma, which was organized in1985, presents the Awards for Excellence “recognizing the mostoutstanding contributions to furthering a cultural, civic andbusiness partnership in the quest for a higher quality of life.”

It is comprised of the Chinese Association of Greater Oklahoma City, IndiaAssociation of Oklahoma, Indonesian American Association of Oklahoma,Iranian American Cultural Society of Oklahoma, Japan American Society ofOklahoma, Korean Society of Oklahoma, Laotian Women Association of Okla-homa, Philippine American Civic Organization of Oklahoma, Sao-Viet (Viet-namese) Association, and Taiwanese Association of Oklahoma.

Other award recipients included Japan Society of Oklahoma—OutstandingMember Organization; Mrs. Spring Nguyen, a long-time employee of the Okla-homa State Senate—Outstanding Individual Award; Super Cao Nguyen—Outstand-ing Corporate Support; and Philippine American Civic Organization of Oklahoma,

Ms. Vasithy Sengdara, Awards for Excellence Dinner Committee co-chairand a member of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Asian-American

Affairs (which is staffed by OPM) presents an “Outstanding Civic Leader”award to Oscar B. Jackson, Jr., OPM Administrator and Cabinet Secretary

of Human Resources and Administration.

Outstanding Civic Leader awardrecipients (above, l to r) Lt. GovernorMary Fallin; Oscar B. Jackson, Jr.,OPM Administrator and CabinetSecretary of Human Resources

and Administration; and Dr. Kuang-Hua Chang, Associate Professor

of Mechanical Engineering,University of Oklahoma.

Taiwanese Association of Oklahoma, andChinese Association of Greater OklahomaCity—Performing Arts. In addition, the AsiaSociety presented numerous scholarshipawards to Oklahoma high school and col-lege students.

In addition to members of Mr. Jackson’sfamily, several OPM Team members repre-sented OPM at the awards presentation: HankBatty, OPM Deputy Administrator for Pro-grams; Janet Anderson, Executive Assistantto Mr. Jackson; Dayna R. Petete, OPM As-sistant Administrator for Communicationsand Legislative Liaison; Herman Johnson,OPM Targeted Minority Recruitment Coor-dinator; and Brenda Thornton, Director ofOPM’s Office of Equal Opportunity andWorkforce Diversity.Mr. Jackson accepts his award.


Twenty-four employees from 18 state agencies attendedthe Certified Personnel Professional (CPP) Training

course November 4 - 7, 2003. CPP instructors includedDayna Petete, Brenda Thornton, Carrie Rohr, Hank

Batty, James Perez, Natasha Riley, David Hays,Kimberlee Williams, and Tom Patt, OPM; Jack Dobbins,

Oklahoma Tax Commission; and Dr. Robert Mathis,author of “Human Resource Management,” the

textbook for the course. Pictured (left) is Hank Batty,OPM Deputy Administrator for Programs (standing);

and (l to r) Linda Grigsby, Pardon and Parole Board; andKaren Gray, Oklahoma State Department of Health;and (below, l to r) Leigh Newby, Department of Public

Safety; and Carrie Rohr, OPM.

On October 27, the Governor’s Advisory Council on Latin-American and Hispanic Affairs presented the first annual SenatorKeith Leftwich Legislative Amistad Award posthumously to the lateSenator Keith Leftwich, who passed away on September 19, 2003.Senator Leftwich was the sponsor of Senate Bill 596, allowing in-state college tuition to all deserving Oklahoma high school gradu-ates. Senate Bill 596 was passed during the 2003 legislative sessionand signed by Governor Brad Henry on May 12, 2003. Mrs. DebbeLeftwich accepted the award on behalf of her late husband.

Council Establishes1st Annual Senator

Keith Leftwich AwardYolanda Charney, Member

Governor’s Advisory Council on Latin-American and Hispanic Affairs

Pictured (standing, l to r): JuanitaSalazar Lamb, Governor’s Advisory

Council on Latin-American andHispanic Affairs; Council memberGiovanni Perry; Council memberYolanda Charney; Rep. DarrellGilbert; former Senator Kelly

Haney; Debbe Leftwich; Rep. KevinCalvey; Senator Penny Williams;Rep. Al Lindley; Council member

Teri Mora; Council memberGuillermo Rojas; and (seated)Council chair Oscar Quiroga.

The Council also presented Certificates of Appreciation to legisla-tors who have been instrumental in passing legislation that has im-proved the quality of life for Oklahoma Hispanics: Senator PennyWilliams, Senator Charles Ford, Senator Bernest Cain, Senator MikeFair, Representative Kevin Calvey, Representative Al Lindley, Repre-

sentative Mike Tyler, Representa-tive Darrell Gilbert, and formerSenator Enoch Kelly Haney.

According to Oscar Quiroga,Chair of the Governor’s Council

Leftwich Award, continued on page 10

1 01 01 01 01 0 HR ExchangeHR ExchangeHR ExchangeHR ExchangeHR Exchange

on Latin-American and Hispanic Affairs,“the title Legislative Amistad Award was cho-sen because Amistad is the Spanish wordfor friendship, characterizing the relation-ship between the recognized legislators andOklahoma’s Hispanic Community.”

Governor Frank Keating created theGovernor’s Advisory Council on Latin-American and Hispanic Affairs to provideadvice regarding the development andimplementation of policies, plans, and pro-grams relating to the special needs of His-panics. This Council also makes a concertedeffort toward increasing statewide publicawareness of problems surrounding His-panics and expands opportunities for Okla-homa Hispanics in education, employment,health, housing, culture, and recreation.Governor Henry re-created the Councilthrough Executive Order 2003-07.

OPM’s Office of Equal Opportunityand Workforce Diversity provides staff sup-port to the Council.

Leftwich Award, continued from page 9

State Senator Debbe Leftwich is officially on the job. On December 15, Leftwich wassworn in as the newest member of the Oklahoma State Senate.

The South Oklahoma City Democrat won the seat in a special election December 9,succeeding her husband Keith who lost his battle with cancer in September.

Family members, friends and supporters looked on while State Supreme Court Jus-tice Marian Opala administered the oath of office to Senator Leftwich during a ceremonyin the senate chamber.

“I want to thank my sons, Kevin and Kurt, our friends, neighbors and so manyothers who helped ensure I would be able to finish Keith’s work here in at the Capitol.With the help of the people of District 44, I know we can accomplish great things,” saidSenator Leftwich, D-OKC.

Senator Cal Hobson has already tapped Leftwich to serve on several key committees,including Business and Labor, Transportation, General Government and TransportationSubcommittee on Appropriations, Human Resources, Aerospace and Technology, andVeterans, Military Affairs and Public Safety.

“Debbe Leftwich has years of public service in her own right, chairing the OklahomaCommission on the Status of Women and serving in many other civic and politicalorganizations. We know she’s not afraid of hard work or tough issues. I’m confidentshe’ll be an extremely effective senator,” said Hobson.

Constituents who want to visit with Senator Leftwich will not find it difficult to locateher. She’ll be moving into her late husband’s office at the State Capitol, in room 427A.Long-time executive assistant Jeri Holland will remain to assist Senator Leftwich. Thephone number, 405-521-5557, is also the same.

“I am honored that the people of District 44 have entrusted me to carry on Keith’swork on their behalf. He loved his community, his state and his country. Oklahoma is abetter place for Keith’s service, and it is a privilege to continue on that path,” said Leftwich.

Editor’s Note: Debbe Leftwich is chair of the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women,which is staffed by OPM’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Workforce Diversity, and formerDirector of Administration and Personnel for the Board of Medicolegal Investigations..

Senator Debbe Leftwich Sworn InSenate Communications Division, December 15, 2003

Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Marian Opala administers the oath of office toSenator Debbe Leftwich while her father, Dave McLain (center), holds the Bible.

(Photo courtesy of the Oklahoma State Senate.)

LegislationRecommended By

Task ForceReprinted with permission of GIT, Inc.12/11/03 Capitol Network News

On December 11, the Electronic Infor-mation and Technology Accessibility TaskForce agreed to a draft bill proposing ameans for the state to become compliantwith federal accessibility laws.

The measure, to be authored by Rep.Abe Deutschendorf, D-Lawton, and Sen.Gilmer Capps, D-Snyder, would require theInformation Services Division (ISD) of theOffice of State Finance and the Departmentof Central Services (DCS) to work togetherto assure state compliance regarding accessi-bility of information technology for indi-viduals with disabilities. The standardswould be based on the provisions of Sec-tion 508 of the Workforce Investment Actof 1998.

Section 1 of the bill states, “When de-veloping, procuring, maintaining or usinginformation technology, or when adminis-tering contracts or grants that include theprocurement, development, upgrading, or

Legislation, continued on page 11

1 11 11 11 11 1Fourth Quarter 2003Fourth Quarter 2003Fourth Quarter 2003Fourth Quarter 2003Fourth Quarter 2003

replacing of information technology eachstate agency shall ensure, unless an undueburden would be imposed on the agency,that the information technology allowsemployees, program participants, and mem-bers of the general public access to use ofinformation and data that is comparable tothe access by individuals without disabili-ties.”

The measure defines undue burden as“significant difficulty or expense, including,but not limited to, difficulty or expense as-sociated with technical feasibility.”

All state agencies, excluding commoneducation and local and municipal govern-ments, would be required to follow the stan-dards develop by ISD and DCS. The mea-sure would also create the Electronic andInformation Technology Accessibility Ad-visory Council. The council’s main chargewould be to make recommendations con-cerning the accessibility for the disabled topublicly produce and provide electronic in-formation technology and to provide ad-vice and assistance to ISD on the develop-ment of standards.

The council would be composed of thesame members currently serving on the taskforce.

DCS will also develop a procurementclause to be used in the purchase of anynew technology by every agency defined inthe measure.

A final report on the findings of thetask force will be filed with the Legislaturealong with the final draft of the proposedbill.

Legislation, continued from page 10

Oscar B. Jackson, Jr., OPM Administrator and Cabinet Secretary of Human Resources andAdministration (left), was the keynote speaker for the 2003 Department of Corrections Longevity

Awards Program, which was held December 2, at the Canadian Valley Technology Center in ElReno. Pictured with Mr. Jackson are (second from left to right: Ted Logan, member, Board of

Corrections; Ron Ward, Director, Oklahoma Department of Corrections; William R. Robinson,Correctional Security Officer III, Jackie Brannon Correctional Center, McAlester, OK, who was

honored for 39 years of service to the state of Oklahoma; Bobby Boone, Deputy Director, EasternRegion; and John Grubbs, Warden, Jackie Brannon Correctional Center, McAlester.

Kudosto Oscar B. Jackson, Jr.,

OPM Administrator and CabinetSecretary of Human Resources

and Administration, on hisreappointment to the ExecutiveCouncil of the International

Public Management Associationfor Human Resources asthe state human resourcedirector representative!

Education Department, Chamber ofCommerce Release Guidebookfor Business on Employment of

People with DisabilitiesU.S. Department of Education

October 31, 2003In recognition of National Disability

Employment Awareness Month 2003, theU.S. Department of Education, in partner-ship with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce,on October 31 released a guidebook to ac-quaint business leaders with programs andresources available to assist them in hiringpeople with disabilities.

The jointly developed publication, “Dis-ability Employment 101: Learn to Tap Your‘HIRE’ Potential,” includes informationabout how to find qualified workers withdisabilities, how to put disability and em-ployment research into practice and how tomodel what other businesses have done tosuccessfully integrate individuals with dis-abilities into the workforce.

“People with disabilities, particularlythose with severe disabilities, represent anoften-untapped group of educated, highly Employment Guide, continued on page 13

skilled, talented and qualified workers,” U.S.Secretary of Education Rod Paige said. “Atthe Department of Education, our Officeof Special Education and Rehabilitative Ser-vices administers several programs that sup-port the goal of finding competitive, mean-ingful, integrated employment for peoplewith disabilities.

“We are proud to highlight these re-sources and our partnerships with privateemployers, state governments, community-based organizations and others who, likethe chamber, are working with us towardthis important employment goal,” Paigesaid.

Among other things, the 56-page guideprovides information regarding depart-ment-funded vocational rehabilitation agen-


Agency HR ChangesAgency HR ChangesAgency HR ChangesAgency HR ChangesAgency HR ChangesSince October 2003Since October 2003Since October 2003Since October 2003Since October 2003

Department of Environmental QualitySusan Loftin

HR Programs ManagerResigned

Department of Human ServicesOleda Hicks

Human Resources Lead—CORE OklahomaOffice of Personnel Management

Tamara SteeleHR Management Specialist III

Tulsa OfficeRoger Scott

Personnel Manager IOffice of Personnel Management

Juan BenavidezConverted from CAPIP Executive Fellow toHuman Resources Management Specialist

Jamie CulpHuman Resources Management Specialist

Employee Selection ServicesResigned

Debra DavisAdministrative Technician

Management ServicesAmanda Dean

Administrative TechnicianEmployee Selection Services

Austin GilleyCAPIP Executive Fellow

Management ServicesConnie Hollins

Human Resources Management SpecialistRetired

Linda RoeAccountant

Financial Management ServicesOklahoma Bureau of Investigation

Charlotte GoebelRetired

Susan LoftinHR Programs Manager III

Oklahoma Pardon and Parole BoardLinda Grigsby

Acting Business ManagerClarica Wall

Business ManagerRetired

Oklahoma Real Estate CommissionLisa Hays

Personnel/Business ManagerRay Schellenger

Personnel/Business ManagerRetired

OPMOPMOPMOPMOPMCommittee CalendarCommittee CalendarCommittee CalendarCommittee CalendarCommittee Calendar

Affirmative Action Review Council9/15/04, 10/20/04, 11/17/04,12/15/04, 1/19/05—8:30 a.m.

Department of Agriculture

CPM Advisory BoardMeets at the call of the chair

Child Day CareAdvisory Committee

Meets at the call of the chair

OPM State EAP Advisory Council1/28/04—10:00 a.m.

419-B State Capitol4/28/04, 7/28/04

10/27/04—10:00 a.m.Locations TBA

Governor’s Advisory Councilon Asian-American Affairs1/30/04, 4/30/04, 7/30/04,

10/29/04—2:00 p.m.Office of Personnel Management

Conference Room G-91Governor’s Advisory Council on

Latin-American & Hispanic Affairs1/26/04, 4/26/04,

7/26/04, 10/25/04—2:00 p.m.Office of Personnel Management

Conference Room G-91Committee for Incentive Awards

for State EmployeesMeets at the call of the chair

Mentor SelectionAdvisory Committee

Meets at the call of the chairState Agency Review Committee

2/11/04, 5/12/04,8/11/04, 11/10/04—2:30 p.m.

Office of Personnel ManagementConference Room G-91

Oklahoma Commissionon the Status of Women

1/29/04, 2/26/04, 3/25/04,4/29/03, 5/27/03—1:30 p.m.

419C State Capitol8/26/04, 9/30/04,

10/28/04, 11/18/04—1:30 p.m.Office of Personnel Management

Note: Calendar subject to change. Call (405)521-2177 for most recent information concern-ing OPM Advisory Bodies and other entitiesstaffed by OPM.

For agendas, log onto the OPM Website atwww.opm.state.ok.us and open the “OPM Advi-sory Body Meetings” link under “Quick Links.”

3A Memos Since3A Memos Since3A Memos Since3A Memos Since3A Memos SinceOctober 2003October 2003October 2003October 2003October 2003

OPM 03-46 (12/11/03)State Agency Services During Hazardous WeatherOPM 03-45 (12/05/03)OPM FY 2004 Annual Compensation ReportOPM 03-44 (11/24/03)Employee Service Rating (PMP) Compliance FormOPM 03-43 (11/18/03)Proposed Emergency Amendments to Merit RulesOPM 03-42 (11/14/03)State Agency Hiring FreezeOPM 03-41 (11/07/03)Delayed Payroll ProcessingOPM 03-40 (10/28/03)Emergency Amendments to the Merit RulesRegarding Reductions-In-ForceOPM 03-39 (10/15/03)Incorporating Skill-Based Pay Differentialsinto Base Pay

Attorney General OpinionsAttorney General OpinionsAttorney General OpinionsAttorney General OpinionsAttorney General Opinions03-041 (10/8/03)(1) A state employee is entitled to receive longevity payand retention points for prior, non-consecutive periodsof service. A State employee does not lose credit forlongevity pay or retention points because of retirementif the employee returns to work for the State; (2) AState employee does not lose credit for longevity pay orretention points because of a break in service of morethan thirty days. However, if an employee has a breakin service of more than thirty days he or she mustrequalify for longevity pay by working for two continu-ous years without a break in service; (3) Once a Stateemployee is eligible to receive longevity pay pursuant to74:840-2.18, the amount of longevity pay he or shereceives is based upon all qualifying cumulative peri-ods of service throughout the employee’s career withthe State, even if such periods of service are non-consecutive; (4) The amount of retention points aperson receives is based upon all qualifying cumula-tive periods of service throughout the employee’s ca-reer with the State, even if such periods of service arenon-consecutive, and even if the periods of service donot count toward the employee’s eligibility to receivelongevity pay.

2003-22 (9/3/03)Revoking Executive Order DB #3—State BudgetLaw—Certification and Submission of Payrolls forPayment2003-27 (11/10/03)Hiring Freeze2003-29 (12/9/03)Revoke Executive Order 1999-06 and appoint theCommissioner of the Oklahoma Department ofPublic Safety to serve as Governor’s designee forauthorizing agencies to maintain minimum serviceswhen hazardous weather becomes a safety threat,causes undue delays or prohibits employees fromtraveling to and from work.

Executive OrdersExecutive OrdersExecutive OrdersExecutive OrdersExecutive Orders


On October 24, 2003, the Oklahoma Alliancefor Civil Rights, Inc., presented “Looking at aNew Paradigm: Macro & Micro Cultures inthe Workplace—Can’t we all just get along?”and Awards Luncheon. During the luncheon,the Alliance presented certificates on behalf

of OPM to individuals who had achieved“Senior Certification” or “Certification”status as investigators of complaints of

discrimination as required by the OklahomaPersonnel Act and the Merit Rules.

Individuals receiving certificates included(above, l to r) Joan Barnett, Department ofHuman Services (DHS), Cheryl O’Rourke,

Oklahoma Transportation Authority;John White, Department of Transportation;Peggy Carter, Department of Corrections;

Phyllis Bennett, DHS; Nancy Ellis,DHS; Jamie Fannin, Department ofEnvironmental Quality; (right, l to r)

Sherry Dowe, DHS; Charlotte Wyatt, DHS;R. Charles Smith, Health Department;

Dr. Sherleen H. Jackson, DHS; Ray Turner,Department of Rehabilitation Services;

Elizabeth Fine, DHS; and Barbara Williams,Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.

cies, Disability and Business Technical As-sistance Centers, and Centers for Indepen-dent Living. It also includes checklists andvarious other resources to aid employers asthey prepare to employ people with disabili-ties.

During National Disability Employ-ment Awareness Month 2002, the Educa-tion Department and the chamber’s Centerfor Workforce Preparation began develop-ment of the booklet. A partnership wasestablished to produce the document as ameans to acquaint employers with the pro-grams available at the department and thechamber that can help businesses employpeople with disabilities.

“Disability Employment 101: Learn toTap Your ‘HIRE’ Potential” is posted onthe department’s web site at www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/products/employmentguide/.

Copies also will be available soonthrough the department’s “ED Pubs” ser-vice on the Web at http://www.edpubs.org/ or by phoning 1-877-4-ED-PUBS,faxing 1-301-470-1244 or writing ED Pubs,P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, Md. 20794-1398.

Employment Guide, continued from page 11

The Human Resource DevelopmentServices (HRDS) Spring Semester begins onMarch 8. New courses include

• Managing a Multi-Generation Workforce,

• Dealing with Difficult People, and

• Living Paycheck to Paycheck.

Trainers from the Oklahoma State De-partment of Health and HRDS staff mem-bers will teach these courses.

In addition, Norma Goff, Departmentof Human Services, will teach DevelopingEffective Negotiation Skills during the Springsemester.

The Fall 2003 semester ended Decem-ber 19. The Spring 2004 semester will endJune 18. Call HRDS at (405) 521-2166 forinformation regarding Spring 2004 courses.

HRDS OffersNew Courses

Questions or comments about theQuestions or comments about theQuestions or comments about theQuestions or comments about theQuestions or comments about the“HR Exchange”? Articles/topics“HR Exchange”? Articles/topics“HR Exchange”? Articles/topics“HR Exchange”? Articles/topics“HR Exchange”? Articles/topics

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[email protected]@[email protected]@[email protected].


This month, the OPM State EmployeeAssistance Program (EAP) submitted theFY 03 State Employee Assistance ProgramAnnual Report to Governor Henry, PresidentPro Tempore Cal Hobson, and Speaker ofthe House Larry Adair. According to thereport, during FY 03, OPM State EAP Teammembers assisted 237 individuals—23 per-cent were supervisors and 77 percent werenon-supervisors. Eighty-two percent ofthese clients were from the Oklahoma Cityarea; seven percent from Tulsa; three per-cent from Lawton; one percent fromMuskogee; and eight percent from otherareas of the state.

Out of 237 referrals made during FY03, 119 were for work-related problems; 172were related to family conflict or parent/child problems; 77 were for marital prob-lems; and 81 were for mental health or alco-hol/drug problems. Thirty-five percent ofthe participants were self-referred, 21 per-cent were referred by a supervisor, 25 per-cent by family members, ten percent by co-workers, one percent by a medial/mentalhealth professional, and nine percent byother sources. During FY 03, the OPM StateEAP provided 2,564 actual clock hours ofdirect services—73 percent were for EAP

OPM State EAP Issues FY 03 ReportRobert Stevens, OPM

counseling. [Note: Some clients were mul-tiple referrals and are counted for each refer-ral.]

In a letter to the Governor and legisla-tive leadership that accompanied the report,Oscar B. Jackson, Jr., OPM Administratorand Cabinet Secretary of Human Resourcesand Administration, noted that “[l]ike otherpublic sector programs in Oklahoma, [theOPM State EAP] faced the daunting taskof seeing the need for its services increase atthe same time its resources decreased. Asemployees throughout Oklahoma turnedto EAP for assistance in dealing with thefears and difficulties accompanying tightbudgets, the EAP staff had its own shareof challenges. Cell phones were turned in,professional development requiring travelwas deferred and the staff made contingencyplans for schedules to provide continuedclient access in the event of furloughs orreductions-in-force.”

“Acknowledging the importance of theEAP during this critical time,” Jackson con-tinued, “we elected to exempt employeesof the EAP from staff reductions madeelsewhere in the agency. Cuts were made,

On December 5, 2003, the Oklahoma Society of Certified Public Managers (OSCPM)named Mary Wilson (center), Oklahoma Tax Commission, 2003 OSCPM of the Year.Oscar B. Jackson, Jr., OPM Administrator and Cabinet Secretary of Human Resourcesand Administration (left), presented Ms. Wilson with her award and a certificate signedby Governor Brad Henry declaring December 5, 2003, “Mary Wilson Day” in the state

of Oklahoma. Pictured with Ms. Wilson and Mr. Jackson is OSCPM PresidentJudy Dennis, Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

EAP Annual Report, continued on page 15

On December 2, 2003, BrendaThornton, OPM Director of Equal Oppor-tunity and Workforce Diversity, presented aspecial commendation, requested by OscarB. Jackson, Jr., OPM Administrator andCabinet Secretary of Human Resources andAdministration, from Governor BradHenry to the Oklahoma Alliance for CivilRights, Inc. R. Charles Smith, Civil RightsAdministrator for the Oklahoma State De-partment of Health, and president of theAlliance, accepted the award on behalf ofthe organization.

OPM Says“Thank You” toTraining Partner

Dayna R. Petete, OPM

The Alliance assists OPM in providingtraining for all individuals who investigatecomplaints of employment discriminationin executive branch agencies. State law re-quires these individuals to complete fourdays of initial discrimination complaintsinvestigator training, a minimum of oneinvestigation under the guidance of a se-nior Equal Employment Opportunity(EEO) investigator, and a minimum of sixhours of classroom instruction or 0.6 Con-tinuing Education Units (CEUs) in train-ing each calendar year.

The Alliance is composed of individu-als in the public and private sectors employedin the areas of personnel, affirmative actionand/or EEO. Members assist and supportaffirmative action and EEO personnel by,among other things, serving as a networkfor professional information and develop-ment in the area of EEO and affirmativeaction.

Brenda Thornton and R. Charles Smith


The Department of Labor’s WorkingPartners for an Alcohol- and Drug-Free Work-place program has a special web page (http://www.dol.gov/asp/programs/drugs/workingpartners/sp_iss/idhome.asp) thataddresses steps employers can take duringthe holiday season to prevent impaired driv-ing in their communities and send theiremployees a safe and sober message aboutworkplace parties and drinking.

By visiting the program’s website andselecting “Impaired Driving” under “Spe-cial Issues,” employers can learn about sev-eral measures they can take to minimize anynegative consequences of alcohol consump-tion, including tips for planning workplacecelebrations.

The website includes information aboutholiday-season and year-round impaireddriving prevention initiatives, alcohol traf-fic safety facts, myths and facts about alco-hol and driving, and state laws on impaireddriving.

The department developed the Work-ing Partners initiative to help raise aware-ness about the impact drugs and alcoholhave on the workplace and provide infor-mation on how to establish drug-free work-place programs that protect worker safetyand health.

DOL Offers Tipsfor Planning Safe

Holiday CelebrationsReprinted with permission

12/12/03 IPMA-HR Bulletin

however, to the EAP budget. Even if noemployees were affected directly, these cutsthreatened to curtail our ability to providecritical EAP services. Fortunately, the effectsof the cuts were reduced by the ingenuityof the EAP staff. Acting on the initiativeof EAP Director Robert Stevens, OPM en-tered into a partnership with the OklahomaCity Housing Authority to provide EAPservices. The contract was a classic exampleof “win-win” negotiating, permitting EAPto maintain the state vehicles so critical todelivering its services statewide while pro-viding the Oklahoma City Housing Author-ity services at a cost far below what they hadpaid to a private provider.”

“We are hopeful,” Jackson concluded,that the worst of the budget crisis is past.Nevertheless, the same adversity that em-phasized the need for a professional ap-proach for our employees who face personal,financial, or workplace difficulties thatthreaten our ability to provide state servicesalso gave the EAP staff the opportunity todemonstrate their creativity, industry, anddedication to their profession. We at OPMwill continue to build upon this founda-tion as we strive to “serve the people ofOklahoma by delivering reliable and inno-vative human resource services to our part-ner agencies to achieve their missions.”

In 1988, Governor Henry Bellmon cre-ated the EAP within OPM by ExecutiveOrder; the Legislature made the OPM StateEAP a statutory program in 1992. Initially,the OPM State EAP was created to provideassistance to state agencies in establishingwork-related stress-prevention procedures.

The OPM State EAP, which is volun-tary, provides assistance to state agencies intheir management of employees whosepersonal problems may have a negativeimpact on job performance. The OPM StateEAP also assists employees and their fam-ily members who are seeking corrective helpwith medical or mental health problems,including alcohol or drug abuse, and emo-tional, marital, familial, financial, or otherpersonal problems.

Specifically, the OPM State EAP pro-vides: Referral Services (maintaining con-tacts with community service providers forthe purpose of networking and coordinat-ing services to state agencies and employ-

EAP Annual Report, continued from page 14

On December 16, 2003, Ron Wilson, HRDirector of the Oklahoma Health Care

Authority and president of the Oklahoma PublicHuman Resources Association (OPHRA),

presented Diane Haser-Bennett, OPM AssistantAdministrator for Management Services, with aplaque commemorating her “outstanding service

and dedication” as 2002 - 2003 OPHRApresident. The presentation was made during theOPHRA Holiday Training Conference, which

was held at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art.Pictured behind Mr. Wilson and Ms. Haser-

Bennett is the 55 feet tall glass tower created byworld-renowned artist Dale Chihuly for the

museum. Occupying a three-story atrium at themain museum entrance, the tower is composed of

2,400 hand-blown glass parts.

Government RecognizesHealthy Workplaces

Reprinted with permission12/12/03 IPMA-HR Bulletin

The Department of Health and HumanServices announced the winners of the firstInnovation in Prevention Awards, whichrecognize efforts to promote healthylifestyles in workplaces and communities.

“These awardees go above and beyondthe call of duty to promote healthy lifestylesin their communities,” HHS SecretaryTommy G. Thompson said. “We are work-ing from coast to coast to build a healthier,stronger America, and these efforts start atthe local level. To promote healthier

Healthy Workplaces, continued on page 16

ees); Education/Training (focusing atten-tion on the personal concerns of employ-ees that have a negative impact on produc-tivity, while generating awareness of the EAPas a source of assistance. EAP Team mem-bers conduct classes on Managing the TroubledEmployee, Stress Management, and mandatorydrug and alcohol training); Counseling (re-solving problems related to alcohol or drugabuse and emotional, marital, family, men-tal health, financial, and other personal prob-lems, while developing short- and long-term goals); and Critical Incident Debrief-ing (providing crisis intervention to agen-cies for troubled employees and their fam-ily members by offering professional emer-gency services).

Members of the OPM State EAP Teaminclude Robert Stevens, EAP Coordinator;Warren Thompson and Deanna Miller,EAP Representatives; and BlancheLongoria, Administrative Assistant.


During the 25th Annual Urban League Equal Opportunity Day on November 18, 2003,Susan Savage, Secretary of State, and Oscar B. Jackson, Jr., OPM Administrator and

Cabinet Secretary of Human Resources and Administration, presented a commendation fromGovernor Brad Henry to Marc Morial, President/CEO of the National Urban League,

which declared Mr. Morial an “Honorary Oklahoma Citizen.” During his remarks, Mr. Morial,former mayor of New Orleans, noted that he and his city would be proud to welcome the Oklahoma

Sooners and their fans to the Sugar Bowl—UNLESS Oklahoma played the LouisianaState University Tigers. Editor’s Note: The Oklahoma Sooners play the LSU Tigers

in the Sugar Bowl on Sunday, January 4, 2004. Oh well.

OPM Team members Dayna R. Petete, Assistant Administrator for Communications andLegislative Liaison (left), and Herman Johnson, Targeted Minority Recruitment Coordinator

(right), visited with over 100 job seekers during the Urban League Equal OpportunityCareer Fair on November 18.

needs of the company’s employees. HealthTrack works to identify possible at-risk em-ployees and provide them with interven-tion programs, company-sponsored exer-cise opportunities, and general health edu-cation and disease management.

The Waco-McLennan County PublicHealth District in Texas won an award inthe small-employer category. The district hasa workforce of 72 employees, with 40 of

them participating in the worksite wellnessprogram. The program helps individualsset personal goals and flexible exercise rou-tines, and employees are given a paid houreach workday to participate in and recordthe physical activity of their choice.

lifestyles, we need to reach Americans in theplaces they work, play and go to school. Wehave no better partners than these eight or-ganizations.”

To be considered, a program had toaddress one or more of the following cat-egories of chronic diseases and underlyingbehavioral risk factors: asthma, cancer, dia-betes, heart disease and stroke, obesity,physical activity, poor nutrition, and tobaccouse.

Seattle-King County Healthy HomesProject (SKCHH) won the award in thepublic sector category. SKCHH is a nation-ally recognized leader in helping childrenwith asthma reduce the frequency and se-verity of their asthma attacks through pro-viding their families with education and re-sources to make their homes asthma-friendly and to keep asthma under control.By using community health workers whoprovide information, resources and supportto families, the project has helped reducethe number of days children have asthmasymptoms by 60 percent and the propor-tion of children using emergency health ser-vices by 64 percent — for its first 138 chil-dren enrolled in the project. Communityhealth workers have now served more than500 families in the Seattle area. SKCHH ispartnering with public housing agencies andprivate landlords to improve structural de-ficiencies and build new public housing thatincludes features to minimize exposure toasthma triggers. Such a partnership, whichbrings together public health experts andhousing developers and owners is bothnovel and exemplifies the leadership roleof SKCHH. One of SKCHH’s success sto-ries has led to the inclusion of “HealthyHomes” features in 1600 new housing unitsin the area.

Johnson & Johnson won an award inthe large-employer category. The companypromotes a healthy workforce with its em-ployee health and wellness program, whichintegrates disabilities management, em-ployee assistance, occupational health,wellness/fitness, and work-life services. Theprogram covers more than 47,000 employ-ees.

Union Pacific Railroad also won anaward in the large-employer category. HHSnoted the company’s Health Track programthat aims to address the evolving medical

Healthy Workplaces, continued from page 15

Best Wishes for aBest Wishes for aBest Wishes for aBest Wishes for aBest Wishes for ahealthy and happy 2004!healthy and happy 2004!healthy and happy 2004!healthy and happy 2004!healthy and happy 2004!

4th Quarter 2003 HRX - Oklahoma 7 Issue 4 A publication of the State of Oklahoma Office of Personnel...

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