Government Employee (Washington) Salary Data

Shane Snow filed this request with the Office of Financial Management of Washington.
Tracking #

PRR-084

Status
Completed

Communications

From: Shane Snow

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to RCW Ch. 42.56 (Public Records Act), I hereby request the following records:

A copy of the most recent database maintained by this agency detailing government employee compensation across the state.

I am specifically requesting that this release include, for each State employee, the following: Name of Employee, Age, Gender, Ethnicity, Job Title, Agency/department, City/location in which employee is stationed, and Earnings.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that fees cannot be waived, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 5 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Shane Snow

From: Brown, Kate (OFM)

September 9, 2015

Shane Snow via email only

PRR-084

Good afternoon, Mr. Snow,

The Office of Financial Management read your email, pasted below, on September 8, 2015. Under the Public Records Act, Chapter 42.56 RCW, I reply on behalf of the agency as follows.

Here is a link to the state salary database: http://fiscal.wa.gov/Salaries.aspx.

If this isn't sufficient for your purposes as it does not include age, gender, ethnicity and city/location (I assume of job, not the employee), it will be necessary to query our database for that additional information, should it be available and not be exempt under the law.

Please let me know within the next week (by September 16) if your request would be for the query. I could then provide an estimate for its production.

From: Shane Snow

Hello,

Yes, if we could receive the full data set (including age, gender, ethnicity and city/location of jobs), that would be ideal. Thank you!

From: Sherrard, Nathan (OFM)

September 16, 2015

Shane Snow via email only

PRR-084

Good afternoon, Mr. Snow,

The Office of Financial Management has received your email of Sept. 16, 2015, clarifying that you would like to obtain a database on state employees that includes age, gender, ethnicity and city/location of the job in addition to the information included in the link we sent on Sept. 9, 2015, which included the name of the employee, job title, agency/department and earnings.

If we have the additional records you seek and if they are not exempt from disclosure under the Public Records Act, we are happy to provide them.

The staff member who manages the employee database is on vacation. We estimate that the earliest she would be able to provide records responsive to your request is Oct. 9, 2015.

Could you please confirm that your request is for both general government and higher education employees?

We may be back in touch with you as she returns to settle questions that may arise as she queries the database.

Thank you,

Nathan Sherrard
Assistant Legal Affairs Counsel
Office of Financial Management
PO Box 43113
Olympia, WA 98504-3113
(360) 902-0540

From: Brown, Kate (OFM)

Sept. 23, 2015

Shane Snow via email only

PRR-084

Good afternoon, Mr. Snow,

In our email sent Sept. 16, 2015, we indicated that we would supply records responsive to your request by Oct. 9, 2015. You have clarified that you would like to obtain a database on state employees that includes age, gender, ethnicity and city/location of the job in addition to the information included in the link we sent on Sept. 9, 2015, which included the name of the employee, job title, agency/department and earnings.

Due to the size of this request and our need to consult with counsel concerning whether certain fields you have asked for are not exempt under the Public Records Act, we now expect to provide responsive records by Nov. 11, 2015. This date is also necessitated by the vacation schedules of staff responsible for public records and the number of requests being handled by this office.

We ask again if your request is for both general government and higher education employees?

Kate Lykins Brown
Deputy Communications Director and
Public Records Officer
Office of Financial Management
360-902-0619 (desk)
360-628-0911 (cell)

From: Sherrard, Nathan (OFM)

Nov. 10, 2015

Shane Snow via email only

PRR-084

Good morning, Mr. Snow,

In our email sent Sept. 23, 2015, we indicated that we would supply records responsive to your request for a database on state employees that includes name, age, gender, ethnicity, job title, agency, location and earnings by Nov. 11, 2015. Counsel has advised that some fields may require redaction and that third-party notification to our union employees prior to release of these records may be necessary.

As a result, we now expect to provide responsive records by Dec. 18, 2015. We appreciate your patience in this matter.

Thank you,
Nathan Sherrard
Assistant Legal Affairs Counsel
Office of Financial Management
PO Box 43113
Olympia, WA 98504-3113
(360) 902-0540

From: Sherrard, Nathan (OFM)

Dec. 14, 2015

Shane Snow via email only

RE: PRR-084

Good morning, Mr. Snow,

In our last email sent Nov. 10, 2015, we indicated that we would supply records responsive to your request for a database on state employees that includes name, age, gender, ethnicity, job title, agency, location and earnings by Dec. 18, 2015.

We read your email sent Dec. 11, 2015, inquiring as to whether we still anticipate providing you these records by Dec. 18, and asking whether any further clarification is needed. As discussed in further detail below, I want to provide you with some additional information around the data related to employee ethnicity and age and provide an update on the process related to notifying impacted parties of the request for information.

Clarification on Available Ethnicity Data

In the course of reviewing the records responsive to your request for any necessary redactions and third party notice requirements to employees who will have information about them released, we have determined that our records responsive to the "ethnicity" part of your request are likely inaccurate. As you may already know, the collection of some information from state employees such as race and ethnicity is voluntary. When employees are asked to identify their ethnicity, they have the ability to decline to respond to the question. Changes to our database systems and how some agencies recorded the information for employees who declined to respond has resulted in data that are probably not an accurate representation of each employee's ethnicity.

OFM would like to know if you prefer to receive this potentially inaccurate data, or whether you would instead prefer other, more accurate, demographic records. For example, we can provide demographic records on workforce diversity that are more thoroughly vetted for accuracy than our data for individuals. Please advise whether you would like to receive the more accurate data sets in lieu of the potentially inaccurate data.

Timing of Release of Information

As to the Dec. 18 date, legal counsel has concluded that third party notification to all of our state employees will be necessary prior to the release of these records. We therefore anticipate a delay of approximately three weeks after the date of your response to this email in order to provide that notification and give employees a chance to seek an injunction to prevent the release of these records. If no injunction is sought within 10 business days after notification, we will release your requested records at that time.

Individual Employees' Age not Available

Finally, please note that we do not collect an "age" category of data, and therefore we do not hold records responsive to that part of your request.

Thank you,
Nathan Sherrard
Assistant Legal Affairs Counsel
Office of Financial Management
PO Box 43113
Olympia, WA 98504-3113
(360) 902-0540

From: Shane Snow

Hi Nathan,

Thank you for your update. In regards to the ethnicity data, I'd prefer the data you would deem most accurate. Thank you!

From: Sherrard, Nathan (OFM)

Dec. 18, 2015

Shane Snow via email only

RE: PRR-084

Good afternoon, Mr. Snow,

We read your email sent Dec. 18, 2015, inquiring whether we still anticipated providing you with records responsive to your request by Dec. 18, or whether there was a new estimated completion date.

In our last email to you on Dec. 14, 2015, we explained that third party notification to a large number of state employees will be necessary prior to the release of these records. We therefore estimated a delay of approximately three weeks in order to provide that notification and give employees a chance to seek an injunction to prevent the release of these records should they choose to do so.

However, due to the holiday season, many of our staff and many other state employees will be on vacation until after the new year. We cannot provide proper notice to our employees until that time. Therefore we do need to set a new date for completion of this request. That new date is Tuesday, January 26, 2016. We do not anticipate any further delays in this matter, and we truly appreciate your patience.

Finally, we have reviewed our communications with you, and it appears that we never received an answer to our requests that you clarify whether you are seeking information for both general government employees and higher education employees. Absent an answer to this question by January 4, 2016, we will assume your request is for general government employees only.

Thank you,
Nathan Sherrard
Assistant Legal Affairs Counsel
Office of Financial Management
PO Box 43113
Olympia, WA 98504-3113
(360) 902-0540

From: Shane Snow

Hi Nathan,

We're requesting information for general government employees. Thank you!

From: Sherrard, Nathan (OFM)

Jan. 7, 2016

Shane Snow via email only

RE: PRR-084

Good afternoon, Mr. Snow,

We read your email sent Jan. 5, 2016, inquiring whether there was a new estimated completion date for request PRR-084.

In our last email to you on Dec. 18, 2015, we explained that third party notification to a large number of state employees will be necessary prior to the release of these records. We are in the process of notifying state employees of your request.

We have given employees until close of business on Friday, January 29, 2016, to seek an injunction to prevent the release of records in which they are named. Therefore, provided we are not served with an injunction, we will send you your records on February 1, 2016.

Thank you,
Nathan Sherrard
Assistant Legal Affairs Counsel
Office of Financial Management
PO Box 43113
Olympia, WA 98504-3113
(360) 902-0540

From: Hitchman, David (WSP)

David Hitchman
Male Caucasian
Grounds and Nursery Specialist 3
Training Division
Washington State Patrol
Shelton Washington
Earnings 2873 per month

From: Sherrard, Nathan (OFM)

Jan. 20, 2015

Shane Snow via email only

RE: PRR-084

Good afternoon, Mr. Snow,

As you know, we are in the process of providing third party notification of your request to a large number of state employees prior to the release of the records you requested. The Washington State Patrol has expressed concern about releasing the information of some of their officers who are undercover. To avoid any further delay in this matter, please advise at your earliest convenience whether you would permit us to redact approximately 30 names of undercover officers from the records we provide you.

Your prompt response is appreciated.
Thank you,

Nathan Sherrard
Assistant Legal Affairs Counsel
Office of Financial Management
PO Box 43113
Olympia, WA 98504-3113
(360) 902-0540

From: Ha, Uyen (HCA)

Dear Shane Snow,
Here are my information per your request:
UYEN HA
42
Female
Asian
M.A.S. 3
HCA/HCS
Olympia/Town Square 1 & 2
$43, 200

Thank you

UYEN HA
MAS 3 - HCS
360-725-1104
Email: uyen.ha@hca.wa.gov

NOTICE: This message (including any attachments) may contain information that is privileged, confidential, proprietary and/or otherwise protected from disclosure to anyone other than its intended recipient(s). Any dissemination, copying, retention or use of this message or its contents (including any attachments) by persons other than the intended recipient(s) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please immediately notify the sender by reply e-mail or telephone and permanently delete all copies of this message and any attachments. Thank you for your cooperation.

From: Hattie Nosko

I am responding to The Office of Financial Management request Name , age gender, ethnicity, job title, Agency/department, work station location, and earnings.

Name: Hattie Nosko
age gender:36 year old
ethnicity: White
job title: Registered Nurse
Agency/department: Washington School For The Deaf
work station location: Student Health Center
earnings: approximately $33 per hour

Hattie Nosko, RN
WSD Student Health Center
Office(360)418-4333
Cell(360)597-8223
Fax (360)418-4383

From: Sherrard, Nathan (OFM)

Jan. 25, 2015

Shane Snow via email only

RE: PRR-084

Good morning, Mr. Snow,

In our last email to you on January 20, 2016, we explained that the Washington State Patrol has expressed concern about releasing the information of some of their officers who are undercover. We asked you to advise whether, to avoid any further delay in this matter, you would permit us to redact approximately 30 names of undercover officers from the records we provide you.

If we do not hear otherwise from you prior to the release of these records on February 1, 2016, we will assume that you agree to the redaction of the names of undercover officers.
Thank you,

Nathan Sherrard
Assistant Legal Affairs Counsel
Office of Financial Management
PO Box 43113
Olympia, WA 98504-3113
(360) 902-0540

From: Smith, Sheryl L. (DOC)

Sheryl Smith
Warehouse worker 2
Coyote Ridge Correctional Center
Franklin county
2766.00

The Washington Department of Corrections is increasing the security level for email messages containing confidential or restricted data. A new Secure Email Portal is being implemented. Outbound email messages from DOC staff that contain confidential or restricted data will be routed to the portal. A notification of the secured message will be delivered to the recipient.

Click on the following web link for more information.
http://www.doc.wa.gov/business/secureemail.asp

From: Sherrard, Nathan (OFM)

Feb. 1, 2015

Shane Snow via email only

RE: PRR-084

Good afternoon, Mr. Snow,

Attached is the first of two installments of records responsive to your request. Please find attached an excel file containing the name, gender, agency, job title, work county, and salary for every general government employee, with two exceptions. First, we have not provided any records of Washington State Patrol employees, and second, we have not provided any records of Department of Transportation employees. The records for those employees are undergoing further review for any necessary redaction. Once that review is complete, we will release those employee records in a second installment. We anticipate that we can release that second installment by March 1, 2016.
Also attached are PDF files containing demographic data for ethnicity, including: one statewide general government rollup report; reports for all cabinet agencies with 100 or more employees; reports for all agencies overseen by separately-elected officials; and one rollup report for general government agencies with fewer than 100 employees (note: this includes the Office of the Governor, Office of the Lieutenant Governor, and the State Treasurer).

Thank you,

Nathan Sherrard
Assistant Legal Affairs Counsel
Office of Financial Management
PO Box 43113
Olympia, WA 98504-3113
(360) 902-0540

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From: Sherrard, Nathan (OFM)

March 1, 2016

Shane Snow via email only

RE: PRR-084

Good afternoon, Mr. Snow,

In our last email to you, we sent you an Excel file containing the name, gender, agency, job title, work county, and salary for every general government employee, with two exceptions. First, we did not provide any records of Washington State Patrol employees, and second, we did not provide any records of Department of Transportation employees. The records for those employees required further review for redaction. We anticipated that we could release the final installment of records by March 1, 2016.

The records for WSP and DOT employees are attached. A redaction log is also included.

With this communication, we have fulfilled our obligations under the Public Records Act, and consider this matter closed.
Thank you,

Nathan Sherrard
Assistant Legal Affairs Counsel
Office of Financial Management
PO Box 43113
Olympia, WA 98504-3113
(360) 902-0540

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