Gallagher cannot provide county-to-county or public-sector pay comparisons due to anti-trust laws and ethical standards. These rules prohibit sharing competitive compensation data across public entities in ways that could influence market behavior.

Instead, Gallagher uses a combination of published survey sources and custom data collection to develop accurate, market-based recommendations.

Roles specific to county government or elected offices were benchmarked using custom surveys only. Broader administrative, professional, and operational roles were benchmarked using a mix of custom surveys and published market data from sources such as CompData, Economic Research Institute, Mercer, and Willis Towers Watson.

This approach ensures fairness, accuracy, compliance, and data integrity across all employee categories.

The Harris County Compensation & Pay Equity Project is an initiative designed to ensure that all employees are compensated fairly and that job roles across the County are clearly defined and competitive with the labor market. This project focuses on standardizing job classifications, ensuring pay equity, and making sure compensation is aligned with market standards.

The primary goal of this project is to ensure fairness and transparency in how positions are classified and how employees are compensated. By standardizing job descriptions and evaluating pay equity, we aim to:

• Align compensation with market benchmarks.
• Ensure that similar positions across departments are classified consistently.
• Identify and address compression issues and pay disparities across gender, race, and other protected characteristics.

As part of the project:

• Your job description may be updated to better reflect your role and responsibilities.
• If any pay adjustments are necessary as part of the pay equity review, you will be informed about these changes.
• The changes aim to ensure that all employees are treated fairly and compensated in line with market rates and internal equity standards.

Possibly. Job classification standardization may result in adjustments to job titles or descriptions to better reflect the actual duties and responsibilities of your role. However, these changes will not affect your core responsibilities or job function but will ensure consistency across departments.

Some employees may see pay adjustments as a result of the project. If pay disparities are identified during the review, adjustments will be made in alignment with budget availability to ensure that compensation is fair and aligned with both market standards and internal equity.

Pay equity ensures that employees are paid fairly for their work, regardless of their gender, race, or other protected characteristics. This project includes a detailed analysis to identify any pay disparities and actions to resolve them.

Gallagher Benefit, Inc., the firm leading this project, is conducting a comprehensive job analysis. This analysis involves reviewing each position’s responsibilities, required skills, and qualifications to create standardized job categories. These classifications will ensure that similar roles across the County are aligned and consistent.

Human Resources and Talent (HRT) will be actively involved in reviewing the classifications and compensation structures. Employees will have opportunities during the PDQ completion process to ask questions and provide feedback to their supervisor/manager. Employees can also ask HRT questions directly through the 'Ask HRT' button on this site.

The project will be completed over 24 months, with the following phases:

• Phase 1: Project Initiation and Strategy Development (2 months)
• Phase 2: Job Classification and Evaluation Study (5 months)
• Phase 3: Compensation and Pay Equity Study (5 months)
• Phase 4: Final Results and Recommendations (2 months)
• Phase 5: Implementation (12-18 months)

You will be informed directly if there are any changes to your job description, title, classification, or pay. This information will be communicated through email, team meetings with your manager, and one-on-one discussions as needed.

This project ensures that:

• You are compensated fairly based on your role, responsibilities, and experience.
• Your job classification is aligned with similar roles across the County, ensuring consistency and clarity.
• The County remains competitive in the labor market, enhancing opportunities for career growth and development.

We encourage employees to ask questions or raise concerns at any time. You can:

• Speak with your supervisor/manager or HR Liaison.
• Attend team meetings for department updates.
• Visit this site, which is your dedicated online resource page.

By standardizing job classifications and aligning pay with market standards, this project will create clearer pathways for career growth. Employees will have a better understanding of the qualifications and responsibilities needed for advancement, and the system will be more transparent.

Right now, employees are encouraged to:

• Complete the PDQ process and submit it to your supervisor/manager by January 6, 2025.
• Ask questions if you have any concerns or uncertainties.
• Monitor communications from HRT and your supervisor/manager for updates as the project progresses.

Yes, this project affects all Harris County employees across all departments. Every position will be reviewed as part of the job classification and pay equity process.

The project follows strict guidelines and best practices in compensation analysis, using data from multiple sources, including industry benchmarks and labor market surveys. The pay equity analysis will use statistical methods to identify and correct compression issues and pay disparities based on race, gender, or other protected characteristics.