Results of TPEA Survey
TPEA thanks all employees who participated in the online survey we sent out in November. TPEA sent an email with a link to the survey to approximately 75,000 state employees. Over 18,500 employees opened the email, and nearly 16,700 completed the survey. This response far exceeded our expectations. TPEA hopes that the information garnered from survey results will enable us to do a better job representing the interests of state employees in the legislative process.
Our analysis of the survey results suggests that respondents were broadly representative of the state workforce, with a few notable exceptions. Almost all large state agencies were well represented among respondents, with the exception of the Comptroller of Public Accounts and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ). Despite being the largest state agency, a much smaller proportion of TDCJ employees have email addresses than at other state agencies. Employees at all salary levels responded to the survey, with 64 percent of respondents earning between $20,000 and $45,000 annually. 77 percent of respondents were non-supervisory personnel, and slightly more than 50 percent had a Bachelors degree or higher educational attainment. Slightly more than 60 percent were “baby boomers” (born between 1947 and 1964) and an additional 34 percent were members of “Generation X” (born between 1965 and 1985).
In three other respects the pool of respondents was less reflective of the state workforce. First, women were over-represented, since almost 63 percent of respondents were female, and the state workforce is between 54 and 55 percent female. Secondly, respondents were more likely to be Anglo, 64 percent of respondents, as compared to 54 percent of the overall state employee population. Finally, respondents had a greater length of tenure with the state than is the case with the workforce generally, with over 55 percent of respondents having more than 10 years service with the state, significantly higher than average.
Among the most interesting findings were those that show levels of satisfaction among employees regarding the three primary benefits in the state’s compensation package—retirement, health insurance and salaries. Respondents are least dissatisfied and most satisfied with retirement. Health insurance rated in the middle. And employees are most dissatisfied and least satisfied with salary. Only 10 percent of respondents are very or somewhat unsatisfied with retirement benefits, while 67 percent are very or somewhat satisfied. With regard to health insurance, a quarter of respondents are very or somewhat unsatisfied, while 64 percent are very or somewhat satisfied. Almost 45 percent of survey participants are very or somewhat unsatisfied with their salary, while slightly less than 40 percent are very or somewhat satisfied.
Some of the other characteristics that state employees viewed positively about their jobs include the 40 hour work week, paid time off, casual dress code, challenging work, and job security. Conversely, some aspects of the job that are viewed more negatively and which employees are less satisfied with are non-monetary recognition, opportunity for advancement, and telecommuting.
The survey also posed several questions regarding how employees rated TPEA and other advocacy groups in informing employees and effectively advocating on legislative issues. TPEA was seen as significantly more effective in successfully advocating in the legislative process and informing employees than the other groups listed.
Visit http://www.tpea.org/survey/nov2007/results.html to see detailed results to certain survey questions.
Again, TPEA appreciates all the employees who participated in the survey.
SAO Report on Employee Turnover for FY 2007
The annual report on state employee turnover during fiscal year 2007 was released by the State Auditor’s Office in December of 2007. The overall turnover rate was 17.4 percent, a substantial increase over the FY 2006 rate of 15.8 percent, and the highest turnover rate in the past five years. Visit http://www.sao.state.tx.us/Reports/report.cfm/report/08-703 to see the full SAO report.
The SAO report covers fiscal year 2007, which ended on August 31, 2007. The report suggests that the strong Texas economy and relatively low unemployment rate during FY 2007 contributed to the increase in turnover. TPEA acknowledges the impact of the economy on turnover and believes the significant competitive disparity in state employee salaries compared with other public and private employers is the primary cause of turnover, particularly among younger and less tenured employees. However, it is difficult to prove the causes of turnover without additional data showing comparative turnover rates among other public and private employers, as well as disparities in actual compensation for comparable work.
Excessive employee turnover remains a costly and troublesome trend in Texas state government. It is no coincidence that the most troubled state agency in recent years has also had the highest turnover rate. And while no other agency approached the 40.7 percent turnover rate of the Texas Youth Commission, four other large agencies had turnover rates in excess of 20 percent, DADS at 30.2%, DFPS at 23.2%, DSHS at 21.3%, and TDCJ at 20.2%. Employees at agencies with higher turnover also tend to be less satisfied with their pay, as revealed by the TPEA online survey, providing more evidence that non-competitive state salaries are a major contributor to turnover.
Exit Survey Results
Another important source of information about the causes of employee turnover is the exit survey that is made available to employees who voluntarily leave state employment. As has been the case in every year since the survey began, the exit survey results show that primary reason why employees left state employment in FY 2007 was for better pay/benefits. The next highest rated reason was retirement from the state, followed by poor working conditions/environment. The exit survey results provide additional confirmation that inadequate employee compensation is a primary cause of employee turnover in state government. Exit survey results for FY 2007 are included in the SAO turnover report linked in the previous section.
State Retiree Issues
As has been reported in the Dallas Morning News, http://www.tpea.org/news/2007/1110/one-timepension.shtml, and other Texas newspapers, the Board of Trustees of the Teachers Retirement System has approved a one-time supplemental payment or "13th Check" of up to $2400 for TRS retirees in January of 2008. While this is a well-deserved benefit enhancement for TRS retirees, ERS retirees have not received any type of benefit enhancement in 6 years and should receive a comparable and equitable benefit enhancement as soon as possible. TPEA was the only advocacy group for active or retired state employees to support legislation last session that would have provided a benefit increase for ERS retirees. This will continue to be a top priority for TPEA.
Other News
* 2008 TPEA Unsung Hero Awards. The 2008 Unsung Hero Awards luncheon will be held on Thursday, March 27th at the Holiday Inn Austin Town Lake from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. TPEA created the Unsung Hero Awards in 2004 to recognize those individual state employees or groups of state employees who represent the ideals of a public servant and define public service within their agency or in their community. The Unsung Hero Award is considered one of the highest honors a state employee can receive. This luncheon celebrates those people who have earned this honor by performing exemplary service for the state of Texas. Visit http://www.tpea.org/UnsungHero/2008/2008nominations.html to see the list of nominees.
* TPEA All State Employee Celebration at Scholz Garten. The ALL STATE EMPLOYEE CELEBRATION will be held on March 27th from 5 to 7 p.m. at historic Scholz Garten in Austin. TPEA will again co-host this fun event with the Department of Public Safety Officers Association (DPSOA). This celebration is designed to recognize the people who make Texas work. We’ll have a fun band and complimentary beverages.
* Legislative Interim Charges. The Texas House of Representatives has released its list of interim charges, http://www.house.state.tx.us/committees/charges/80interim/wholeInterimCharges.pdf, for standing committees. These are the issues that committees will study over the next year in preparation for the next legislative session. Of primary interest to state employees and retirees are the charges for the Appropriations Committee and the Pensions and Investments Committee.