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Bureau of Human Resources

Service Area Summaries > City Operations > Bureau of Human Resources -- 23 pages · pp. 438-460 ↗

Intro (~2,573 tokens, spilled to sibling files): pp. 438-442 · PDF ↗

Contents

Section PDF pages Description
[doc] Classification,Compensation & Pay Equity pp. 443-444 ↗ Classification, Compensation & Pay Equity manages Portland's job classification, compensation structure, and Oregon Equal Pay Act compliance. The 2026-27 budget is $1.9M (down from $2.34M), primarily for personnel ($1.8M). The program is losing one Limited Term analyst due to expiration of multi-year classification study funding while continuing work on pay equity reviews, Language Pay Differential administration, and Salary Commission oversight.
[doc] Employee & Labor Relations pp. 445-446 ↗ Employee & Labor Relations supports the City through two main programs: Employee Relations handles EEO investigations, performance management, and accommodations; Labor Relations manages negotiations with 14 bargaining units and administers labor agreements. The 2026-27 proposed budget is $5.86M (13.8% increase from 2025-26), with 99.4% allocated to personnel. The program faces challenges from increased interim bargaining, new unionized areas, and prior-year staffing shortages affecting response times.
[doc] Health and Financial Benefits pp. 447-449 ↗ The Health and Financial Benefits program manages healthcare, deferred compensation, and leave programs for Portland employees. The 2026-27 proposed budget shows total revenues of $231.2M and program expenses of $204.3M. Key challenges include double-digit health insurance rate increases and shrinking reserves in the self-insured plan, which requires a ~$15M interfund loan to be repaid in 2026-27. Major initiatives focus on policy design, system efficiencies, and vendor contracts. The program aims to expand healthcare access equity through diverse provider networks.
[doc] Operations & Strategic Support pp. 450-451 ↗ Operations & Strategic Support, part of Portland's Bureau of Human Resources, manages HR, payroll, and strategic functions citywide. The 2026-27 budget is $7.2M, with personnel costs rising to $4.97M. While staff levels remain static, the city's employee base continues growing, straining resources. The department is planning a multi-year migration to cloud-based HR and payroll systems (SAAS), critical for compliance and operational efficiency.
[doc] People & Culture pp. 452-453 ↗ The People & Culture program is being discontinued in FY 2026-27 after generating $1.67M in revenues (primarily internal) in FY 2025-26. Personnel costs represented the largest expense at $814K, with external materials and services at $856K. All existing work has been consolidated into other program offers.
[doc] Professional Development pp. 454-455 ↗ The Professional Development Fund program, administered by Workforce Recruitment & Training, provides professional development funding to employees covered by four labor unions. The budget increases from $165,000 in FY 2025-26 to $615,000 in FY 2026-27 as programs for DCTU and PROTEC17 are moved from Special Appropriations and collective bargaining agreements with AFSCME and CPPW expand coverage. Eligible expenses include tuition, conferences, certifications, and professional dues.
[doc] Well-Being & Occupational Health pp. 456-457 ↗ The Bureau of Human Resources' Well-Being & Occupational Health program, comprising CityStrong wellness initiatives and a Nurse Practitioner-led occupational health service, serves all City employees. The 2026-27 budget increases 53% to $1,064,562 from $695,094 in 2025-26, with notable growth in internal revenues ($830,277) and personnel costs ($791,316). Recent enhancements include integrating a Mental Health Program Specialist, expanding Mental Health First Aid trainers, and implementing new occupational health tracking software launched in 2025.
[doc] Workforce Recruitment Training pp. 458-460 ↗ The Workforce Recruitment and Training program provides holistic services for citywide recruitment, onboarding, and professional development. FY 2026-27 revenues rise to $5.27M from $3.76M in 2025-26, with personnel costs at $4.52M. Key metrics show strong performance: 79-day average time-to-fill (target: 85 days), 6-day time-to-post, and 8-day closing-to-list. Citywide hiring demographics over five years show 49% female, 49% male, 2% X, and 36% people of color. The program merged with People and Culture in 2025, adding 1 FTE. One-time SummerWorks funding ($500K) expires in 2026-27.

See also