Remembering 9/11

Flags are flying at half-staff at all County facilities today in tribute to first responders and all those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.

ERG Event: Millennials Guide to Savings

The LGBTQ & Allies Association Employee Resource Group will host a “Millennial’s Guide to Savings” webinar with San Diego County Credit Union on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 12:30 p.m. The financial webinar will cover tips and suggestions on planning for retirement, building an emergency savings and become financially independent.

Register for the event now.

Kudos for a double emergency response

Message from CAO Helen Robbins-Meyer

Labor Day weekend turned out to be no holiday for many of our colleagues. While most San Diegans did their best to hide from heat and smoke, hundreds of County employees were busy tackling twin emergencies of fire and COVID-19.

The Valley Fire destroyed a number of homes and drove residents from a broad section of East County. On top of all the staff called on to handle the response, another 200+ employees volunteered to work shelters if more evacuations were needed. Thankfully, that wasn’t necessary, but I am so touched by the desire to help.

Even with the fire still active, we’ve already started on recovery for people who lost property. My thanks in advance to everyone involved in that long process.  

This fire struck as we head into peak fire season, and as we’ve seen horrific wildfires around the state. It’s all the reminder any of us needs to be prepared. Have a plan for yourself and family, pets included. Stay informed. Make sure your cellphone is signed up with AlertSanDiego, especially if your home has no landline.

Meanwhile, our team fighting COVID-19 had a new challenge: a spike in cases among students at San Diego State. This meant an intense effort in cooperation with the school to limit the spread of the disease. That started last week, ran all through the weekend, and continues. Of course, that’s after months of tireless work by so many employees to control the pandemic.   

And another huge event is approaching quickly: the November presidential election. I discussed all the changes coming in a recent message and the special staffing it will require. Employees are stepping up again, with more than 400 volunteering to be assigned to our Registrar for nine days leading up to the election.

This year has demanded so much of everyone, and you continue to come through time and again. The commitment to serving our residents is unparalleled. I don’t have words to tell you how much I appreciate your work and how proud I am to be part of such a dedicated team.

2020 has been a tough one, and it may have more to throw at us yet. As I’ve said before, please take care of yourself, look out for each other. And thank you again for all you do.

Attend a Virtual Open Enrollment Fair

This year’s Open Enrollment fairs are coming straight to you! The Department of Human Resources will be hosting several online virtual information sessions with benefit providers. See the schedule and mark your calendars.

“Attend” an Open Enrollment fair to learn about plan changes for next year and meet with benefit providers Allstate, EAP, ASIFlex, Delta Dental, Kaiser Permanente, Lincoln Financial Group, MetLife, PerkSpot, Optum Bank, UnitedHealthcare and VSP.

The Open Enrollment fairs are scheduled from Sept. 9 to Sept. 24

Open Enrollment is from Sept. 28 to Oct. 22.

Learn more about Open Enrollment, including what’s new, on the Open Enrollment website.

It’s National Payroll Week

Celebrating National Payroll Week makes cents! The week recognizes payroll professionals who make sure employees are paid timely and accurately.

There are about 320 payroll professionals that help process over 494,000 paychecks for approximately $1.54 billion a year for our workforce.  Plus, this year they have been extra busy with payroll for temporary election employees and COVID-19 contact tracers.

A big thanks to our payroll professionals during National Payroll Week and every week!

County Employees Asked To Be Alert, Prepare to Evacuate If Needed

Be prepared and alert as Santa Ana winds could cause the Valley Fire to grow overnight.

Dangerous fire weather is in the forecast, please be prepared at home to keep yourself and your family safe especially if you live in the areas around the Valley Fire.

We also want to thank all the County staff who are supporting the Fire Response.

The Valley Fire, which has grown to thousands of acres in just a few days, is a growing threat to communities in San Diego County with the Santa Ana wind event forecast for today. Residents, particularly those who live in communities around the fire perimeter, are asked to be ready to evacuate in 15 minutes or less.

Santa Ana winds are projected, at this point, to pick up in the evening hours, so it is important that residents be ready to go before then. In some previous fires, residents have been given less than 15 minutes to evacuate and were alerted in the overnight hours.

“We want to remind people to get prepared to evacuate in case it is needed and stay alert to the weather conditions, news and notifications from officials. This is an active fire and it can change directions and intensity depending on weather, so it’s important to take warnings and orders seriously,” said Jeff Toney, Director of the Office of Emergency Services. “We also want people to know that if they do not feel safe, they can evacuate early. People do not need to, and should not, wait for an official evacuation order.”

This map shows evacuation orders and warnings and the fire perimeter as of 8 a.m. Sept. 8.

• Be sure your cell phone is registered with AlertSanDiego, the county’s regional notification system to receive the warnings directly to your mobile phone. People may also register their VoIP phone numbers or emails as well.

• Residents may also download the ReadySanDiego SDEmergencyApp which also provides emergency information such as incident updates, shelter locations, evacuation areas and hazard perimeters.

• Tune in to local news coverage on the fire. The main Emergency Alert System radio stations for San Diego County are KOGO AM 600 and KLSD AM 1360.

• Now is the time for households to review, or create, a personal disaster plan in English or in Spanish. The guide includes disaster preparedness and immediate safety tips that can be used in any emergency. Among the tips are what you need to know about evacuations and suggestions on what you can take with you. Residents may also consider various routes to take to leave the community, know more than one in case one is not safe to use due to the emergency.

• Check on elderly or neighbors who might require assistance evacuating.

• Have a plan to shelter large animals or livestock and if possible, evacuate them early. If you need assistance evacuating call (619) 236-2341.

• Take household pets with you whenever possible.

• If you have a life-threatening emergency, call 9-1-1.

• Visit our preparedness website org.

Attend a Social Justice Listening Session

All employees are invited to join our Employee Resource Group Council for a listening session on social justice, equity and identity on Thursday, Sept. 10 at noon.

This session will center on Black voices in order to improve our County workforce and customer service experiences.

Attendees are encouraged to listen and participate. If you prefer to remain anonymous, send questions/comments to ERGCouncil@sdcounty.ca.gov by Sept. 9.

The virtual event will be on WebEx. The meeting ID is 133 437 6736 and password is 12345. You can also join by phone by calling (470) 238-5742.

The session will be recorded and posted to InSite after the event.

See the flyer.

Excessive Heat Warning Issued

The National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Warning for San Diego County Mountains, Deserts, Valleys, and Coasts, effective until Monday, Sept. 7 at 8 p.m. Dangerously hot conditions with high temperatures of 90 to 121 degrees expected.

Learn more on sdcountyemergency.com.

CAO: The Next Steps in Diversity & Inclusion

Message from Helen Robbins-Meyer, Chief Administrative Officer

In the wake of another police shooting of a young black man in Wisconsin and the events that followed that led to more tragic deaths, we all continue to struggle with our feelings about equity and racial justice, while recognizing there’s so much that must be done. 

As CAO, I want to definitively state that I cannot tolerate discrimination and racism in our workforce. Blatant racism is easy to address. Let me assure you, we will. But it’s the systemic and unconscious things we all do that are every bit as hurtful individually and harmful to our workplace. And it crosses all skin colors, cultural and religious beliefs, and sexual identities. That’s why we have to tackle this journey together with open ears, open minds and open hearts. 

We have started that process, and our Diversity & Inclusion Executive Council put together a summary of recent and coming actions. I am inspired by their work and excited for what’s to come. I encourage you to take a look at The Next Steps: Diversity and Inclusion.

D&I Executive Council: The Next Steps in Diversity and Inclusion

A message from the County Diversity & Inclusion Executive Council

“We want our leaders to know that we are listening to the way they communicate and what they prioritize.”

This is just one of the many important themes that came from the first Employee Resource Group listening session. It is a theme that resonated deeply with our leadership. We also heard themes around equity in hiring, recruitment and selection, among many others. The leaders in our County want you to know that we are listening and are taking action. We are changing our mindset when it comes to our County’s internal business practices and service delivery.

This means a full integration of the mindset, skill set, and open heart of diversity, inclusion and equity in all we do. This includes showing our commitment visually through the lighting of the County Administration Center for special honors and in solidarity with the community. We have lit the building in recent months in honor of Congressman John Lewis, Pride, Juneteenth, George Floyd, and the ADA, as symbolic messages of support to our employees and the public.

Five years ago, the County of San Diego took the foundational step of formalizing our dedication to equity, engagement, effectiveness and exceptional service through the inception of the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Initiative. This was the first step to consciously and publicly committing to cultivate a culture that supports and enhances our diverse workforce while providing excellent and relevant services to our residents. 

Although the foundation is set, there is continuous and momentous work to be done to create the safe space that produces our desired outcomes: exceptional internal and external service, inclusivity for all, a motivated and engaged workforce, and increased organizational effectiveness and innovation. We are energized by and are reflecting on the words from CAO Helen Robbins-Meyer’s message of solidarity to contemplate our individual and communal roles in transforming what started as an initiative into our culture as a County.

There are many opportunities in place at all levels of our organization to help us achieve real change: increasing the voices of our D&I Executive Council, the reinstatement of the Human Relations Commission, the creation of the new Office of Equity and Racial Justice, employee listening forums, the support of the Department of Human Resources (DHR) Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Team, and the dedication of the champions in our departments. Each piece plays its part just as each of us has a role in moving us closer to a culture that includes equity and belonging, and where we can all thrive. Let’s look at each of these in a little more detail.

New Voices and New Initiatives for the D&I Executive Council

With the creation of the D&I Initiative, the Diversity & Inclusion Executive Council was tasked with creating a culture that keeps diversity and inclusion at the forefront for leaders throughout the enterprise by guiding the County’s diversity and inclusion strategy. This breaks down into three key areas: serving as role models and champions of diverse perspectives and inclusive behaviors, establishing priorities and strategic vision to advance enterprise-wide progression, and overseeing the implementation and plan monitoring. You can see the most recent D&I Annual Report here.

The D&I Executive Council is comprised of executive leadership from across all County groups and has recently added additional team members to ensure that more County voices are heard and represented. The Council includes Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Sarah Aghassi*, Senior Deputy County Counsel Smitha Arons, Human Resources Director Susan Brazeau, Housing And Community Development Director David Estrella, Chief Probation Officer Adolfo Gonzales*, Special Assistant to the Sheriff Marla Marshall*, Clerk of the Board of Supervisors Andrew Potter*, Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Tracy Sandoval*, Director of Office of Ethics & Compliance Claudia Silva (Chair*), CAO Chief of Staff Andrew Strong, and Chief Deputy County Counsel Rachel Witt*. (*Indicates new appointment.)

Importantly, the CAO directed the D&I Executive Council to undertake a review of the goals and actions needed to root out and keep out institutional racism. The D&I Executive Council is committed to this significant work and looks forward to reporting on its progress.

Human Relations Commission

On May 19, 2020, the Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution to establish the Leon L. Williams San Diego County Human Relations Commission (HRC). During a time when racial and hate incidents have come to the foreground, the Human Relations Commission will focus on fostering inclusion and equity for all. The HRC was established to “promote positive human relations, respect, and the integrity of every individual regardless of gender, religion, culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, or citizenship status.” The HRC has 31 members, including  representatives from the following organizations: Jewish Family Service, the San Diego LGBT Community Center, International Rescue Committee, San Diego Rapid Response Network, Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association, the San Diego Chapter of the Black Political Association of California, and an Asian Pacific Islander representative appointed by the Union of Pan Asian Communities, Asian Business Association, and San Diego API Coalition. Each County supervisor has three appointments, one of which is for a youth representative. The district attorney and the sheriff are also members of the Commission. Currently, 24 of the 31 members have been appointed. The Human Relations Commission has held its first four meetings.

Office of Equity and Racial Justice

On Tuesday, June 23, County supervisors unanimously agreed to create the Office of Equity and Racial Justice. This came in response to recent events and protests that have urged introspection and brought to light challenging realities of disproportionate privilege and bias against people of color. In establishing the new office, the Board referred the development of the mission statement to the newly appointed Human Relations Commission. The Human Relations Commission will develop the mission of the office with the assistance of an expert consultant and input from the community.

Employee Resource Group (ERG) Listening Forums

The County of San Diego ERG Council is hosting Listening Sessions that center on Black voices addressing social justice, equity and identity issues to improve our County workforce and customer service experiences. The first session was held on July 8, and the 300+ attendees listened with an open mind to courageous peers who shared their experiences, concerns and suggestions. (You can read the summary and their message of solidarity with the peaceful protests.)

Department of Human Resources Changes

Over the past few months, we have had the pleasure of attending listening sessions, talking with our HR professionals, and hearing from our employees of color around issues that impact them at work and in their communities. In a very short time, our HR department has had to reassess and reimagine how we provide services and support the organization and its employees. We have entered a new era of HR looking at continuing to improve our organization from a human-centered design approach. 

A new division within DHR will assist the D&I Executive Council with navigating these complicated issues by sorting and communicating the facts and relying on our General Management System to help along the way. We will navigate the complexity of the problems by measuring results, not activity. With this new vision, we are happy to announce the formation of a new Human Resources division focused on equity and inclusion. This division will review County policies and job descriptions to look for systemic racism and expand the use of diversity analytics to help guide our recruiting practices, create a Mentorship and Talent Pipeline Program, and formalize pre-employment practices, such as unconscious bias in hiring.

The Department of Human Resources continues to serve as the lead for Countywide D&I activities, reporting progress to the D&I Executive Council, and implementing D&I Executive Council initiatives. Even during this time of relying heavily on remote operations, the DHR D&I team, in conjunction with Talent Development, has created new virtual opportunities to stay connected and support learning and competence. Another of their priorities is to support the needs and opportunities of our D&I Champions through trainings, workshops, and support materials like our D&I Digests.

D&I Champions as a Resource for County Employees

This past year D&I Group Lead Champions were selected by the Deputy Chief Administrative Officers (DCAOs) to represent each County group. They exhibit all the characteristics of D&I Champions and may represent the DCAOs on diversity and inclusion. They meet and collaborate with the DHR D&I Team to stay apprised of various needs, successes and areas of focus to establish opportunities for cross-functional threading and consistent communication at all levels of the organization.

Who are our D&I Champions? As defined in our original D&I Strategic Plan, “we can ALL be D&I Champions…. people who understand and appreciate the differences in the ways others think, act, believe and behave; and are willing and open to learn and change their perceptions and behaviors for the greater good of the organization.” Our departmental D&I Champions are your resources within your team that can make our practices of inclusion and belonging more relevant to the specific fields we serve. They are always looking for opportunities to increase their team to help serve the needs of the department and provide education and learning opportunities about diversity, inclusion and cultural competence.

The future is full of opportunities. It will take each of us with our unique perspectives, experiences, and skills to engage with one another and work towards meaningful change.