Toxicologist

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Toxicologist

• Salary Equity

John D Budroe, PhD Staff Toxicologist Office of
Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
Poorni Iyer, PhD Staff Toxicologist Office of
Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
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Toxicologist Salary Equity

• Toxicologist Series
• Inequities Affect Recruitment Retention
• Statewide Situation
• California Environmental Protection Agency
• Air Resources Board
• Department of Pesticide Regulation
• Department of Toxic Substance Control
• Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
• State and Regional Water Boards
• California Energy Commission
• Department of Health Services
• Department of Fish and Game
• Department of Justice

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Toxicologist Series

• Classes
• Associate Toxicologist
• Staff Toxicologist
• Work Performed
• Save Lives - Protect Public Health
• Safeguard Our Environmental Resources
• Scientific Education
• Associate Toxicologist Masters Degree Required
• Staff Toxicologist - Doctoral Degree Required

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Toxicologist Totals by Department
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Statewide Salary Inequities

• Low salaries paid to all State scientists
• Lowered morale
• Loss of trained personnel to other agencies
• Recruitment and retention difficulties in the
  next five years, a wave of State scientists will
  retire, and the State will have a tough time
  filling those vacancies with high quality
  scientists.

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Statewide Salary Inequities

• 2006 DPA Total Compensation Survey - Occupational
  Differences
• The collective bargaining agreement for State
  engineers includes a parity provision that has
  significantly increased State engineer salaries.
  However, this improvement has a downside the
  State now has severe retention problems in the
  scientist classes where the duties,
  responsibilities, and knowledge overlap the
  engineer classes. State scientists have been
  moving into equivalent but higher-paying engineer
  positions.
• - scientists that cant move into engineering
  classes are escaping to non-State agencies or
  the private sector.

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Joint CAPS/DPA Salary Survey

• Research Scientist III class used as surrogates
  for Associate Toxicologists
• Research Scientist IV class used as surrogates
  for Staff Toxicologists
• State RS IIIs 9 behind other public-sector RS
  IIIs
• State RS IVs 33 behind other public-sector RS IVs

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DPA Total Compensation Survey

• Total compensation gap larger than salary gap -
  other benefits dont make up for low salaries.
• Local Federal jurisdictions have provided
  salary increases, including regular COLAs, while
  the State has not!

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2004 CAPS/DPA Salary Survey
RS III monthly salary comparison
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2006 CAPS/DPA Salary Survey
RS IV monthly salary comparison
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Cal/EPA Water Boards

• Cal/EPA Scientist Pay Equity Report
• Recruitment Problems
• Nobody wants to hire from the Associate and Staff
  Toxicologist lists
• Good job candidates not applying
• Managers are having to hire farther down the list
• Retention Problems
• Toxicologists are leaving for Federal and private
  sector positions

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Retention Problems - Examples

• A staff toxicologist from OEHHA in Oakland with 2
  years seniority was offered and accepted a GS 14
  (step 4) position with US EPA in Washington DC.
• At the current time, since this scientist has
  been receiving regular COLAs to his salary his
  current wages are higher than that of the Deputy
  Director of OEHHA. The federal government also
  has comparable benefits and retirement plans.

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Retention Problems - Examples

• A staff toxicologist from OEHHA in Oakland with
  10 years seniority and internationally
  acknowledged expertise in persistent organic
  pollutants took a position with a chemical
  manufacturer in San Francisco.
• This scientist informally noted that by leaving
  state service, he was able to approximately
  double his income. His comment was I couldnt
  raise a family on what the state was paying me.

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Proposed Solutions

• Salary Equity for Unit 10
• Longevity Bonus
• Educational Incentive
• Geographic Pay Differential

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Salary Equity for Unit 10

• Directly link state scientist salaries to
  results of joint CAPS/DPA salary survey
• Full parity based on real market comparisons
  takes no longer than three years

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Longevity Bonus

• State scientists currently top out early in
  their careers
• Add 1 salary differential for each year
• Beginning after 18 years of service
• Reward expertise that comes fromlong-term state
  service
• Retain institutional knowledge

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Geographic Pay Differential

• Monthly two-step pay differentialfor scientists
  in high-cost counties
• Recognize higher salariesof other employers in
  these areas
• Recognize higher cost of livingin these areas