Responsibilities & Functions

Under the guidance and direction of the Human Resources Manager, Human Resources (HR) provides administrative and personnel services to all departments of the city and acts as a conduit between employees and management. This is accomplished by monitoring compliance with established policies and procedures, labor contracts, employment laws, and by managing the city's "human resources" to meet the city's established goals and objectives.

Supporting Bremerton Government

Human Resources is responsible for providing support to employees and management by performing the centralized functions of recruitment, selection, orientation, benefits enrollment and administration, development and training, and labor and employee relations, including contract negotiations and administration. Human Resources also serves as a resource in assisting administrative and managerial personnel in managing, motivating, and disciplining employees effectively, and assuring compliance with all legal requirements such as the Civil Service Code through the Civil Service Officer and Civil Service Commission, Bremerton Municipal Code, RCW, Equal Employment Opportunity, Fair Labor Standards, ADA, FMLA, and Collective Bargaining Laws.

With salaries and benefits comprising approximately 65% of the city's budget, effective management of the "human resource" function is critical. Therefore, HR's primary goal is to design, evaluate, refine, and implement legally sound HR policies and procedures that will support organizational goals and fulfill the city's workplace needs as economic conditions continue to change.

Planning for the Future

The HR function will continue to evolve in the next decade and reflect the many changes in the external business environment. These changes include increased governmental mandates and legislation, technological advances which will make training increasingly important as the pool of skilled workers decreases, and changing workforce demographics which create new employee needs and demands such as flex time and child care.

Mission Statement

The mission of Human Resources is to provide consistent and timely guidance and direction to management and employees in all HR functions including recruitment, selection, orientation, development and training, labor relations, and to ensure compliance with established policies and procedures, labor contracts and employment laws.