Third-party study finds the City and County of Denver a good place to work

The City of Denver is a competitive employer when compared to the private sector, a recent study found. The Office of Human Resources shared the findings of the study conducted by an unnamed third party contractor on Tuesday.

The city was asked to clarify who the third party contractor is, but The Denver Gazette did not receive a response before press time.

The study looked at 100 “benchmark jobs” across all levels, departments and agencies within the city. It found that 88% of these jobs were “at or above market rates.” This demonstrates Denver’s “strong competitive position” as a place to work, according to a news release from the city.

The study also examined benefits. Denver covers 94.2% of employee medical premiums, exceeding the “gold” standard affordable care act of 91.9%.

“Conducting studies like this every five years or so provides the essential data we need to continue attracting and retaining the talented, highly skilled workforce our residents depend on,” Kathy Nesbitt, executive director of the Office of Human Resources, said in the release. “The City and County of Denver is proud of these findings and remains committed to providing competitive employee pay and benefits.”

But not everything was perfect. The study advised the city to explore paid time off offerings and “clarifying career service rules” as it relates to setting pay for new hires and promotions.