Report 2017-030 Recommendation 5 Responses

Report 2017-030: The State Bar of California: It Needs Additional Revisions to Its Expense Policies to Ensure That It Uses Funds Prudently (Release Date: June 2017)

Recommendation #5 To: Bar of California, State

To better align its compensation practices with those of comparable agencies, the State Bar should update and formalize its salaries and benefits policies by developing and adopting a formal policy by December 2017 to regularly compare staff compensation and benefits with those of comparable agencies.

1-Year Agency Response

The State Bar adopted a formal Compensation Policy at its meeting on May 18, 2018.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Fully Implemented

As part of its new Compensation Policy, State Bar will work with an outside consultant to conduct a compensation and benefit review every five years, beginning in 2022. The purpose of the review is to ensure that the State Bar's compensation practices are aligned with those of comparable public agencies, and sufficient to recruit and retain a highly qualified workforce.

6-Month Agency Response

The State Bar will develop and adopt a formal policy requiring a compensation and benefits review to be completed on a regular schedule, likely every five years, no later than January 31, 2018.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

We look forward to the State Bar providing a more complete description of its actions to implement our recommendations, as well as evidence of those actions, at its one-year response in June 2018.

60-Day Agency Response

The State Bar will develop and adopt a formal policy requiring a compensation and benefits review to be completed on a regular schedule, likely every five years, no later than December 31, 2017.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2017-030

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.