Rules committee advances ordinance to collect SOGI data from city employees, repeal legacy privacy rule
September 27, 2021 | San Francisco County, California
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The Rules Committee on Monday voted to forward to the full Board an ordinance to repeal the city employees’ privacy provision and to begin voluntary collection of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data from city employees and applicants.
"This legislation would be a first step towards identifying and addressing similar issues with regards to LGBTQ equity and city employment," said Paul Craig of the Office of Transgender Initiatives, who presented the proposal alongside Department of Human Resources policy staff. Presenters said the Department of Human Resources will add voluntary SOGI questions to its applicant tracking system, develop guidelines for asking the questions, and implement systems to gather anonymous aggregate data for equity analysis; the presenters gave a proposed effective date of Jan. 1, 2022.
Sponsor Supervisor Mandelmann said the city — with roughly 37,000 employees — lacks reliable data on how many employees identify as LGBTQ+ and how that compares to the public; collecting SOGI data, he said, would improve workforce equity tracking. Paul Craig told the committee the current city employee privacy ordinance, enacted in 1985, conflated inquiry into practices with modern identity-based SOGI reporting and that other laws now provide protections against discrimination.
Public commenters echoed support for aggregated data while raising technical and procedural points. Olga Karajakin asked why both terms remained paired and whether simpler wording could encourage disclosure; "Can it just be orientation?" she asked. David Pilpel recommended staff verify meeting materials on Legistar and said aggregated anonymous reporting is the useful goal.
The committee voted to send the ordinance to the full Board with a positive recommendation; Supervisors Chan, Mandelmann and Peskin registered "aye" on the roll call (3 ayes). The measure will now be scheduled before the full Board for further action and possible adoption.
"This legislation would be a first step towards identifying and addressing similar issues with regards to LGBTQ equity and city employment," said Paul Craig of the Office of Transgender Initiatives, who presented the proposal alongside Department of Human Resources policy staff. Presenters said the Department of Human Resources will add voluntary SOGI questions to its applicant tracking system, develop guidelines for asking the questions, and implement systems to gather anonymous aggregate data for equity analysis; the presenters gave a proposed effective date of Jan. 1, 2022.
Sponsor Supervisor Mandelmann said the city — with roughly 37,000 employees — lacks reliable data on how many employees identify as LGBTQ+ and how that compares to the public; collecting SOGI data, he said, would improve workforce equity tracking. Paul Craig told the committee the current city employee privacy ordinance, enacted in 1985, conflated inquiry into practices with modern identity-based SOGI reporting and that other laws now provide protections against discrimination.
Public commenters echoed support for aggregated data while raising technical and procedural points. Olga Karajakin asked why both terms remained paired and whether simpler wording could encourage disclosure; "Can it just be orientation?" she asked. David Pilpel recommended staff verify meeting materials on Legistar and said aggregated anonymous reporting is the useful goal.
The committee voted to send the ordinance to the full Board with a positive recommendation; Supervisors Chan, Mandelmann and Peskin registered "aye" on the roll call (3 ayes). The measure will now be scheduled before the full Board for further action and possible adoption.
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