Colorado is in the process of hiring over a dozen employees to support diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the state. 

The hiring is a key provision under the state’s agreement with the Colorado WINS labor union, signed by Gov. Jared Polis in November 2021. The agreement called for the establishment of a statewide Equity Office with 10 positions, in addition to nine positions within state entities to “support and hold accountable the equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives of the state and state entities.”

The Equity Office was created with the passage of House Bill 1397 in June.

As of the end of November, the state is working on hiring a director for the Equity Office and has hired an analyst to assist with data clean up and reporting, according to a spokesperson with the Governor’s Office. 

The Governor’s Office did not respond to repeated inquiries regarding the status of the other 17 positions mandated by the agreement.

Under HB-1397, 10 of the new employees would serve in the Equity Office under the Department of Personnel and Administration, four in the Department of Human Services, three in the Department of Revenue, one in the Department of Regulatory Agencies and one in the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing.

The staff will be “equity, diversity and inclusion officers” charged with directing the Equity Office, consulting state departments on best practices and coordinating statewide equity, diversity and inclusion events, the bill said.

In addition to staffing requirements, the agreement called for $2.5 million in annual funding from the legislature to establish the Equity Office and support equity initiatives. HB-1397 provided $2.07 million for the 2022-23 fiscal year and $1.64 million for 2023-24.

Under the bill, the Equity Office is tasked with providing best practices, resources and guidance for state agencies to issue equitable services and provide an “accepting and diverse” environment for state employees.

Also, the office is responsible for ensuring that agencies comply with state and federal equity laws; coordinating building accessibility; collecting and analyzing relevant data to identify needs for improvement; and, providing statewide diversity training.

The agreement also created a statewide Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, charged with prioritizing the state’s efforts to improve the workplace for employees and end inequality of marginalized groups. In March, the task force was assigned to assess pay inequities specific to gender, race and other protected classes and to recommend solutions.