Sexism Runs Deep at Portland's Bureau of Development Services, Study Finds

Female employees in Portland's Bureau of Development Services say sexism permeates the culture, according to an outside consultants' report on the city's permitting agency.

"Many women find BDS to be a challenging workplace," the 48-page report from the Coraggio Group finds. "[T]hey see men given preferential treatment, and they see women treated poorly."

The finding comes more than five months after Mayor Charlie Hales yanked the bureau from Commissioner Amanda Fritz and assigned oversight to Commissioner Dan Saltzman. It also comes after a period of massive layoffs, followed by significant rehiring as Portland's economy has gone from bust to boom in recent years.

That whipsawing—both in terms of political leadership and finances—was also a focus of the report, which sought to assess employee morale and suggest improvements.

Through interviews with employees, the consultants found other themes:

  • Employees are afraid to speak up and offer contradictory opinions.
  • Communications from supervisors are often inadequate and/or unclear.
  • Employees lack trust in their leaders.
  • Departmental silos run deep.
  • Codes and regulations are applied inconsistently.

The consultants also highlighted a few positive aspects of work at BDS:

  • BDS employees are focused on doing the right thing for the city.
  • BDS has a highly capable staff.
  • BDS employees have high hopes for the city’s new paperless permitting system.

Sexism, the consultants wrote, "was one of the strongest themes we encountered."

"Although some of our findings may be challenging," they wrote, "no agency submits itself to such a detailed assessment if it isn't dedicated to making meaningful change."

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