title
Adopt a resolution amending the Alphabetical Listing of Classes and Salaries for the unrepresented employees of Unit 30 (Confidential Employees), Unit 62 (Senior Management Employees) and Unit 61 (Executive Management Employees); and Adopt a resolution amending the Personnel and Salary Resolution
body
Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Director of Human Resources recommends that the Board of Supervisors adopt a resolution amending the Alphabetical Listing of Classes and Salaries for the unrepresented employees of Unit 30 (Confidential Employees), Unit 62 (Senior Management Employees) and Unit 61 (Executive Management Employees) by providing the same wage increases as provided to similarly situated employees in represented bargaining units. The Director of Human Resources also recommends that the Board of Supervisors adopt a resolution approving an amendment to the Personnel and Salary Resolution.
SUMMARY:
The proposed amendment to the Alphabetical Listing of Classes and Salaries provides unrepresented employees within Unit 30 (Confidential Employees), Unit 62 (Senior Management Employees) and Unit 61 (Executive Management Employees) with the same wage increases and one-time payment as provided to represented employees. The proposed amendment to the Personnel and Salary Resolution provides as County holidays the afternoons of Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, increases the maximum tuition reimbursement to $2,000 annually, continues the increased health insurance/cafeteria plan contribution for those enrolled with family coverage, increases the annual use of sick leave for an eligible family member for senior and executive management employees, increases the maximum vacation cap for senior management employees with three through nine years of County service, corrects a potential conflict when an employee’s merit increase becomes effective if the employee has been off work due to a workers’ compensation injury, clarifies the eligibility for previously accrued sick leave upon the rehire of an employee, and adds participation in the Internal Revenue Code 401(a) plan based on prior Board of Supervisors’ action.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Adoption of the changes for unrepresented confidential and management employees is projected to increase payroll costs by a total $6,227,014 through October 21, 2022. Of this total cost, $684,622 is during Fiscal Year 2019/20, $1,250,600 is during Fiscal Year 2020/21, $1,853,822 is during Fiscal Year 2021/22, and $2,437,970 is during Fiscal Year 2022/23 (through October 21, 2022). The costs associated with preparing the agenda item are nominal and absorbed by the department’s FY2019/20 Adopted Budget.
DISCUSSION:
The County’s workforce is divided into a number of units. There are five (5) units of unrepresented employees, which are Unit 60 - Legislative Group (e.g., Board of Supervisors), Unit 30 - Confidential Employees, Unit 62 - unrepresented Senior Management Employees, Unit 61 - unrepresented Executive Management Employees, and Unit 00 - unrepresented Extra Help employees.
The wages of the Board of Supervisors are set by County ordinance and the wages for all other unrepresented employees are set by the Board of Supervisors through amendment of the County’s Alphabetical Listing of Classes and Salaries (e.g., salary schedule). The proposed amendments do not change the Board of Supervisors’ wages or benefits.
The proposed action amends the salary schedule for the unrepresented confidential employees, senior management employees and executive management employees. Note, Extra Help employees hired into a classification with a regular employee counterpart receive the same hourly rate as the regular employee and no change to the Extra Help salary schedule is necessary to maintain this equal wage. The wage increases are three percent (3%) this fiscal year, followed by a three percent (3%) wage increase 26 pay periods later, a two percent (2%) wage increase another 26 pay periods later, a one percent (1%) wage increase another 13 pay periods later, and a one percent (1%) wage increase effective September 4, 2022. For Unit 30 (Confidential Employees), the wage increases will be on the same date as within the SEIU, Local 1021, labor agreements, which represents similar non-confidential employees. For Unit 62 (Senior Management Employees) and Unit 61 (Executive Management Employees), the wage increases will be on the same date as employees represented by Professional and Technical Engineers, Local 21, which represents the County’s unionized executive and senior management employees.
As with both SEIU, Local 1021, and with Professional and Technical Engineers, Local 21, bargaining units, employees within Unit 30 (Confidential Employees), Unit 62 (Senior Management Employees) and Unit 61 (Executive Management Employees) will receive a one-time lump sum payment of $900 if employed by the County as of December 29, 2019. This payment is not subject to CalPERS retirement benefits reporting, will be payable on January 17, 2020, and is pro-rata for regular part-time employees.
Additionally, employees with a new collective bargaining agreement have a change in benefits which are desirable to provide to the County’s unrepresented employees:
• Adding in 2020 the afternoon of Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve as paid County holidays.
• Continues the increased health insurance/cafeteria plan contribution for those enrolled with family coverage, with adjustments based on the wage increases.
• An increase in the maximum tuition reimbursement from $1,100 to $2,000 per year.
• An increase in the use of sick leave for an eligible family member from 80 hours to 120 hours per year for unrepresented senior and executive management employees.
• An increase in the maximum accrued vacation cap for senior management employees with three through nine years of County service from 280 hours to 360 hours. (Note, the rate in which vacation accrues is not changed.)
• Corrects a potential conflict when an employee’s merit increase becomes effective if the employee has been off work due to a workers’ compensation injury.
• Clarifies that an employee who is rehired into a regular or limited term position within one year receives his/her previously accrued and unused sick leave (e.g., excludes an employee rehired into an extra help position).
• Adds participation in the Internal Revenue Code 401(a) plan based on prior Board of Supervisors’ action.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board of Supervisors could elect to not amend the Alphabetical Listing of Classes and Salaries and not amend the Personnel and Salary Resolution. However, this approach is not recommended as it is inconsistent with the Board’s direction to treat all employees in an equitable manner.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Human Resources Department worked in conjunction with the County Administrator’s Office in formulating the proposed changes.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION