Personnel Regulation 41: Compensation

Not applicable.

A probationary, regular, or provisional employee will be placed on the first step of the salary range of the classification into which the employee is hired. An employee may be appointed to the second step upon the recommendation of the department head and approval of the Director of Human Resources. Based on background and experience, appointment above the second step may be made upon department head and Director of Human Resources recommendation and County Administrator approval.

A. Unless an applicable memorandum of understanding provides otherwise, a regular employee or probationary employee after six months of employment who is promoted to a classification having a greater maximum salary will be placed on the lowest step of the new range that results in not less than a five percent increase above the employee’s current regular salary. Upon recommendation of the department head and approval of the Director of Human Resources, the employee may be placed at the next higher step. If the employee moves from a 37-1/2 hour per week position to a 40 hour per week position, the salary used to calculate the increase will be the employee’s current hourly rate. Otherwise the salary used will be the employee’s biweekly salary.

B. If an employee fails the probationary work test period in the higher classification, he or she will be placed at the same salary step from which promoted, including consideration for seniority.

A probationary or regular employee who is assigned to fill substantially the full duties of a higher classification for more than ten (10) days due to prolonged absence from duty, vacancy of an approved position, or emergency, will be temporarily promoted, in writing, and paid an additional five percent of his or her present salary or the first step of the salary range into which temporarily promoted, which ever is greater, not to exceed 15%. If the employee moves from a 37 1/2 hour per week position to a 40 hour per week position, the salary used to calculate the increase will be the employee’s current hourly rate. Otherwise the salary used will be the employee’s biweekly salary. The decision of the County Administrator is final regarding any disputes under this section.

A regular employee who is voluntarily demoted will be placed within the salary range for the class into which demoted. The salary will be set at the step which is lower and closest to the salary the employee was receiving before the demotion.

A. A regular employee who seeks to move to a trainee or entry level position which leads to an established, budgeted position with greater responsibility and a higher maximum salary, may receive a Y-rate salary not to exceed 10% above the top of the range of the new classification, if recommended by the Director of Human Resources and approved by the County Administrator. The following conditions must be met:

A. A regular employee who is reclassified will receive the salary set forth below.

When a regular employee, or a probationary employee who has been employed longer than six months is transferred to a position in the same classification or with the same top step, the salary will not change. If the intervening steps are different, the salary will be the closest step not lower than the employee’s existing salary.

A. Salary on Initial Hire. An employee hired in temporary status, i.e. extra hire, special appointment, or emergency, will be paid an hourly rate based upon the first or second step of the range of the classification into which the employee is hired. With the approval of the Director of Human Resources, the employee can be placed at any step in the salary range.

B. Salary on Movement to Regular Appointment. When an extra hire or other temporary employee is hired into a position on regular status, the employee is eligible for a merit salary increase the full-time equivalent of one year from the first day of continuous extra hire employment in the same or similar classification. Continuous employment means employment without a break in service of more than five days. Clerical employees and personnel analysts who are hired at Step 1 are eligible to move to Step 2 after six months rather than a year.

C. Salary of Retired Employee Hired as a Temporary Employee. A retiree hired as extra hire in the classification from which he or she retired will be placed on the step held at the time of retirement, or on a lower step if hired to perform a lesser range of duties of the classification.

A. A probationary or regular employee, who performs successfully (meets standards or above) as indicated on the performance evaluation, upon completion of probation and annually thereafter will be considered for a merit step increase. Upon these reviews, an employee who performs successfully as indicated on the performance evaluation will receive a merit step increase, if one is available, the first day of the pay period following their anniversary date, upon request of the department head and approval of the Director of Human Resources. If the employee is in a clerical job class or is a personnel analyst, the employee can receive a merit step increase after six (6) months and annually thereafter if the employee was hired at step 1 of the salary range for the classification. If the employee was hired at or above step 2 of the salary range for the classification, the first merit step increase will be earned upon completion of one year of service or its equivalent.

The department head may request and, upon recommendation from Human Resources, the County Administrator may approve additional step increases based upon merit for outstanding performance. A special merit step increase does not change the date for a future merit salary increase.

A. Non-exempt employees may be required to work overtime at the discretion of the supervisor as authorized by the manager.

B. Unless an applicable MOU provides otherwise, overtime for non-exempt general employees is defined as hours assigned to be worked and actually worked (except for authorized rest periods) in excess of forty (40) hours (or 37.5 hours for employees regularly scheduled to work 37.5 hours) in the designated seven (7) day workweek or the equivalent in an approved alternate work schedule.

C. Non-exempt employees working overtime when not expressly authorized to do so by their supervisor may be subject to discipline.

D. Overtime assigned and worked by non-exempt employees will be compensated in pay or time off at time and one-half (1½) their regular rate of pay and will be compensated to the nearest 1/10 of an hour unless otherwise specified in a MOU.

Unless an applicable memorandum of understanding provides otherwise, the employee may request, and the supervisor, as authorized by his or her manager, will have the discretion to approve or not approve overtime compensation in the form of accrued compensatory time at time and one-half (1½). An employee may not accrue more than forty (40) hours compensatory time at any time. Requests by an employee for the use of accrued compensatory time will be granted at the discretion of the department head considering operational needs. The department head should make sure compensatory time is taken as soon as possible after it is earned.

Payday occurs biweekly on the Friday following the end of the payroll period. In the event the normal payday falls on a holiday, payday will occur the day before the holiday.

Any payroll error resulting in insufficient payment to an employee will be corrected and a supplemental check issued, not later than five (5) working days from the issuance of the first check or notice, whichever is later. If a payroll error is made resulting in overpayment to an employee, the County will have the right to collect the overpayment through payroll deduction on a schedule in compliance with individual agreements made with employees. Upon realization of underpayment or overpayment, the employee must immediately notify his or her supervisor.

Each employee must accurately complete and sign a timesheet and submit it to their supervisor not later than the last working day of the payroll period or as otherwise determined by the Auditor-Controller.

An employee leaving County employment will receive all earned salary, all vacation accrued, all earned and accrued overtime and compensatory time, accrued, prorated floating holiday, and may receive personal leave time if an MOU so provides. Such payment will be made at the end of the pay period or sooner for involuntary termination.

Under unusual circumstances of major projects or excessive overtime over a sustained period of time, such as a declared emergency, upon written request from the department head, the County Administrator, upon recommendation by the Director of Human Resources, may authorize on a case by case basis, overtime or compensatory time at straight time for employees in exempt job classes, unless an applicable MOU provides otherwise. This policy is based on confirmation from the Department of Labor that this does not impact exempt status.

Effective Date: January 2005
Revisions No. : 0
Prepared By: Laura Armor

Approved: ss/President, Board of Supervisors