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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005 12 12 Regular 302 COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM 302 Consent Informational Public Hearin Re ular x December 12. 2005 Regular Meeting Mgr. / Dept. AuthorIzatIOn REQUEST: The City Manager requesting the Commission to review policy alternatives relative to the temporary assignment of job duties. PURPOSE: This agenda item is needed to respond to the Commission's request for a policy to address the temporary assignment of job duties. CONSIDERATIONS: Vacancies in the Community Development Director position between the dates of 7/31/02 and 3/14/05, and the General Services Director's position between the dates of 5/3/02 and 11/28/05 have raised the question if adequate compensation policies exist to compensate employees for temporary changes in job duties. Section 16.1 of the personnel rules authorizes the City Manager to assign employees to temporary acting status in positions of a higher, similar, or lesser classification. Section 16.2 authorizes the City Manager to increase the pay of employees assigned to a temporary acting status in a "higher" paying classification for more than 30-days. There are no provisions for pay raises for persons assuming the position of persons in "similar" paying classification or a "lower" paying classification. Section 10.3 recognizes that job duties change due to reorganizations, gradual assumption of increasing duties, technology, and other dynamics in the work place. Relatedly, this section provides that whatever the cause, when duties change, the position needs to be reclassified and assigned an amended pay status commensurate with the change in duties. This could include increases, decreases, or no change at all in payment. In such cases the City Manager is authorized to take the appropriate compensatory action. Sections 16.1 and 16.2 clearly do not provide authority for increasing compensation when employees are temporarily assigned to acting status in the position of a "similar" or "lower" pay range. Section 10.3 does state that compensation should be changed when job duties change for whatever reason, if those changes in duties are substantial enough to warrant an increase or a decrease in pay. Three important distinctions need to be made as follows: 1. It is common practice for employees in a lower class position who assumes the duties of a higher class position to be provided an increase in pay to assume those temporary increases in duties. It is far less common for an employee in a higher class position assuming the temporary and even full time duties of an employee in a lower class position to be compensated, particularly if the person in the higher class position is in an upper management position. This is reflected in Section 16.1. 2. The duration of temporary assigned duties is a factor in determining changes in pay. Pay changes are generally not made for short duration extra duties due to vacations, sickness, holidays, job vacancies. This is reflected in Section 16.2. 3. In long term temporary assignments of extra duties, and permanent assignments of additional duties related to reclassifications and reorganizations, several factors need to be evaluated in establishing an appropriate change in pay as follows: a) Complexity of the new duties as compared to the current job. b) Extraordinary education and training required to perform the new duties. c) Extraordinary work load causing increased work hours above the norm for the current job. d) Exposure to health risk. e) Changes in the quality of the work environment. Community Development Director. Community Development Director Charles Carrington resigned his position on 7/31/02. This position remained open until 3/14/05 when the position was filled by Randy Stevenson. During this period of time the oversight and coordination functions were assigned to the Public W orkslUtility Director. Budget preparation and control were also assigned to the Public W orkslUtility Director. The City Manager assumed the Town Center and other project management duties, and development liaison functions of the job. The Community Development Director salary range was below that of the Public WorkslUtility Director and the City Manager salaries. The duties assigned to the Utility/Public Works Director were no more complex or hazardous than those of the current position. There were no fundamental changes in the quality of the work environment. During this period of time no additional compensation was paid to the Public WorkslUtility Director or the City Manager, nor was any additional compensation requested. General Services Director. Gene DeMarie resigned his position of General Services Director on 5/3/02. The position remained vacant until 11/28/05 when Kevin Smith as appointed to the position. During this time the Fire Chief was requested to assume the responsibility for Risk Management functions related to property damage and liability insurance related issues and co- ordination of the safety program. Property disposition, cell phone and pager management was assigned to the Information Services Director. Janitorial services and solid waste contractor performance monitoring were assigned to the Utility/Public Works Director. All other functions of the position were assumed by the City Manager, including day to day supervision of employees, health insurance, human resource management, and purchasing. The compensation of the General Services Director position was substantially below that of the Fire Chief, Utility/Public Works Director, and City Manager. At the time the Information Services Director assumed these duties the General Services Director position and compensation was at a higher level than the Information Services Director. During this period the Information Services Director's position and compensation was re-evaluated and raised to the level of the General Services Director. No additional compensation was requested or paid to the City Manager, Utility/Public Works Director, Fire Chief, or Information Services Director, nor was any requested. The duties assigned to the Utility/Public Works Director, Fire Chief, City Manager and Information Services Director were no more complex or hazardous than those experienced in their positions. There were no fundamental changes in the quality of the work environment. According to Public W orks/Utility Director Kip Lockcuff the assignment of Community Development and General Services duties did not require any significant additional hours of work. However, it did distract him from his day to day supervision of utility operations. Although this did not cause any degradation of service issues, he was uncomfortable not being in as close an oversight position as he believed was needed. According to Fire Chief Tim Lallathin the assignment of General Services Risk Management duties did require an average 10 additional hours for work per week. The additional work load did have some impact on time available for work planning and training operations. Some family related stress was experienced due to the additional work hours, and his reluctance to leave the City. There was no degradation of services to the public. According to Information Systems Director Joanne Dalka the assignment of General Service's cell phone and pager management duties added approximately 1-1/2 hours to her average 48 hours per week. The property disposition function added another Y2 hour per week. These assignments did not add additional complexity or hazards to the duties of the Information Services Director. There were no fundamental changes in the quality of the work environment. According to the City Manager the combined additional Community Development Director and General Services Director duties were burdensome, causing additional 5-10 hours of continuous night and weekend work over and beyond the normal average 50-hour work week. The continuous night and weekend work did result in some family stress issues. The increased work load in the areas of research, report writing, project management, problem solving, and meetings impacted the amount of time available for communications with the Commission, staff, and the community, as well as intergovernmental coordination and relations. It also impacted coordination with department heads, planning, innovation and self improvement. For example, participation in the Florida League of Cities, Florida Association of City and County Managers, and International City Management Association activities were almost 100% curtailed including cancellation of two of the past three ICMA Annual Conferences. There was a concern that enough time was not available to prevent items from falling through the cracks, and that items were being expedited as much as they otherwise could be expedited. Related concerns were expressed by some Commissioners. The long delay in the replacement of these two positions happened for three reasons: 1. Several attempts to recruit the positions failed to produce suitable candidates within the salary ranges for the position. The unfortunate experience the City went through as a result of expediting the replacement of the previous Parks and Recreation Director caused the City Manager to take extra precaution in finding a candidate who would represent the City in an extraordinary professional and ethical manner. 2. Money was tight. The salaries assigned to the position were utilized to pay extraordinary consulting expenses related mainly to the development of the Town Center. 3. There was some doubt in the City Manager's mind as to the necessity for both department head positions. Relatedly, the City Manager wanted to see if they could be eliminated by reorganizing departmental duties and functions. The experience has demonstrated that both positions are needed. As stated before, the reorganization of duties did not represent acting status in the true sense of the concept, as envisioned in Section 16.1 and 16.2 because the duties were spread among several different people. Additionally, they did not result in temporary assignment to a job of "higher" classification and pay. However, as provided in Section 10.3 the reorganization of duties did result in a change in job duties for the Fire Chief, Information Services Director, Public WorkslUtility Director, and City Manager. Therefore, it appears plausible that a change in pay status could be justified if the changes were significant enough to create extraordinary burden upon those assigned the duties. It is quite clear that these extra burdens were experienced. Therefore, in consideration of the reassignment of Community Development Director and General Services Director duties it appears that a new policy is needed under Section 16.2 if the Commission desires to authorize increased compensation for a temporary reorganization of duties of "similar" or "less" classifications in the compensation system. AL TERNA TIVE: 1. Do nothing on the basis that this policy is not warranted since these types of temporary assignments constitute a common Senior Management responsibility. 2. However, if the Commission desires an additional policy the City Manager recommends the following addition to Section 16.2 of the personnel rules as follows: Section 16.2 Compensation. Employees temporarily assigned in whole or in part the duties of a position of similar or less classification for a period exceeding 90 days shall receive a 5% increase in pay for the duration of the period of time the temporary duties are assigned. 3. If the Commission desires this policy to be enacted retroactively, the policy would affect the following persons related to the reassignment of Community Development Director and General Services Director duties. Kip Lockcuff, Utility Director/Public Works Director Joanne Dalka, Information Services Director Tim Lallathin, Fire Chief Ron McLemore, City Manager 4. Instead of providing the 5% provision retroactively, provide a one-time bonus retroactively, and apply the 5% provision in future situations. A $5,000 bonus is suggested. 5. Adopt some other policy alternative the Commission deems appropriate. FUNDING: The reassignment of these duties in the alternative to employing the two positions saved the City over $488,000 over the past three years. 1. There would be no cost for option 1. 2. The cost of option 2 would depend on future events. 3. The cost of option 3 would be approximately as follows: Utility/Public Works Director Fire Chief Information Services Director City Manager $15,600 $15,000 $10,000 $24,100 The total of this alternative represents 13% of the three year savings of $488,000. 4. The cost of option 4 would be as follows: Utility/Public Works Director Fire chief Information Services Director City Manager $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 The total of this alternative represents 4.1 % of the three year savings of $488,000. 5. Some other option the Commission deems appropriate. You may want to consider that it is very common for the private sector to share a percentage of cost savings with employees; twenty-five to fifty percent is common. RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the Commission choose which policy it deems most appropriate. A TT ACHMENTS: 1. Section 16.1 2. Section 16.2 3. Section 10.3 COMMISSION ACTION: SECTION 16 SUBJECT: TEMPORARY ACTING POSITIONS 16.1 Policy and Authority In an emergency, or in cases where the City Manager deems it in the interest of the City, an employee may be placed in a temporary "Acting" status. Such placements will be based on the needs of the City and include temporary transfers to positions of a higher, similar or lower classification. 16.2 Compensation Employees temporarily reassigned for a period exceeding 30 calendar days in any given calendar year to a higher classification level, other than to fill in for personal leave or similar absences, shall be granted a five percent increase or the minimum level of the new pay grade, whichever is greater, for the duration of the temporary assignment. Regular increases shall be granted during the period of reassignment. " .:. .:. City of Winter Springs Page 29 SECTION 10 SUBJECT: COMPENSATION AND CLASSIFICATION 10.1 Employee Classification Every employee should have a job description which accurately reflects what he/she is actually doing. Based on these descriptions, employment classifications are developed. Every effort is made, through the classification plan, to group positions together into classes which are similar in type of work performed, complexity, and responsibility. Ideally these positions will then fall in the same pay range. The job titles listed in the classification plan are used in all personnel records and transactions. i 10.2 Pay Plan The City of Winter Springs has adopted a Pay Plan wherein jobs are graded and appropriate pay levels established. The goal of the pay plan is for positions of like requirements and complexity to be paid comparable salaries. In actual fact, however, for the most part, market surveys are conducted and pay ranges established that ensure our employees are paid wages comparable with those in the labor marketplace. From time to time.. the City conducts reviews of other, similar jurisdictions and the private sector to determine if it is still paying a fair wage for the work performed. If it is not, the salaries are adjusted accordingly. 10.3 Reclassification ' - ') It is the duty of the City Manager to amend the position descriptions and classification specifications when necessary so that each class will accurately reflect the current duties and responsibilities of the position. A reorganization may have occurred and duties increased or decreased. An individual or group may have gradually assumed more responsibility. Technology may change the duties. Whatever the cause, when duties change, the position needs to be reclassified and compensation reviewed; that is, it needs to be evaluated (reclassified) and fair compensation established. It is incumbent on the Department Heads and individual employees to bring . classification/compensation concerns to the attention of the City Manager and for the City Manager to make a further investigation of the matter arid to take appropriate action. Specifically, a request for a reclassification should be submitted by the Department Head - and shall be accomJ')anied by written supporting documentation to the City Manager. This documentation should be sufficient to support a reclassification by documenting actual job duties and tasks. It should further explain what has changed to warrant reviewing the position. It should also be considered in light of other positions within the City's Classification System. Reclassification, in fact, should not take place independent of consideration of other positions within the overall classification system. If the City Manager determines sufficient evidence exists to warrant a further review, he/she shall turn the matter over to the General Services Director who shall make an independent review. The employee(s) whose position(s) are under consideration may be asked to complete a questionnaire and/or submit additional information. Upon City of Winter Springs Page 21 ..-') SECTION 10 SUBJECT: COMPENSATION AND CLASSIFICATION completion, the General Services Director shall make a recommendation to the City ~anager. The City Ma~ager shall approve or disapprove all reclassifications. When a position is reclassified to a higher pay grade, adjustments to salary should be handled in the same manner as a "Promotion". When a reclassification results in assignment to a lower pay grade, adjustment should be made in accordance with the rules for a "Demotion". .:. City of Winter Springs Page 22