To: Board of Supervisors of the County of Sonoma, Board of Directors of the Sonoma County Water Agency, Board of Commissioners of the Community Development Commission, and Board of Directors of the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District
Department or Agency Name(s): Human Resources Department
Staff Name and Phone Number: Jennifer Lelouarn, (707) 565-2235
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): All
Title:
Title
Miscellaneous Classification, Compensation, and Allocation Changes
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Recommended Actions:
Recommended action
Adopt Resolutions reflecting the recommendations of completed classification studies and other position allocation changes:
A) Adopt a Concurrent Resolution amending the Memorandum of Understanding between the County and Service Employees International Union, Local 1021, Salary Table Scales, to establish two new classifications and salaries, effective March 12, 2019.
B) Adopt a Concurrent Resolution amending the Salary Resolution No. 95-0926, Appendix A - Salary Tables, to revise and retitle one existing classification, and to establish one new classification and salary, effective March 12, 2019.
C) Adopt a Resolution amending the Department Allocation Tables of the Human Services Department, the Board of Supervisors’ Office/County Administrator’s Office, and the Regional Parks Department, effective March 12, 2019.
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Executive Summary:
The County’s Human Resources Department is responsible for managing the County-wide classification and compensation structure. Components of this responsibility include ensuring employees are appropriately classified, administering the County’s Compensation Plan, and assisting departments with organizational changes when they involve classification reviews. Regularly, the department conducts classification and compensation analyses, and develops reports and presents recommendations to incumbents, unions, departments, and in many situations the Civil Service Commission. Ensuring employees are appropriately classified and having a sound classification plan results in the County’s ability to attract and retain a highly qualified, engaged workforce charged with providing the most efficient services possible for our community.
In resolutions before your Board today Human Resources requests approval to implement the final recommendations resulting from classification studies in the Human Services Department and the Board of Supervisors’ Office/County Administrator’s Office; and to change a position allocation for the Regional Parks Department.
Discussion:
Classification is a method for categorizing jobs based on duties, responsibilities, and a variety of other factors. A classification plan contains all of the classifications in the agency and forms the basis for setting job expectations, consistent and fair job entrance requirements, equitable compensation, and plays an important role in the budget. Human Resources is responsible for managing the County’s classification plan by evaluating job descriptions for vacant, filled, and new positions to ensure that they are assigned to the appropriate classifications. Positions are assigned, or allocated, to departments based on Human Resources’ determination of the appropriate classification.
The majority of the County’s positions/classifications are in the County’s Civil Service System. Therefore, most classification changes and new classifications are reviewed and approved by the Civil Service Commission, and the Board has final approval authority prior to the implementation of any classification changes. However, four agencies (i.e., Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, Community Development Commission, Sonoma County Fair, and Sonoma County Water Agency) are not governed by the County’s Civil Service System, and the Board has sole authority for the related classification and compensation issues. As part of this effort, Human Resources is seeking approval for the following changes in classifications and allocations.
Human Services Department:
Human Resources (HR) conducted a classification study of Social Service Worker IV and Social Service Supervisor II positions allocated to the Family, Youth, and Children (FYC) Division of the Human Services Department as a result of an October 23, 2018, side letter agreement between the County of Sonoma (County) and SEIU, Concurrent Resolution No. 18-0461. The purpose of the study was to establish whether or not these positions were appropriately classified.
Upon conclusion of the study, HR determined the scope of duties; decision-making authority, specialized knowledge requirements, and overall consequence of error that characterized the studied positions were not appropriately reflected in the existing Social Service Worker IV and Social Service Supervisor II job specifications. The fact that several comparator agencies use specialized classes to perform the body of work, and that HR has had a long-standing practice of conducting separate recruitments to distinguish between positions allocated to the FYC Division, as opposed to other Divisions with the same classifications, also support this conclusion.
HR reviewed the County’s classification plan and did not find any other classifications that would be an appropriate match for the studied FYC positions. Consequently, HR recommends the establishment of two new classifications, titled Child Protective Services Social Worker and Child Protective Services Social Work Supervisor, to perform these specialized bodies of work in FYC.
On March 7, 2019, the Civil Service Commission approved the creation of the two new job classifications, and the promotion of the incumbents in accordance with Civil Service Rule 3.3C.
Bargaining Unit, Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and Salary Determinations:
Pursuant to the County’s Employee Relations Policy, HR determined the appropriate bargaining unit for the Child Protective Services Social Worker and the Child Protective Services Social Work Supervisor classifications are SEIU Social Services - Non-Supervisory - Unit 0025, and SEIU General Supervisory - Unit 0095, respectively. Both classifications are non-exempt, pursuant to the guidelines of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Based on an evaluation of market data and internal equity factors, HR recommends a $7,361/Monthly I-Step salary for the Child Protective Services Social Worker classification, and that the ongoing salary administration be set at 10% above the benchmark classification of Social Service Worker IV. HR further recommends setting the salary for Child Protective Services Social Work Supervisor at $8,246/Monthly I-Step. This recommendation maintains consistency with the existing differential between the social worker and supervisory level classifications and ensures appropriate internal equity between the new supervisory level class and the Human Services Section Manager class it reports to. HR further recommends the Child Protective Services Social Work Supervisor maintain a 12% differential above Child Protective Services Social Worker for ongoing salary administration purposes.
Human Resources, Human Services Department management, and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) participated in several meet and confer sessions, which resulted in a Letter of Agreement between the parties (Summary Attachment 3).
Government Code Compliance Requirements:
Various provisions of the California Government Code require certain disclosures before the Board can adopt changes in salaries or benefits, with additional disclosure required for changes in pension and other post-employment benefits. Any changes in salaries and benefits must be adopted at a public meeting of the Board (Cal Gov’t Code §23026). Notice of the consideration of such increases must be provided prior to the meeting and shall include “an explanation of the financial impact that the proposed benefit change or salary increase will have on the funding status of the county employees' retirement system.” (Cal Gov’t Code §31515.5).
Pursuant to Government Codes §23026 and §31515.5, the County retained Segal Company (Segal) to conduct an actuarial analysis to determine what impacts the cost of living adjustments, equity increases, and other changes to salaries and benefits negotiated for a successor Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the County and Service Employees’ International Union 1021 (SEIU) would have on the County’s retirement system.
Segal concluded that the assumptions applied in the December 31, 2016 Valuation to develop the employer costs for the 2018/2019 Fiscal Year for the General County membership group are sufficient to cover the costs of the salary increases for this group for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2018/2019. Further, Segal concluded that the assumptions applied in the December 31, 2017 Valuation to develop the employer costs for the 2019/2020 Fiscal Year for the General County membership group, are also sufficient to cover the costs of the proposed salary increases for this group.
It should be noted that any future salary and benefits changes bargained for the 2019/2020 Fiscal Year would require this analysis to be revised.
Segal’s analyses are included as an Attachment to the Resolution (Summary Attachment 4).
The Human Services Department seeks approval for the addition of 101.5 FTE Child Protective Services Social Worker allocations and 17 FTE Child Protective Services Social Work Supervisor allocations, and the deletion of 101.5 FTE Social Service Worker IV and 17 FTE Social Service Supervisor II allocations to its department allocation table.
Board of Supervisors’ Office/County Administrator’s Office:
County HR contracted with Koff & Associates (K&A), a professional consulting firm, to conduct a review of the Board of Supervisor’s Staff Assistant classification, allocated to the Board of Supervisors’ Office/County Administrator’s Office, to determine if it is appropriately structured.
As a result of the study, K&A found that, in order to properly address operational requirements, the organization would benefit from the creation of an alternately staffed job class structure.
Based on this finding, K&A recommended revising and retitling the current Board of Supervisor’s Staff Assistant classification to Board of Supervisor’s Staff Assistant I, and creating a Board of Supervisor’s Staff Assistant II classification, in order to establish a first working level and an advanced working level, respectively.
Bargaining Unit, Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and Salary Determinations:
Pursuant to the County’s Employee Relations Policy, Human Resources determined the appropriate bargaining unit for the new Board of Supervisor’s Staff Assistant II classification to be Bargaining Unit 0050-Administrative Management. This classification is exempt, pursuant to the guidelines of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
K&A has found that the salary for the current Board of Supervisor’s Staff Assistant ($7,329/I-Step) is appropriate for the revised and retitled Board of Supervisor’s Staff Assistant I job classification, given comparator agency data and taking into consideration the County’s total compensation philosophy and the current method of administering salary. Further, K&A recommended 10% as an appropriate differential ($8,062/I-Step) between the Board of Supervisor’s Staff Assistant I and Board of Supervisor’s Staff Assistant II levels. For ongoing salary administration purposes, K&A recommended the salary for the Board of Supervisor’s Staff Assistant I classification maintain its current differential to Administrative Analyst I; the Board of Supervisor’s Staff Assistant II classification will maintain a 10% differential with the Board of Supervisor’s Staff Assistant I level. HR concurs with these recommendations.
The consultant’s study report with these recommendations are attached (Attachment 8).
As this classification is now part of an alternately staffed job class series, the Board of Supervisors’ Office/County Administrator’s Office seeks approval to change the existing 5.0 FTE Board of Supervisor’s Staff Assistant allocations to the higher level Board of Supervisor’s Staff Assistant II allocation its department allocation table.
Regional Parks Department:
In order to align allocations with the department’s operational requirements, the Regional Parks Department requests approval to add a 1.0 FTE Administrative Services Officer I allocation and to delete a vacant 1.0 FTE Department Analyst allocation.
Prior Board Actions:
October 23, 2018: Approved side letter agreement between the County and Service Employees International Union, Concurrent Resolution No. 18-0461
Fiscal Summary
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Expenditures |
Expenditures FY 18-19 Adopted FY19-20 Projected FY 20-21 Projected Budgeted Expenses BOS/CAO: $19,000 HSD: $920,000 PRK: $5,650 BOS/CAO: $58,000 HSD: $2,439,451 PRK: $22,600 BOS/CAO: $60,000 HSD: $2,512,635 PRK: $23,500 Additional Appropriation Requested Total Expenditures $944,650 $2,520,051 $2,596,135 Funding Sources General Fund/WA GF BOS/CAO: $19,000 HSD: $87,400 BOS/CAO: $58,000 HSD: $231,748 BOS/CAO: $60,000 HSD: $238,700 State/Federal HSD: $832,600 HSD: $2,207,703 HSD: $2,273,935 Fees/Other PRK: $5,650 PRK: $22,600 PRK: $23,500 Use of Fund Balance Contingencies Total Sources $944,650 $2,520,051 $2,596,135 FY 18-19 Adopted |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Board of Supervisors’ Office/County Administrator’s Office: The additional cost for the new job classifications is $19,000 for FY 18/19, and $58,000 and $60,000 for FY 19-20 and FY 20-21, respectively. The department will cover the increased cost through current year salary savings and will program the annual cost into the department’s future operational budgets.
Human Services Department: The additional cost for replacing the Social Service Worker IV and Social Service Supervisor II allocations with Child Protective Services Social Worker and Child Protective Services Social Work Supervisor allocations is $920,000 for FY 18-19, $2,439,451 for FY 19-20, and $2,512,635 for FY 20-21. Any necessary budgetary adjustments will be included in the Q3 Consolidated Budget Adjustments, and will be included in the FY 19-20 proposed budget.
Regional Parks Department: The FY 18-19 Regional Parks Administration Division budget has sufficient appropriations for the estimated $5,650 increase associated with the ASO I position for remainder of fiscal year due to vacancy of Department Analyst from January thru March. For FY 19-20 and subsequent years, the increase will be covered with Measure M revenues.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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|
|
|
Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A - I Step) |
Additions (number) |
Deletions (number) |
|
Board of Supervisors’ Staff Assistant |
$6,030.04 - $7,329.27 |
|
(5) |
|
Board of Supervisors’ Staff Assistant II |
$6,632.00 - 8,062.00 |
5 |
|
|
Social Service Worker IV |
$5,473.47 - $6,650.96 |
|
(101.5) |
|
Child Protective Services Social Worker |
$6,054 - $7,361 |
101.5 |
|
|
Social Service Supervisor II |
$6,117.00 - $7,437.10 |
|
(17) |
|
Child Protective Services Social Work Supervisor |
$6,783.00 - $8,246.00 |
17 |
|
|
Department Analyst |
$5,610.87 - $6,819.66 |
|
(1.0) |
|
Administrative Services Officer I |
$6,626.61 - $8,056.28 |
1.0 |
|
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
Board of Supervisors’ Office/County Administrator’s Office: There are no staffing impacts associated with this change. As this classification is now part of an alternately staffed job class series, the positions are allocated at the highest level, Board of Supervisors’ Staff Assistant II.
Human Services Department: There is no net change to the number of FTE’s. The incumbents in the studied Social Service Worker IV and Social Service Supervisor II positions will be retained in the new Child Protective Services Social Worker and Child Protective Services Social Work Supervisor positions, in accordance with Civil Service Rule 3.3C.
Regional Parks Department: The proposed change will delete 1.0 FTE Department Analyst (vacant) and replace with 1.0 Administrative Services Officer I.
Attachments:
1. Resolution 1: Concurrent Resolution amending the Memorandum of Understanding between the County and SEIU - Local 1021, to establish two new classifications and salaries.
2. Resolution 1: Attachment A - Salary Table Scales.
3. Resolution 1: Attachment B - Letter of Agreement between the County of Sonoma and SEIU Local 1021.
4. Resolution 1: Attachment C - Segal Company actuarial analyses.
5. Resolution 2: Concurrent Resolution amending the Salary Resolution No. 95-0926 to revise and retitle one existing classification; and to establish one new classification and salary.
6. Resolution 2: Attachment A - Salary Tables.
7. Resolution 3: Resolution amending the Department Allocation Tables of the Human Services Department, the Board of Supervisors’ Office/County Administrator’s Office, and the Regional Parks Department.
8. Classification and Compensation review from Koff & Associates, a professional consulting firm, titled “Classification Review of Board of Supervisor’s Staff Assistant”.
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
Classification Study Report by Human Resources on the Position Review of Social Service Worker IV and Social Service Supervisor II positions in the Family, Youth, and Children Division of the Human Services Department.