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: Amy Kraus, (707) 565-2596
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): All
Title:
Title
Miscellaneous Classification, Compensation, and Allocation Changes
End
Recommended Actions:
Recommended action
Adopt a Concurrent Resolution amending the Salary Resolution No. 95-0926, Appendix A - Salary Tables, to establish one new classification - Intern - Work Experience and salary, effective April 18, 2019.
end
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 resolution before your Board today Human Resources requests approval to establish the new classification of Intern-Work Experience.
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 change in classifications.
Human Resources Department:
The Human Services Department (HSD) receives federal funding as part of the enactment of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The WIOA is intended to support individuals who need job training, improve coordination between agencies providing employment training services, and support economic development in communities. Locally, HSD uses WIOA funding to support the Sonoma County Youth Ecology Corps (SCYEC), which provides summer employment and work skills development to local youth. More recently, an additional internship program was developed through SCYEC where selected participants can further their skill development in a particular field of interest for a six-month internship experience. Currently, SCYEC interns, involved in the six-month internship, have been placed at General Services, Regional Parks, and the Sonoma County Water Agency, but they are not considered County interns, partly due to our lack of an appropriate job classification.
The County’s current classification plan only includes Intern Extra-Help classifications for high school, undergraduate, and graduate students which all require enrollment in academic curricula. The County has a need to allow for Interns enrolled in formal workforce development programs, such as SCYEC, which operate outside of academic institutions. Across Sonoma County, there are initiatives underway to bridge career development post-formal education and pre-technical proficiency. This is an opportunity gap to address, which could enable entry-level and career-changing candidates enrolled in a formal workforce development program to gain experience and a skillset in, often, hard-to-fill technical and trades careers. Formal workforce development programs help youth and other individuals who typically experience significant barriers to employment, gain employment skills and work experience; and the programs assist employers and communities with developing and improving their workforce.
Human Resources (HR) reviewed the County’s classification plan and did not find any classifications that would be an appropriate match for this need. Consequently, HR recommends the establishment of a new Intern classification - Intern-Work Experience.
On April 18, 2019, the Civil Service Commission approved the creation of the new job classification.
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 Intern-Work Experience is Unrepresented - Unit 0000. The classification is non-exempt, pursuant to the guidelines of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Based on internal equity factors, HR recommends a starting hourly wage of $13.80 for the Intern-Work Experience classification. This recommendation maintains consistency with the existing Intern classifications and creates parity between Intern-Undergraduate Level and Intern-Work Experience.
Prior Board Actions:
NA
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 18-19 Adopted |
FY19-20 Projected |
FY 20-21 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
|
|
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
|
|
|
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
|
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
No Fiscal Impacts are expected due to the establishment of the Intern-Work Experience.
|
Staffing Impacts: |
|
|
|
|
Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A - I Step) |
Additions (number) |
Deletions (number) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
There are no staffing impacts associated with the establishment of this classification.
Attachments:
1. Resolution 1: Concurrent Resolution amending the Salary Resolution No. 95-0926 to establish one new classification and salary.
2. Resolution 1: Attachment A - Salary Table Scales.
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
1. Classification Study Memo and specification by Human Resources on the new job class of Intern - Work Experience