Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Rocio Kiryczun, Human Resources Director
Subject: Recommended Revision to the Master Salary Resolution
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing an amendment to the Master Salary Resolution 078309, Section 12 - Vacation to include a provision allowing essential employees who had previously accrued vacation hours over the maximum limit to maintain and use accrued excess hours until July 9, 2022.
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BACKGROUND:
On July 13, 2021, your Board adopted Master Salary Resolution 078309 which specifies the number of positions and providing compensation and benefits for persons employed by the County of San Mateo, sets appropriate rules and regulations and repeals all inconsistent ordinances and resolutions. Throughout the year, the salary resolution is amended from time to time to meet the needs of the County.
DISCUSSION:
The salary resolution changes herein represent the amendment of Section 12 - Vacation of the Master Salary Resolution. This amendment to the resolution has been reviewed and approved by the County Counsel’s Office as to form. The specific action is discussed in detail below.
ALL DEPARTMENTS
Action: Amend Section 12 - Vacation of the Master Salary Resolution to include provision allowing essential employees who had previously accrued vacation hours over the maximum limit to maintain and use accrued excess hours until July 9, 2022.
Explanation: In 2020, the County enacted a COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Employment policy. The policy included a provision that temporarily increased the cap on accrued vacation hours for essential employees by up to 80 hours. Now, due to lower rates of COVID-19 infection and hospitalizations, as well as other measures taken by the County and public health officials, essential employees should be able to take vacation and are encouraged to do so. Consequently, the policy temporarily increasing the cap on accrued vacation hours has expired and is no longer in effect and no employee will accrue new vacation hours over the maximum accrual limit.
Under the prior policy, essential employees who had previously accrued vacation hours over the maximum limit were required to use any excess vacation hours by December 31, 2021. This action extends that usage period to allow employees to maintain and use previously accrued excess hours by July 9, 2022. This is not an extension or revival of the original policy nor does it allow any employee to accrue any new vacation hours above the maximum accrual limit after December 31, 2021. This resolution only extends the timeframe in which an employee must use excess vacation hours accrued prior to December 31, 2021.
Financial Impact on County’s Retirement System
Government Code Section 31515.5 requires the County to provide the estimated financial impact that proposed benefit changes or salary increases for current employees would have on the funding status of SamCERA‘s retirement fund, the County’s retirement system.
Based on the Milliman report previously brought to the Board on April 24, 2020 along with the original Public Health Emergency Employment Policy resolution, the compensation and leave benefits provided in the policy do not have a financial impact on the funded status of SamCERA that require a notice under Section 31515.5.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no additional fiscal impact for extending the use of previously accrued excess vacation hours. The cost estimates are already accounted for in department budgets.