HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 11-15-2004-e2Temporary Wage Expenditures
During the Board of Commissioners' discussion of new position requests in the June
budget work sessions, the Board asked staff to provide a report later in the year as to
costs for temporary wages, including needs /issues leading to use of temporary staff,
how temporary wages are justified and approved, how costs for temporary wages
compare to other approaches to addressing staffing needs and the like. This report
provides the requested information.
Temporary Wages
The County provides for two types of employment — Temporary and Permanent. A
temporary employee is paid on an hourly basis and does not receive employee benefits.
The temporary employee must be paid at least the County's living wage of $9.11 an
hour except for high school students or certain others working for educational purposes.
Under the County's policy, an employee can be appointed temporary up to one year. A
temporary appointment may extend beyond one year if the employee is regularly
scheduled to work 15 hours or less each workweek, if the employee is working under an
internship program or if the Manager approves an extension to continue critical
services.
Budget for Temporary Wages
Each year the department head recommends as part of his or her budget request any
budget for temporary wages. The Budget Office reviews the department request and it
also is reviewed in the Manager's budget process. The Manager's Recommended
Budget includes the amount recommended for temporary wages and the final amount is
included in the adopted budget.
Beyond the approved budget for temporary wages, the department may use lapsed
salaries as generated by position vacancies in the department. When used, these
funds typically are used to provide temporary staffing coverage to continue essential
services until a permanent employee can be hired and trained. Under the hiring delays
in place for 2004 -05, such funds may only be used with the advance approval of the
Budget Office.
Temporary Approvals
The department head may make a temporary appointment to provide coverage for a
vacant permanent position, for the absence on leave of a permanent employee or for
one month or less.
Any other temporary appointment requires the advance approval of the Personnel
Director. The department head submits such a request stating the need and
planned use of the temporary.
-2-
• Each department head is responsible for assuring that expenditures for temporary
staff are within the funds available.
Temporary Staffing
The chart below shows the number of temporary appointments currently existing on the
County's payroll system. Please note that this does not represent the number of
temporary employees actually working each workweek since many of these are
employees who are available on a call in, substitute, seasonal or other periodic basis
such as in Emergency Transportation to assure adequate coverage can be maintained
24 hours a day for seven days a week. Attachment 1 shows this information by
department as well as major function.
Function
Total Temp
Employees
Community & Environment
5
General Services
18
Governing & Management
4
Human Services
129
Public Safety
88
Solid Waste
15
Total
259
In summary, over 80 percent of temporary employees are employed in Human Services
and Public Safety.
Temporary Wage Expenditures
Attachment 2 shows the temporary wage expenditures for 2002 -03 and 2003 -04 by
department, by major function and total. These are the expenditures from all fund
sources (County general fund and others). Attachment 3 compares expenditures by
major function for these two years.
The expenditures by major function and percent of total are below:
Function
2002 -03
2003 -04
Amount
Percent
Amount
Percent
Community & Environment
43,579
3,0
75,892
3.9
General Services
302,491
21.0
259,093
13,5
Governing & Management
69,946
4.7
63,324
3.3
Human Services
619,367
42.0
696,637
36,2
Public Safety
319,847
21.7
721,284
37.4
Solid Waste
120,018
81
109,871
57
-3-
Function
2002 -03
2003 -04
Amount
Percent
Amount
Percent
Total
1,475,249
100
1,926,100
1 100
In summary, about 74 percent of the temporary wage expenses are in the areas of
Human Services and Public Safety. If General Services is added in, the three groups
together account for about 87 percent of temporary wages,
Needs /issues Leading to use of Temporary Employees
Attachment 4 provides examples of the uses of temporary employees.
Reasons for Temporary Wage Cost Increases in 2003 -04
In 2003 -04 as compared to 2002 -03, the expenditures for temporary wages increased
by $450,851.
Of this total increase, $366,237 is accounted for by the transfer of the Emergency
Transportation function from the Orange County Rescue Squad to the County
effective .July 1, 2003. For 2002 -03, the wages for emergency transportation were
part of the total contract stipend given the Orange County Rescue Squad so these
expenditures were not reflected in the County 2002 -03 temporary wage
expenditures. Therefore the full transportation amount for 2003 -04 shows as an
increase. In total the amount expended for Emergency Transportation in 2003 -04
(overtime, temporary wages, permanent salaries and so forth) was within the
amount budgeted for 2003 -04. The Emergency Transportation budget for 2003 -04
was $999,770 and total actual expenditures were $947,292.
The other departments with temporary wage increases in 2003 -04 as compared to
2002 -03 are listed below,
Department
Temporary
Cost Increase
Animal Services
$1,129
Commissioners' Office
$10,351
Cooperative Extension
$21,950
Economic Develop. & Visitor Bureau
$9,338
Emergency Management (Other than
Transportation)
$16,598
Health
$62,193
Library
$9,012
Planning
$30,152
Purchasing & Central Services
$462
ME
Department
Temporary
Cost Increase
Recreation & Parks
$10,740
Register of Deeds
$17,163
Sheriff
$18,601
Social Services
$1,822
Tax Assessor
$3,556
Tax Collector /Revenue
$1,651
Total
$214,718
Offsetting decreases in other
departments
($130,104)
Net Increase (other than Emergency
Transportation)
$84,614
Temporary Wage Costs As Compared to Other Staffing Approaches
As will be noted in reviewing the examples of needs /issues leading to the overtime,
there are a variety of needs leading to the use of temporary employees:
• Absences of existing staff because of extended leaves for illness, injury or other
personal issues.
Coverage for position vacancies and training of new employees.
Staffing for seasonal needs.
• Staffing for special projects that cannot be completed with existing staff.
Transitional staffing while program needs are assessed.
• Increases in workload resulting from growth, addition of new job functions, changes
in job functions or the like.
The Board had asked the impacts of using temporary staffing to meet work needs as
compared to other staffing approaches such as additional permanent staffing. The
major impacts of hiring temporary employees are outlined below:
Assuming temporary staff with the necessary skills can be recruited, provides a
readily available means to cover for absences, short term needs, workload increases
needing to be immediately addressed or the like.
• May not be possible to recruit employees with the necessary job skills or training,
particularly for higher level, more skilled or technical positions.
-5-
• May impact service quality to the extent less trained and /or experienced employees
are performing the job duties,
For shorter -term use, is lower cost than adding additional permanent staff,
• For longer -term use, the higher turnover of temporary employees becomes an issue
requiring frequent recruitment, training and retraining which is time consuming and
impacts productivity of supervisors and co- workers.
• For longer -term use, may result in a workforce of lower paid employees performing
work similar to permanent employees without benefits and other perquisites of
permanent employees leading to morale and equity issues,
Staff Recommendation
The Manager recommends as part of the 2005 -06 budget process that he examine
temporary wage costs with departments using significant amounts of temporary wages
and consider further any alternatives. The Manager also plans to reiterate to
department heads their responsibility for assuring budgets are monitored and controlled
within the funds available for temporary wages (budgeted temporary wages and
approved lapsed salaries). The Budget Office also will be examining the reports and
information available to departments for their use in monitoring these costs.
The Board may wish to provide direction to the Manager on any further issues to be
examined. If the Board desires, it might be interesting to explore further with
departments to what extent the temporary staffing hours result from seasonal, one time,
sporadic or special events as compared to the extent these temporary staff hours result
from on -going work.
November 11, 2004
Attachment 1
Temporary Employees
As of November 4, 2004
Function
Department
Temporary
Employees
By Function
Community & Environment
Economic Development
Community & Environment
Environment & Res Cons
1
Community & Environment
Planning
1
Community & Environment
Soil and Water
1
Community & Environment
Visitor Bureau
2
Total
5
General Services
Elections
1
General Services
Information Technology
1
General Services
Pubic Works
13
General Services
Register of Deeds
1
General Services
Revenue
General Services
Tax Assessor
2
Total
18
Governing & Managing
Budget
1
Governing & Managing
Commissioners' Office
1
Governing & Managing
Finance
1
Governin & Managing
Personnel
1
Governing & Managing
Purchasing and Central Services
Total
4
Human Services
Aging & OPT
26
Human Services
Animal Services
8
Human Services
Child Support
1
Human Services
Cooperative Extension
1
Human Services
Health
11
Human Services
Housing
3
Human Services
Human Rights & Relations
1
Human Services
Libra
28
Human Services
Recreation and Parks
39
Human Services
Social Services
11
Total
129
Public Safety
Emergency M mt
75
Public Safety
Sheriff
13
Total
88
Solid Waste
Solid Waste
15
Total
15
Grand Total
259
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Attachment 4
Examples of Uses of Temporary Staffing
Personnel contacted those departments who had larger amounts of temporary
expenditures and /or a significant increase in expenditures and asked about the needs
leading to the temporary staffing. The responses are summarized below:
For the Planning and Inspections Department ($30,152 increase) — The temporary
wages primarily were used in the:
Inspections Division to address the increase in building activity, including multi - family
and commercial building, the need for additional staff training in multiple trades to
increase capacity to complete the growing number of inspections with the staff
available and the need for additional plans examiners to address plans review
backlog. Note: The Board approved four additional permanent positions (including
two time limited positions) in .January 2004 to address workload growth in
Inspections.
Current Planning Division to provide zoning enforcement coverage during the period
the Zoning Enforcement Officer position was vacant,
For the Public Works Department ($24,967 decrease) — Temporary wages primarily
were used to:
Cover extended absences of several employees due to illness or injuries.
• Provide staffing coverage during position vacancies while Public Works completes
the hiring process.
• Complete the renovation of Whiffed Human Services Center, including cleanup and
preparation for the return move to Whitted.
• Clean additional square footage added to County facilities since Public Works last
added custodial staff.
• Cover administrative support needs for the three divisions, including assistance in
the vacancy or absence of several supervisory positions and in implementing
several systems changes.
For the Register of Deeds Office ($17,163 increase) — Temporary staffing was used to
address workload increases resulting from increases in cancellation of deeds of trust
and recordings of new deeds.
For the Cooperative Extension Department ($21,950 increase) — Among other things,
Temporary wages were used to continue the breastfeeding program with County
funding after the loss of federal funding — pending Board of Commissioners' decision as
to the program's future and permanent staffing.
For the Aging and OPT Department ($11,672 decrease) — Temporary wages were used
in:
• Aging - For adult day care staffing pending the assumption by Senior Care, Inc of
adult care day staffing, for additional eldercare program social worker hours, night
and weekend senior center operations workers, Senior Times assistant editor, back
up for facility managers and a reading partners program worker.
Orange Public Transportation — To provide drivers for special events, seasonal
routes (such as those for schools), weekend coverage and substitutes for other
drivers.
For the Health Department ($62,193 increase) — Temporary wages in:
• Animal Control - Were used for additional staffing to enter data on rabies
vaccination certificates in the computer.
Administration — Were used for temporary staff in support of the bioterrorism and
medical reserve corp grants until permanent positions could be established and
filled. Funds also used for master's level students who worked on a dental cost
study; policy and procedure development; development of the Health Department
web site; and data collection, focus groups and data analysis for the community
health assessment. In addition, funds were used to cover for the vacant clinic
support supervisor position.
Environmental Health — Were used for staffing to collect water samples and for
master's students who did research on wastewater system failure rates in the
County and on financing systems for the WTMP expansion program.
Personal Health — Were used to cover for several permanent employees out on
extended leaves (nurses, nurse practitioner, laboratory technician), coverage for
vacations and illness, and temporary staff for flu clinics.
• Risk Management/Quality Assurance —Temporary clerical support for the new
medical reserve corps.
For the Recreation and Parks Department ($100,740 increase) - Temporary wages were
used for:
Seasonal staffing for camps, athletic activities and parks.
• Year round staffing (with limited hours) to provide facility, after school and special
event assistance, program leaders and parks maintenance.
For the Social Services Department ($1,822 increase) - Temporary wages were used
to staff the seasonal energy assistance program. Also funds were used for work first
programs to conduct a retention study. Beyond this, funds were used to provide staffing
coverage during several position vacancies and instances where employees were on
extended leave.
For the Emergency Management Department ($382,835 increase) —
In the Communications Division —Temporary wages were used to:
✓ Assure adequate staffing coverage while permanent employees are on
leave or positions are vacant. Minimum staffing of four is required at all
times on the communications system.
✓ Provide coverage while new staff is training or while existing staff attend
mandatory trainings.
✓ Provide additional coverage as needed for special events.
In the Emergency Medical Services Division —Temporary wages are used to:
✓ Provide special events coverage
✓ Cover for employees on leave
✓ Cover for staff vacancies and new employees in training (about six months
before a new paramedic is released to work independently)
In the new Emergency Transportation Division — Temporary wages ($366,237 of the
increase) were used to provide staffing coverage for the transportation division. The
County assumed this responsibility from the Orange County Rescue Squad effective
July 1, 2003. Temporary wages served to provide staffing coverage while
permanent staff are recruited and trained as well as pending additional permanent
positions planned as part of the County assumption of this responsibility. As noted
earlier, the total amount expended for Emergency Transportation for 2003 -04 was
within the amount budgeted.
For the Sheriffs Department ($18,601 increase) — Temporary wages were used to
provide bailiffs (deputy sheriffs) for courts and hearings, for front desk reception
coverage, to transport prisoners and mental patients, for computer projects and to assist
with the new DNA mandate by obtaining fingerprints, collecting blood specimens and
completing paperwork.
November 11, 2004