Agenda - 09-14-2010 - 3 - Laserfiche WebLink

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4 provides utilization information and initial suggestions related to enhancing County supplemental insurance benefits. • 7. Employee Leave Permanent, full-time County employees are currently provided leave in the following manner: T e of Leave Accrual Rate Sick Leave 8 hours er month throu hout em to ment Vacation Leave Monthly accrual based on years of service for each month the employee is in a status for'/2 of the month, ran in from 96 to 230.4 hours a ear Petty Leave 1.17 hours (70 minutes) per month; unused leave dissolves on June 30 of each ear Personal Leave 2 days per year received in January; unused leave dissolves on December 31 of each ear rorated for new em to ees based on 6 months As the County continues to move forward with automated time-keeping and self service programs, changes to leave accruals are recommended in order to increase efficiencies. These changes, as well as a summary of leave accruals provided by other. jurisdictions are shown in Attachment 7. Employee salaries are budgeted based on regularly scheduled work hours, regardless of whether that salary is for actual work, holidays, or paid leave. Only when employees separate from employment and are paid for vacation accruals (to a maximum of 240 hours) do the actual hours accrued become an expense to the County. • Employee benefits and compensation account for a large portion of the cost of providing services to the public. A key factor to employee retention is that the county remain competitive in employee compensation and benefits while also remaining aware of both current and past employment benefit expenses upon budget. Additionally, in establishing a benefit there must be a consideration of the financial impacts now, and the sustainability of such benefit going forward. Providing a benefit and then withdrawing it has substantial negative influences on employee morale. FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact to this discussion. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board discuss the update and background information related to employee benefits. Specific recommendations for consideration beginning January 2011 are that: • Staff research- the feasibility of changing health insurance funding from Fully-Insured to Self-Insured; • The County contribution to health insurance continues at current levels (100% for employee coverage; 52% subsidy for dependents, based on the lower cost plan) • Reimbursement rates increase for Dental Claims; • Staff research vendors for Supplemental Benefits; and • Current petty, personal, and vacation leave accruals be combined into one leave type; this combined leave is credited on a bi-weekly rather than monthly basis; and minimum • leave usage requirements end.