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1 The plan continues to be administered through Mark III Employee Benefits. The County has <br /> 2 budgeted $96,600 for health insurance in Fiscal Year 2010-11. <br /> 3 <br /> 4 6. Supplemental Benefits <br /> 5 Orange County allows employees to purchase supplemental insurance benefits such as short <br /> 6 term disability, cancer and hospitalization insurance through payroll deduction. Attachment 6 <br /> 7 provides utilization information and initial suggestions related to enhancing County <br /> 8 supplemental insurance benefits. <br /> 9 <br /> 10 7. Employee Leave <br /> 11 Permanent, full-time County employees are currently provided leave in the following manner: <br /> 12 <br /> Type of Leave Accrual Rate <br /> Sick Leave 8 hours per month throughout employment <br /> Vacation Leave Monthly accrual based on years of service for each month the employee is in pay <br /> status for %2 of the month, ranging from 96 to 230.4 hours a year <br /> Petty Leave 1.17 hours (70 minutes) per month; unused leave dissolves on June 30 of each year <br /> Personal Leave 2 days per year received in January; unused leave dissolves on December 31 of <br /> each year (prorated for new employees based on 6 months) <br /> 13 <br /> 14 As the County continues to move forward with automated time-keeping and self service <br /> 15 programs, changes to leave accruals are recommended in order to increase efficiencies. <br /> 16 These changes, as well as a summary of leave accruals provided by other jurisdictions are <br /> 17 shown in Attachment 7. <br /> 18 <br /> 19 Employee salaries are budgeted based on regularly scheduled work hours, regardless of <br /> 20 whether that salary is for actual work, holidays, or paid leave. Only when employees separate <br /> 21 from employment and are paid for vacation accruals (to a maximum of 240 hours) do the <br /> 22 actual hours accrued become an expense to the County. <br /> 23 <br /> 24 Employee benefits and compensation account for a large portion of the cost of providing <br /> 25 services to the public. A key factor to employee retention is that the County remains <br /> 26 competitive in employee compensation and benefits while also remaining aware of both <br /> 27 current and past employment benefit expenses upon budget. Additionally, in establishing a <br /> 28 benefit there must be a consideration of the financial impacts now, and the sustainability of <br /> 29 such benefit going forward. Providing a benefit and then withdrawing it has substantial <br /> 30 negative influences on employee morale. <br /> 31 <br /> 32 <br /> 33 Commissioner Hemminger asked about the personal and petty leave and Frank Clifton <br /> 34 clarified this. <br /> 35 Commissioner Yuhasz asked how this would be tracked. Michael McGinnis said that it <br /> 36 would all be handled electronically eventually. It is possible for it to be minute by minute. <br /> 37 Commissioner Gordon asked for clarification on self-insured versus County-insured and <br /> 38 stop loss and Michael McGinnis clarified this. <br /> 39 Staff will be coming back on October 5th with a more formal presentation and additional <br /> 40 information. <br /> 41 Commissioner Jacobs asked for more information about the education benefit and <br /> 42 whether it is used. Michael McGinnis said that it is $600 and every year it is used to the <br />