Agenda - 03-29-2016 - 3 - Review of Workforce Demographics and Utilization of Temporary Employees

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2 At a minimum, the County strives to employ a workforce that resembles the overall demographics of the community. The following table details the demographics of Orange County according to the United States Census Bureau, as of July 1, 2014. % Male % Female White African Hispanic or Asian American Latino Orange County 47.8% 52.20% 76.80% 12.20% 8.40% 7.70% North Carolina 48.7% 51.30% 71.50% 22.10% 9.00% 2.70% In comparing the Orange County government statistics to Orange County and the State of North Carolina, Orange County Government needs to focus most on efforts to improve diversity in the Hispanic or Latino and Asian populations. In an effort to improve diversity in the areas of greatest need, the Human Resources Department is continually working with Departments to recognize the need for employees to be bi-lingual and as such recruit accordingly. The Human Resources Department has also implemented two Board of County of Commissioners initiatives within the past year. These initiatives include an Internship Program and Access to Learning the Spanish Language. The Internship Program is focused on providing a learning experience to a student in order for them to blend classroom theory with real-life practice. Human Resources will recruit from many universities and colleges in the area bringing in a diverse representation of students. The internships are designed to give students an opportunity to complement their formal education with career-related experience and to spark an interest in pursuing a career in local government. The Board of County Commissioners also requested that all County employees have access to Spanish language education in an effort to provide high quality services to residents. The Human Resources Department is prepared to offer in-house training for Basic Introduction to the Spanish Language and to provide the Rosetta Program in the Employee Development Library. Work Assignments of Temporary Employees Temporary employees play a critical role within departments and contribute to the mission of serving Orange County residents effectively and efficiently. It is also equally important to utilize temporary employees in an appropriate manner and afford them access to health care as required under the Affordable Care Act. Temporary employees are different from part time employees. Temporary employees are time limited and do not receive access to County benefits. Part time employees work less than full time, but the duration of their employment is not limited. A Temporary Employee is defined as an employee appointed to serve in a position for a period of six calendar months or less. A Department Head may extend the temporary appointment for six additional months. A temporary appointment may not extend beyond one year except as provided in Article II, Subsection 28-15(b) of the Orange County Code of Ordinances. Overall, this section states that a new temporary appointment may be made for up to six months and may be extended for six additional months, not to exceed a total of one year. The advance approval of the Human Resources Director is for the purpose of assuring