Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
16 <br /> <br />• Employee Pay and Benefits – page 469 <br />o Health Insurance Increase (Active Employees & Pre-65 Retirees) - $750,000 <br />o Post 65 Retiree Health Insurance Cost Increase - $95,000 <br />o Dental Insurance Cost Increase - $125,000 <br />o Living Wage for Permanent/Benefitted Employees <br /> Maintain $15.00 per hour for Employees Qualifying for Benefits <br /> Salary Schedule Adjusted to Maintain Grade Separation in Ranges 9 <br />through 13 <br />o Living Wage for Temporary Employees <br /> Increase to $14.25 ($0.50 increase) Effective 7/1/18 for All Temporary <br />Employees Consistent with OC Living Wage - $27,190 <br /> <br />• Employee Pay and Benefits – page 469 <br />o Maintain Salary Savings Expectation - $2 million <br />o Discontinue Voluntary Furlough Program <br /> One Employee Currently Enrolled in the Program <br />o Personnel Ordinance Changes <br /> Adjustment to Performance Pay Program <br /> Retiree Access to Insurance Benefits if Alternatively Employed <br /> <br />Commissioner Marcoplos asked if the voluntary furlough program could be explained. <br />Brenda Bartholomew said it was meant to offer some costs savings to the County during <br />a financial down time. She said an employee could go out, work less hours, but still accrue time <br />as though a full time employee. She said it has become less and less popular over the years. <br />Brenda Bartholomew said she would send information to Commissioner Marcoplos. <br />Commissioner Marcoplos asked if time was accrued, to what was it accrued to, and what <br />value did it have. <br />Brenda Bartholomew said it was a benefit to the employee, but yet they would receive a <br />wage decrease, which was the County’s savings. <br />Commissioner Jacobs asked if there have there been many dislocations from changing <br />health insurance carriers. <br />Brenda Bartholomew said a minimum as of now, and staff has met repeatedly with Blue <br />Cross Blue Shield, who assures minimum disruption. She said staff is ready to help with any <br />problems that do arise. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said the County is not doing a very good job of reflecting the <br />population of Orange County in its workforce, and asked if there are any proactive strategies in <br />place to diversify recruiting. <br />Brenda Bartholomew said her department has discussed this greatly, and will look at this <br />strategically over the next three years. She said this will done in concert with the County <br />Manager’s plan, including the Racial Equity Training (REI), talking about diversity inclusion in <br />general, and partnering this with onboarding. She said she will focus on diversifying <br />interviewing panels at all times. She said staff is also considering sending out applications, and <br />referring applicants without name. <br />Commissioner Jacobs asked if there are numbers for employees with disabilities. <br />Brenda Bartholomew said any disability is self-reporting during the hiring process, and <br />many do not self-report. She said one cannot ask directly, and the record keeping is somewhat <br />suspect. She said good records are kept on anything that comes to staff with respect to any <br />disability issues, particularly reasonable accommodation. She said staff has done a lot of work <br />in that arena over the last couple of years. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said the County used to contract with OE enterprises for a variety <br />jobs, and asked if this still occurs.