Orange County NC Website
Orange County <br />Board of Commissioners <br />Action Agenda Item Abstract <br />Meeting Date: November 16, 1999 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 8- Q <br />Subject: Classification Plan Amendment -Dental Hygienist J <br />Department: Personnel Public Hearing: Yes No X <br />Budget Amendment <br />Needed: Yes No X <br />Attachment(s): Information Contact: <br />Elaine Holmes, Personnel Director <br />Extension 2550 <br />Telephone Number: <br />Hillsborough 732-8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br />Durham 688-7331 <br />Mebane 227-2031 <br />Purpose: To consider amending the Orange County Classification and Pay Plan to change <br />the salary grade for the existing classification of Dental Hygienist from Salary Grade 64 to <br />Salary Grade 65. <br />Background: The Health Department continues to experience difficulty in recruiting and <br />retaining a Dental Hygienist. Currently, the Dental Hygienist position is vacant. On <br />average, it is taking about seven months to fill the position once it becomes vacant. Once <br />the position is filled, the average length of employment is less than a year. <br />Due to the continued difficulty in recruiting and retaining a Dental Hygienist, the Health <br />Director requested that Personnel conduct a classification and pay study of the position. <br />Personnel reviewed the position and determined that there are no significant changes in <br />duties and responsibilities since the last review. The position continues to spend about 80 <br />percent of time on dental clinical functions and 20 percent of time on educational functions. <br />As part of the review, Personnel also conducted a pay survey. In this, Personnel found that <br />Orange County's salary range is lower than the average labor market salary range for other <br />public and private employers surveyed. <br />In 1996, the Board had approved changing the salary grade for Dental Hygienist from <br />Salary Grade 62 to Salary Grade 64. At that time, the Board also approved a special hiring <br />