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3 <br />In House Option <br />Staff has been asked to also present information on the option of conducting the study in <br />house. This study is labor intensive as demonstrated by the consultant quotations received, <br />and completing the study in house primarily would involve the time of the Personnel <br />Director. <br />Given Personnel's on- going, heavy workload in providing services to departments and <br />employees and the work objectives already set for 1999 -00, an in house study could not be <br />completed in this fiscal year. Aside from ongoing work associated with the human <br />resources function, work already set for this fiscal year includes the Solid Waste transition <br />effective in March 2000, the 2000 -01 budget process including pay, benefits and positions, <br />and the numerous individual objectives such as review of time limited positions, living wage <br />update, affirmative action plan update, cultural diversity training and so forth. <br />Completing the study in house would require: <br />❑ The time frame be extended into the next fiscal year (2000 -01), probably through March <br />2001. <br />❑ That other Personnel progress objectives be set aside or delayed with the exception of <br />the solid waste transition and budget process. For example, the Board provided that the <br />current pay and benefits plan is a two -year plan through 2000 -01. Thus in the fall or <br />winter of 2000, the Board had planned to revisit the pay and benefits plan and consider <br />directions for the next years. <br />Beyond the impact on the workload and the impact on the capability of the Personnel <br />Department to respond to other needs while completing this study, concern is that such a <br />study plan does not create the necessary perceived objectivity; that is, it places the <br />Personnel Director in the position of evaluating the jobs of her co- workers. <br />Issue of Internal Equity and External (labor market) Equity <br />For the Commissioners' information, one of the key issues that will have to be addressed in <br />this type of study is that of the relative weight given to internal equity as compared to <br />external or labor market equity. The job evaluation study will show how jobs compare with <br />each other internally. The labor market study will show how jobs relate externally. For <br />example, it is possible that two specific jobs will relate to each other internally, but one of <br />the jobs will be paid at a higher rate in the labor market. The issue faced will be whether to: <br />❑ Pay the jobs at the same salary grade because of internal equity even though it may <br />place one job above the going labor market rate, or <br />❑ Recognize the labor market difference in the salary grade relationships. <br />If the Board has direction it wishes to provide to staff at this point on this issue, it would be <br />helpful in conducting the study. To what extent this issue will arise will not be known until <br />the study is completed. However, it is an issue that is inherent in any such study. <br />