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HomeMy WebLinkAboutE-14 Staff Report - Special Assignment Pay Unrepresented EmployeesCONSENT ITEM E-14 TO: HONORABLE CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE PERSONNEL BOARD VIA: SERGIO GONZALEZ, CITY MANAGER FROM: TALIKA M. JOHNSON, DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DATE: APRIL 21, 2025 SUBJECT: ADOPT A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO PROVIDE UP TO 10% SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT PAY TO NON-REPRESENTED EMPLOYEES BACKGROUND: Occasionally, managers or department heads may need non-represented or confidential employees to perform tasks or take on projects outside of their normal job classification, or to take on partial duties and responsibilities of employees who work in a higher classification and are temporarily unavailable due to scheduled or unscheduled events such as illness, injury, family medical leave, bereavement leave, etc. In these cases, the special assignment(s) may not fit a temporary upgrade to a classification within the City’s list of job classifications or require the employee to work in an upgraded capacity for the entirety of their workday or workweek, and therefore, would not qualify for temporary upgrade pay under CalPERS definition. However, in order to compensate an employee for higher-level work performed outside of their normal job classification when that work is required by their manager, the City Council must approve special pay provisions by resolution. The recommended action authorizes the City Manager to approve up to a 10% special assignment pay for non-represented employees performing temporary upgraded tasks while still being required to perform their normal job functions. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the City Council take the following action: 1) Adopt Resolution No. 2025-C24 authorizing the City Manager to approve up to a 10% special assignment pay for non-represented employees performing temporary upgraded tasks. Approved City Council April 21, 2025 Special Assignment Pay for Non-Represented Employees April 21, 2025 Page 2 ANALYSIS: Granting the City Manager authority to approve special assignment pay will streamline the management of temporary assignments and ensure fair compensation for employees taking on additional upgraded responsibilities at the request of their manager in order to meet the department’s needs. For example, in addition to performing their normal job function, an Executive Assistant may be required to oversee completion of a project in the absence of the Project Manager and the assignment would be working outside of their job classification. However, the Executive Assistant working the special assignment would not meet CalPERS definition of "acting pay" which refers to compensation earned by an employee while working in an out-of-class position, meaning they are temporarily performing duties of a higher-level position than their regular role which under CalPERS would be reported as "Temporary Upgrade Pay". The recommended special assignment pay in this case, would not be reportable for pension purposes or subject to CalPERS for retirement calculations. In order to provide the special assignment pay, a department head must provide the Human Resources office a memo detailing the reason for the request, a list of upgraded duties to be performed, duration of the assignment, and the requested pay (i.e. 5%, 10%) and approval must be granted by the City Manager. This special assignment pay must be for a limited duration and can only be added for the hours the employee is actually working in the higher capacity. FISCAL IMPACT: The proposed 10% special assignment pay will be funded through the department’s existing salary and benefits budget allocations. The fiscal impact is expected to be minimal and will remain within the approved overall salary budgets. Prepared by: Reviewed and Approved: Merci L. Rodriguez Talika M. Johnson Payroll Supervisor Director of Administrative Services Reviewed and Approved: Sergio Gonzalez City Manager Attachment: 1. Resolution No. 2025-C24 Authorizing the City Manager to provide special assignment pay to non-represented employees RESOLUTION NO. 2025-C24 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AZUSA AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO APPROVE UP TO A 10% SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT PAY FOR NON-REPRESENTED EMPLOYEES WHEREAS, occasionally, managers or department heads may need non-represented or confidential employees to perform tasks or take on projects outside of their normal job classification, or to take on partial duties and responsibilities of employees who work in a higher classification and are temporarily unavailable due to scheduled or unscheduled events such as illness, injury, family medical leave, bereavement leave, etc.; and WHEREAS, in order to compensate an employee for higher-level work performed outside of their normal job classification when that work is required by their manager, the City Council must approve special pay provisions by adoption of a resolution; and WHEREAS, granting the City Manager authority to approve special assignment pay will streamline the management of temporary assignments and ensure fair compensation for employees taking on additional upgraded responsibilities at the request of their manager in order to meet the department’s needs while still performing their normal job duties; and WHEREAS, the City Council recognizes the importance of compensating employees for work performed in a higher capacity than the employee’s normal job classification. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Azusa does hereby resolve as follows: SECTION 1. Authorizes the City Manager to approve up to a 10% special assignment pay non-represented employees performing temporary upgraded assignments in addition to their normal job duties. This special pay would be applied when employees are temporarily assigned to higher duties and responsibilities than their current position for the employees belonging to the unrepresented group. SECTION 2. The special assignment pay would not be reportable for pension purposes or subject to CalPERS for retirement calculations. SECTION 3. In order to provide the special assignment pay, a department head must provide the Human Resources office a memo detailing the reason for the request, a list of upgraded duties to be performed, duration of the assignment, and the requested pay (i.e. 5%, 10%) and approval must be granted by the City Manager. This special assignment pay must be for a limited duration and can only be added for the hours the employee is actually working in the higher capacity. PASSED, APPROVED and ADOPTED this 21st day of April 2025. ___________________________________ Robert Gonzales Mayor ATTEST: ___________________________________ Jeffrey Lawrence Cornejo, Jr. City Clerk STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) ss. CITY OF AZUSA ) I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution No. 2025-C24 was duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Azusa at a special meeting thereof, held on the 21st day of April, 2025 by the following vote of Council: AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: ABSTAIN: COUNCILMEMBERS: ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: ___________________________________ Jeffrey Lawrence Cornejo, Jr. City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: ___________________________________ Best Best & Krieger, LLP City Attorney