(A) It is the policy of Ripley County, at the request of the Ripley County Sheriff, to award longevity pay for certain employees of the Ripley County Sheriff's Department based upon their years of service for that Department. This provision applies to each merit officer, the Chief Deputy, Matron, and Deputy Matron. Longevity pay is to be calculated based on the anniversary date of each covered employee. Longevity pay will be applicable on the first full month after the anniversary date for each covered employee. Applicable longevity pay will be equally divided up into the subsequent 26 pay periods per year.
(B) Longevity pay shall be a percentage of the then current base pay for the position of the covered employee, plus the following longevity percentage:
(1) 5% after five years of service;
(2) 10% after ten years of service;
(3) 15% after 15 years of service;
(4) 20% after 20 years of service.
(C) If a covered employee is laid off from the Department in good standing and subsequently returns to the Department in a covered position, then that employee would resume the position with the same longevity pay rate as when they left. A termination by the Merit Board, or a termination for cause by the Sheriff, or a resignation by an employee for any reason each constitute a break in service with the Ripley County Sheriff's Department and should that person be employed subsequently by the Department in a covered position, then longevity pay will be reset and that employee will not be again eligible for longevity pay until after another five-year period of service.
(Ord. 2017-04, passed 10-6-2017; Ord. 2017-04A, passed 12-18-2017)