(a) The Merit Pay Plan.
(1) The Merit Pay Plan is based on an appraisal process which consists of three basic components: a written evaluation completed by both the supervisor and the employee; performance based discussion between the supervisor and employee, and a quantitative summary of the final evaluation. The Supervisors should review all performance appraisals with his/her appointing authority. Department of Administration should be consulted when the employee is rated above or below expectations.
(2) The formal Performance Appraisal process is to be conducted annually in November.
(3) Merit pay will be calculated on the basis of the evaluation completed by the supervisors and will be effective January 1 of the new year.
(4) Eligible employees will consist of full and part-time employees in nonbargaining positions who have been in their position for at least one year.
(5) If an employee is not eligible for a merit pay award in January due to the fact that he/she has not completed a year of service, the employee will be eligible for a merit pay adjustment on his/her first anniversary date. After this, the employee will participate in the regularly scheduled merit pay program.
(6) Elected officials, intermittent, special and seasonal employees are not eligible for merit pay increases. Their increases will be based off of the annual wage adjustment approved by Council.
(7) Any employee who is a member of a union is not eligible for merit pay.
(b) The Performance Appraisal Process.
(1) The appraisal process will begin with the supervisor and the employee each completing a performance form for the employee. Each will complete the written form within one week of receiving it. By November 30, supervisors are required to forward their evaluations to their appointing authority. Each evaluation completed by a supervisor will be reviewed by his/her appointing authority for the purpose of ensuring consistency and fairness in evaluations. If an appointing authority feels that a supervisor’s evaluations reveal inconsistencies, the appointing authority retains the right to challenge the supervisor’s evaluations. The supervisor and employee will then meet with the purpose of discussing their evaluations, discuss both positive and negative aspects of the employee’s performance to identify and resolve areas of agreement/disagreement and set goals for future performance. The employee should be encouraged to present his/her viewpoint and the supervisor retains the right to choose whether to modify his/her rating based on the employee’s input.
(2) If an employee feels aggrieved by the evaluation process, he/she has the right to present a written appeal to the Department of Administration. In conjunction with the appointing authority, the Department of Administration will schedule a hearing with the employee and supervisor for both parties to present their issues, and the appointing authority will determine the outcome of the hearing.
(3) When the appointing authorities have reviewed the evaluations to ensure consistency and fairness, they should be given to the Department of Administration. The Finance office will then be notified of any increases to be awarded.
(c) The Performance Appraisal Form.
(1) The performance appraisal process begins with a written evaluation which is based on a detailed review of job performance. The form consists of two parts.
A. The General Performance Factors. The factors include the following:
1. Quality of Work.
2. Quantity of Work.
3. Cooperation/Team Work.
4. Job Knowledge.
5. Dependability.
6. Communication.
7. Judgement/Problem Solving.
8. Initiative.
9. Knowledge of Department Policy and Objectives.
10. Adhering to Safety Procedures.
11. Attendance/Tardiness.
B. The Special Factors. The second part consists of Special Performance Factors which represent critical areas of performance unique to each position. The Special Factors are different for each position, although there may be some overlap between similar jobs to incorporate some consistency in the form. The employee and the supervisor developed the factors with guidance from Human Resources.
(d) Merit Pay Calculations.
(1) The two parts of the form will have equal value in the quantitative summary of the evaluation. The general factors and the special factors will be added together and divided by the total numbers of factors available.
(2) Merit pay increases will be calculated on the following scale using the annual wage adjustment approved by Council as the base for all calculations.
A. 1.0-2.5 rating will receive 0% of the Wage Adjustment.
B. 2.6-2.7 rating will receive 50% of the Wage Adjustment.
C. 2.8-3.3 rating will receive 100% of the Wage Adjustment.
D. 3.4-3.6 rating will receive 125% of the Wage Adjustment.
E. 3.7-3.9 rating will receive 150% of the Wage Adjustment.
F. 4.0-5.0 rating will receive 200% of the Wage Adjustment.
(3) The percentage increase will be calculated on the employee’s current rate of pay.
(4) Merit pay will be awarded as an increase to the employee’s current rate of pay. However, in the case that an employee reaches the top of his/her pay band, the merit pay award will be paid in the form of a bonus to prevent employees from earning salaries which exceed the tops of their pay band.
(5) Any challenges to the calculation of merit pay awards should be presented in writing to the Department of Administration.
(Ord. 110-1998. Passed 11-19-98.)