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Special Compensation/Pay |
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Special Compensation/Pay is offered for
the following:
• Shift Differential
• Standby & Emergency Call Out Pay
• Controlled Burn Fire Team Members
• Classified Service Employees working in the Citizen Information Center (CIC)
• Declared Emergencies and Other Emergency or Disaster Situations
Below are prior articles and Q & A's published in The Pen newsletter on this topic. Other topics are listed on the left menu navigation bar.
Rule 11 - Standard Workweek, Overtime Compensation, and Standby Assignments
Overview of functions handled by the Pay & Classification Division
Your Benefits and Compensation
a monthly column in The Pen Newsletter covering Benefit & Compensation topics
Shift Differential 1. Five Percent Differential
A shift differential of five percent (5%) shall be paid to those employees except Airport Firefighters and Airport Fire Lieutenants who regularly
work a shift wherein a majority of the hours worked fall after 5 p.m.
2. Ten Percent Differential
A shift differential of ten percent (10%) shall be paid to those employees except Airport Firefighters and Airport Fire Lieutenants who regularly
work a shift wherein the majority of the hours worked fall after midnight and before 6 a.m.
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Standby and Emergency Call Out Pay
All classified Service employees required to work standby assignments shall be paid at the rate of sixty (60) minutes additional pay at the employee’s
straight hourly rate for every such eight (8) hours so worked. If, while serving on such standby assignment, an employee is required to report for the
performance of a specified job, such employee shall be compensated according to the provisions for overtime on a portal-to-portal basis for all such
time actually worked with a minimum of two (2) hours paid on the first instance in any eight (8) hour standby period. Such compensation shall be
made in addition to the aforementioned standby pay.
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Controlled Burn Fire Team Members
Employees serving as Fire Team Members shall earn an additional $3.00 per hour for each hour worked as a member of the Fire Team. Each
employee serving as a Fire Team Supervisor shall earn an additional $5.00 per hour for each hour worked as a supervisor of a Fire Team. These hours
worked will count as overtime in accordance with 1985 Amendments to the Fair Labor Standards Act.
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Classified Service Employees working in the Citizen Information Center (CIC)
Classified Service Employees working in the Citizen Information Center (CIC) during emergencies shall receive their regular pay in situations where
their CIC shift falls during their normally scheduled work time and work days and the county operations are continuing as usual. If the assigned CIC
hours fall outside of the normally scheduled work time or work days, the CIC employee will be compensated at the overtime rate of pay, regardless of
the actual number of hours worked in the week. The hours actually worked in the CIC shall also be included in the calculation of the time an
employee worked during that pay week. Comp-time shall not be granted in lieu of payment.
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E. Declared Emergencies and Other Emergency or Disaster Situations
When the Board of County Commissioners declares a state of emergency and/or the Appointing Authorities closes County operation due to an
emergency or disaster situation, employees must comply with their Appointing Authority= directives regarding reporting to work. In addition to the
above provisions, the following will apply:
1. When regular county operations have been suspended because of an emergency situation, classified employees who are directed to report to work
in any capacity during that period will be paid at the overtime rate regardless of the number of hours worked.
2. If regular county operations are fully or partially open to the public, and if preparing for or dealing with the emergency or recovery efforts are normal duties of Classified Service employees by virtue of the positions held or duties assigned, these employees will be paid at their regular pay rates for hours worked up to and including forty. All time worked beyond the forty hour work week will be compensated at the overtime rate of pay either in cash or comp time at the discretion of the Appointing Authority or designee.
a. Classified service employees reassigned to perform preparation, emergency action, or recovery duties outside the normal scope of their duties, will be paid at their regular rates for hours worked up to and including forty. All time worked beyond the forty hour work week will be compensated at the overtime rates of pay either in cash or compensatory time at the discretion of the Appointing Authority or designee. If the reassigned duties are at a higher classification and continue longer than thirty days, Classified Service employees will be eligible for a pay adjustment in accordance with Rule III G 3d.
b. At times classified service employees may be directed by management to leave work during their regularly scheduled hours in order to prepare their homes and upon completion immediately return to work; however, return must not be any later than a time specified by management. This time away from work will be administrative leave with pay.
c. Classified service employees will be eligible for any shift differential that applies to their assigned hours in accordance with Section D. above.
3. If classified service employees are required to work on a recognized County Holiday during such an emergency, all time worked will be paid in accordance with Personnel Rule XII, Holidays.
4. County employees who are directed not to report to work due to such an emergency will be granted leave with pay equal to their normal work hours for a period up to four (4) weeks duration.
a. County employees who have previously scheduled an annual leave day or floating holiday for any date on which their County facility is closed due to an emergency during the initial four (4) weeks outlined in item 4 above, will have their annual leave or floating holiday changed to leave with pay.
b. If county employees are not scheduled to work on a day in which their county facilities are closed due to such an emergency, and are not called in to work, the employee will not be granted leave with pay for that day nor for any other day in substitution for that day.
5. County employees who are directed not to report to work due to such an emergency for a period in excess of four (4) weeks duration will be granted leave without pay for this time beyond the initial four (4) weeks.. Employees so affected may substitute available compensatory time, then available annual leave for the leave without pay.
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Q: My department does not have stand-by pay, yet expects classified employees to be available after hours on an as-needed basis if something occurs that needs “immediate” attention. If an employee is regularly unavailable after hours, can this be noted under the "Dependability" section of a Performance evaluation?
A: If the classified employees are expected to be on call then they need to be paid for stand-by or call out pay per Rule 11. Eventually yes it can be noted on the evaluation. However, it is important to have clearly articulated the expectation and counseled the person on the importance of being available before impacting their file permanently. If they are expected to be available and are not exempt from FLSA, then they need to be paid.
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Q: Hi Peggy, why does our shift differential start at 5:00p.m.? Let me give you an example-one of our maintenance guys works two day shifts and three second shifts, this was created so we could cut back on call out overtime. The person works on Wednesday from 3:00p.m. To 11:00p.m. on Thursday he works from 7:00a.m. until 11:00p.m. and on Friday he is here from 7:00a.m. until 11:00p.m. yes he covers two 16 hour shifts. The majority of his work time is on second shift according to our shift start times. Why is this person not entitled to the 5% shift differential?
A: Personnel Rule XI, D1 states that “a shift differential pay of five percent (5%) shall be paid to those employees except Airport Firefighters and Airport Fire Lieutenants who regularly work a shift wherein a majority of the hours worked fall after 5 p.m.” The reason our shift differential starts at 5:00 is because that is the end of the county’s standard work day. The schedule you described is somewhat unusual. Based on the rule, however, the person working from 3:00 to 11:00 p.m. should be entitled to a 5% differential for that shift (exceptions noted above) since the majority of those hours fall after 5:00 p.m. On the days that person works 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., he or she would not be entitled to the differential because the majority of those hours fall within the standard work day. Finally, the person has to work this shift for 4 consecutive weeks or more to be eligible for the differential.
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Q: In the past month there have been many sewer spills. All news outlets said that the (untreated) sewer water was toxic and dangerous to people. Why are the workers who work in the treatment plant and lift station not receiving hazard pay? We see needles, pin and other assorted items. Are we less expendable? Why do policemen, fire fighters and EMS get hazard duty pay, yet they don’t come across what we do everyday? Please explain the reason. $?
A: Our workers in the Pinellas County wastewater treatment plants are truly appreciated for doing an outstanding job that takes very special effort and dedication to assure that we provide our citizens the safest, highest quality, and most cost effective water and wastewater service. However, to assist our employees in providing these services to our community, Pinellas County Utilities provides all necessary Personal Protective Equipment, training, and cleaning products to protect employees from pathogenic organisms. It is expected and required of employees that they take personal responsibility to use all provided protection and take all precautions to protect themselves in the course of duty.
What is Hazard Pay?
Hazard pay means additional pay for performing hazardous duty or work involving physical hardship, or work that causes extreme physical discomfort and distress which is not adequately alleviated by protective devices, clothing, and other tools. In certain cases, hazard pay is granted to staff members who have been requested to remain and report for work in duty stations where very hazardous conditions, such as war or active hostilities prevail and where the evacuation of families and nonessential staff had taken place. Hazard pay is sometimes granted in cases where working conditions of an unusually severe nature that cannot be eliminated or significantly reduced by preventive measures, including the use of safety equipment and protective clothing. Such protective devices are not substitutes for safe practices.
Hazard pay is not generally paid for the customary hazards of a trade or craft, nor is it paid if the employee refuses to apply the safety measures provided by management.
Police, firefighters and EMS workers are generally exposed to dangers that include but are not limited to threats from gunfire, bombs, knives and other weapons, burning and collapsing buildings, wild/domestic and rabid animals as well as physical assaults, contamination from direct contact with infected persons and bodily fluids. Even so, all such workers are required to comply with regulations regarding protective gear, protocol and procedures. These workers generally do not receive hazard pay for doing their jobs. Police and other personnel who are assigned to “bomb squads” for diffusing, disarming, and/or removal may receive hazard pay.
Again I would like to stress that our workers in the Pinellas County wastewater treatment plants are very much appreciated for doing a job that assures that our citizens receive the safest, highest quality, and most cost effective service.
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