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Hays County updates human resources policy

HAYS COUNTY — At its Jan. 16 meeting, the Hays County Commissioners Court approved changes — suggested by Human Resources Director Shari Miller — to amend the current human resources policy.
Hays County updates human resources policy
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HAYS COUNTY — At its Jan. 16 meeting, the Hays County Commissioners Court approved changes — suggested by Human Resources Director Shari Miller — to amend the current human resources policy.

Currently, the policy allows for an employee who is promoted to stay at the same salary "step," causing enormous pay raises if someone is promoted a large number of grades, Miller explained. For the amendment, she recommended that, when an employee is selected for a promotion, they be limited to a three-grade increase. For promotions greater than three grades, the new salary step will be the next higher step, up to a 15% increase.

“Because we have 5% in between each of our grades, the recommendation is that you would remain at the same step if you are promoting, up to three grades. So, if you are promoting just two grades, you would remain at the same step and that would equate to about a 10% promotion increase,” Miller said. “If you are promoting greater than three grades, this is where the calculation would need to come into place from the payroll office, you would land at the step that is the next highest and do a 15% increase … Employees could experience greater than 15% increase in pay, but they would land on a specific salary assigned to the step.”

Miller explained that this keeps employees at their same step if they are promoting three or fewer grades, but it does give up to a 15% or “maybe a little more, depending where those dollars are and what grades they are promoting to.” Employees cannot be paid over the maximum for their grade.

Judge Ruben Becerra suggested that there should be an outline in the policy regarding salary adjustments for demotions, especially when an employee gets demoted for something not related to their job performance.

Miller responded that in the current/existing policy on demotions, if it’s voluntary and the employee chose to take a job that’s a lower grade, the hiring authority of that position has the ability to decrease that employee’s wage by 3-6%. If the demotion is a result of a disciplinary action, then the employee must receive a 6% decrease in wage.

“The way the policy in alignment with the step plan was written is if you are voluntarily demoting, you would stay in your same step in your lower grade. So, if you’re step 5, you are going to a different job voluntarily, you would go to step 5 of that lower grade,” she said. “[In a] disciplinary demotion, involuntary, you would go down a step from your current step in the lower grade.”

Judge Becerra and commissioner Walt Smith brought up what it would look like if there’s a demotion in the case that the position ended.

Miller responded that if that were to happen, and the only place an employee would be able to go is a lower grade, the court would need to address it on an individualized basis.

To watch the full meeting, visit www.hayscountytx.com/commissioners-court/court-video. The court is scheduled to meet next at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 6.

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