FAYETTEVILLE -- The Washington County Personnel Committee decided Monday to revise a policy to add a 120-day cap on how long an elected officials has to adjust salaries for newly hired employees.
The policy tweak gives elected officials who want to see how new employees perform before giving them a pay bump the flexibility to do so but limits the evaluation time frame, county documents show.
The change was requested by the Job Evaluation Committee in April.
The Personnel Committee's approval Monday makes the change official, Human Resources Director Michael Watson said. The policy doesn't require approval by the Quorum Court.
Historically, most requests have come through the evaluation committee within 60 days after an employee's hire date anyway, said Blair Johanson, the county's management consultant, at an evaluation committee meeting last month.
Johanson wasn't at the meeting Monday. Watson said there's no case bringing the policy change about.
The evaluation committee also wants to be allowed to give pay increases for a newly hired employees retroactively, officials said previously.
Justice of the Peace Lisa Ecke, who is chairwoman of the Personnel Committee, said Monday the change is prudent.
Ecke is a Republican representing southeastern Springdale.
Employees still must be paid within their approved salary ranges, according to county documents. Most of the time, full-time employees are hired at the minimum rate for their grade, but the policy allows some flexibility for pay for employees who are hired with more experience, education or job duties, records show.
The Personnel Committee also approved Monday a full-time case coordinator for the Prosecutor's Office. The position next will go before the Finance and Budget Committee.
NW News on 05/09/2017