The Salt Lake County Council has approved the employee compensation and benefits portion of the FY21 county budget. Over the past few weeks, the council heard budget presentations given by various county agencies.
On Oct. 12, Christy Berk, UPEA employee representative for the local district, participated in a meeting for labor associations hosted by Salt Lake County Human Resources Director Kathleen Johnston. When Mayor Jenny Wilson released her budget a few weeks later, the recommendations had changed slightly, in favor of employee compensation.
The Mayor’s budget proposal included:
- Employees in the General Structure will receive a 1.5% pay increase
- Employees in the Trades/Technical Structure will receive a 2% pay increase
- Pay increase eligibility pending a Meets Expectations (3) on their 2020 performance evaluation
- No change in health and dental insurance benefits or premiums
- Salary structure adjustments to both the General and Trade/Technical to remain competitive
- A midyear budget review to determine whether there is enough money for a second pay increase for employees whose jobs specifically affected by the COVID-19pandemic (i.e. the Health Department)
- 1% lump-sum increase for red-lined employees
During the County Council meeting on Oct. 27, UPEA thanked the mayor for advocating for county employees during this uncertain time.
Additionally, UPEA was grateful to support the temporary suspension of the county “use or lose” policy for paid time off. Employees who have accrued leave from 2020 now may carry it over until 2022.
Finally, UPEA also spoke up for the legal investigators in the District Attorney’s Office, asking that a pay study be done to ensure they are compensated based on their specific job duties.
County Budget 101 tri-folds created by UPEA will be dispersed throughout the county in the upcoming weeks. If you have any questions or concerns about the budget process or other employment issues, please contact Christy Berk, 801-264-8732 ext. 212 or at cberk@upea.net.