County Government Pay Classification Studies in West Virginia

1
County Government Pay Classification Studies in
West Virginia

• Michael Dougherty
• WVU Extension Service

2
West Virginia Situation

• Counties often lack professional expertise
• Less than half have administrator/manager/assistan
  t
• Constitutional offices described, protected
• Everything else falls to County Commission
• Elected officials can have intramural squabbling

3
WVU Extension Involvement
Photo from WVU

• Began at request of PA faculty member
• Requested assistance, expertise
• Planned to advise and counsel on a project
• Work transferred to Extension
• Take advantage of expertise, outreach mission
• Part of Local Govt Technical Assistance
• Formal administration followed after initial
  project
• Projects have various educational aspects

4
Five Projects in Four WV Counties

• Hancock County
• 1997
• 2000
• Jackson County
• 1998-1999
• Fayette County
• 2001-2003
• Taylor County
• 2002-2003

5
Methodology

• Agreement (contract) to conduct study
• Completion of Job Analysis Worksheet
• On-site interview of employees
• Rating of positions by Universal Job Factors
• Development of initial pay grade levels
• Salary review and Salary Survey
• Completion of pay system with job descriptions

6
Job Analysis Worksheet Sections

• Identification
• Job Duties
• Job Qualifications
• Supervision Received
• Supervision Given
• Contacts

• Responsibilities
• Consequence of Error
• Working Conditions
• Additional Comments
• Supervisor Review

7
Interviews with Employees

• On-site, 15 minutes conversations
• Private, confidential sessions
• Inquire about uncertainties on worksheets
• Chance to educate employees about process
• Results form basis job descriptions
• Done by faculty member and MPA intern

8
Universal Job Factors

• Education
• Experience
• Initiative and Ingenuity
• Physical Demand
• Mental Demand

• Equipment or Process
• Material or Product
• Safety of Others
• Work of Others
• Working Conditions
• Purpose of Contacts

9
Development of Initial Pay Grades

• Start with raw factor scores
• Combine similar scores to simplify system
• Examine positions with more than one person
• Review like positions across offices
• Done by MPA intern, faculty member reviews

10
Salary Review and Salary Survey

• Review salaries of all current employees
• Survey labor market for comparative salaries
• Private firms same size as county
• Neighboring and like counties
• Area municipalities
• Also seeks information on benefits package
• Information compiled, use to check salaries
• Done by MPA intern, faculty member reviews

11
Completion of Pay System

• Preface or end notes contains special info
• Explanation of methodology
• Documentation of special circumstances
• Includes all job descriptions
• Includes one or more pay systems
• Generally 5 percent between grades
• Range of 2 to 5 percent between steps
• Provides information on implementation

12
Project 1 Hancock 1997
Photo from WV Web

• 54 persons in 35 positions
• Over 196,000 implementation cost
• 71,000 over anticipated cost
• Adopted November 1997
• Included review personnel manual
• Two interns used, Spring and Fall semester

13
Project 2 Jackson County
Photo from WV Web

• 91 persons in 41 positions
• 10,104 additional cost for implementation
• Above 49,686 for across-the-board raises
• Adopted August 1999
• Intern worked Fall 1998

14
Project 3 Hancock 2000
Photo from WV Web

• About 60 persons in 42 positions
• 18 positions recommended for upgrades
• 5 percentage increase models for pay scale
• Delivered November 2000 no action taken
• Included review of new leave policy
• Intern worked Summer 2000

15
Project 4 Fayette County
Photo from WV Web

• 117 persons in 56 positions
• Three different pay scales (step differentials)
• 17,160 to 37,728 implementation cost
• 34,603 to 68,652 annual cost
• Delivered April 2003 to be considered FY2005
• Included sick leave policy review
• Intern worked late 2001 to early 2002

16
Project 5 Taylor County
Photo from WV Web

• 42 persons in 24 positions (full-time
  part-time)
• Task lists generated for 34 persons
• 41,288 in raises for FT personnel for FY2003
• Recommendations for FY2004 not implemented
• Job descriptions, task lists delivered April 2003
• Included personnel policy review
• Special attention sexual harassment policy
• Led to separate project to recodify personnel
  manual

17
Lessons Learned

• County officials have the final say
• Champion needed to ensure implementation
• Job Analysis Worksheet has its limitations
• MPA Interns must be properly prepared
• More positions than would have been expected
• Timetable must give way to flexibility
• Taking time a necessary investment

18
Contact Information
Photo from WVU

• Michael Dougherty
• Extension Specialist, CRED
• Community, Economic and Workforce Development
• WVU Extension Service
• 2104 Ag. Sciences Bldg., PO Box 6108
• Morgantown, WV 26506-6108
• Phone [phone] Ext. 4215
• Fax [phone]
• Email Michael.Dougherty_at_mail.wvu.edu