The overtime policy for Whitewater Region management, supervisory, technical, administrative and administrative support employees is expected to be revised at next week’s council meeting.
Currently, management staff can bank up to 70 hours of overtime while non-management staff can bank up to 35 hours of overtime and receive pay at time-and-one-half or take it in days off with pay.
Due to council changing committee meetings from afternoon to evening following the 2014 municipal election, there are some staff who have already reached the banked overtime allowed, noted Chief Administrative Officer Christine FitzSimons. She said administrative assistant Karen Bromley is currently at her 35 hours over time as per the policy.
“The rest of overtime for Karen can be taken in time, which would have considerable impact on reception at the front line,” she said at the May 4 Corporate Services Committee meeting.
Councillor Daryl McLaughlin noted the overtime hours were increased to 90 hours last year and he believes that should be the policy for this year.
“I think we might as well bite the bullet and call it business and send it back to 90 hours,” he said. “We’re the ones requesting these people to be here at the meetings.”
Councillors Dave Mackay and Chris Olmstead agreed.
“We can’t have these people working for nothing,” Coun. Mackay said.
Coun. Olmstead suggested afternoon committee meetings begin in November, if possible, instead of January. This was a change that was made for January, February and March committee meetings earlier this year.
Councillor Charlene Jackson suggested the banked hours be changed to 91, which would give an extra three full days.
Mayor Hal Johnson noted due to the township’s policy, Ms. Bromley must now be paid at time-and-a-half, not given days in lieu of pay.
Coun. Jackson said under the Employment Standards Act, it’s 40 hours per week before overtime is kicked in, unless the township has a better policy.
When re-writing the policy, CAO FitzSimons questioned if it was to be 91 hours of banked time for management and for non-management, time-and-a-half paid out after 35 banked hours.
Coun. Jackson said it’s up to the employee to decide if he or she wants banked time or time-and-a-half pay. What council needs to decide is if it’s 35 hours or 40 hours, which is what the employment standard is, she said. Currently, township employees work 35 hours a week, she said.
CAO FitzSimons will bring a revised overtime policy back to the May 18 council meeting to be reviewed and passed.
