by
CONNIE TABBERT
Editor
COBDEN — Management and professional employees of Whitewater Region are entitled to bank 70 hours of overtime for time off in lieu of pay.
However, with three more months to go this year, that 70 hours has been used up by most of the staff, noted Erica Rice, deputy-treasurer for the township, at the Oct. 7 corporate services committee meeting.
There was a motion to change the policy, however, the committee agreed to table it until the issue could be discussed by staff.
The overtime policy for the municipality is that staff can take time off in lieu of pay to a maximum of 70 hours.
Explaining the background of the current policy, Ms. Rice said when the current over time policy was developed, council was holding day and evening meetings, she noted. Staff usually attended the day meetings, and the evening meetings when required, she continued.
“We didn’t add up much overtime,” she said. “In my own experience, I did whenever I was doing the administrative assistant position, I did get a lot of extra overtime because I was taking the minutes and a lot of the staff members were not here because they weren‘t asked.”
When Christine FitzSimons was hired as the Chief Administrative Officer, she wanted all staff to attend council and committee meetings in case their expertise was required, Ms. Rice said.
Councillor Charlene Jackson questioned if there was a review of employment standards in regards to management’s ability to have overtime and non-management ability to have overtime?
In job descriptions for management staff, does it state that they could be required to work longer than the 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., questioned Coun. Jackson.
“Management staff are not entitled to overtime, it’s part of their salary,” she said.
CAO FitzSimons said she was not sure if that is in each job description. It could be that the wording will have to be looked into regarding overtime. She believes they looked into the wording for eligibility of overtime and there being a difference between being paid overtime for hours banked and time in lieu, which was in a different category than management being paid out for their overtime.
Taking time in lieu of pay has been a long-standing policy, CAO FitzSimons said, with Ms. Rice agreeing.
Coun. Jackson said this policy was put in place to mirror the county employees. She noted management employees were allowed to bank up to two weeks of overtime.
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“Anything above and beyond that was to be included in their salary, and that’s what I would recommend that it stay that way, that it is part of the salary and this is just a bonus that was given years ago,” she said.
According to employment standards, management staff are not entitled to overtime.
This municipality’s policy does mirror the county’s policy, but the county has day meetings, CAO FitzSimons said.
Councillor Daryl McLaughlin noted the previous council had day committee and council meetings, which allowed staff to be present without collecting overtime. This council has elected to have evening meetings, he said.
“Now that we’ve gone to this process, where they’re all evening meetings, I think we have to bite the bullet. If that’s what we want to come in here and do, then we’re going to have to up the ante with our staff and allow them to bank more days,” he said. “It’s just a matter of doing business,” unless council wants to revert to the former way of having day meetings.
Coun. Jackson noted the over time hours are not all from attending council and committee meetings, but working at night to prepare information for the next day. She noted she works for a municipality and has exceeded her 70 hours, which means no extra pay.
“I’ve reached and exceeded my 70 hours where I work and the rest is on me, it’s just part of my salary,” she said.
Mayor Hal Johnson noted not all management staff have to attend each meeting.
“If staff is not required for our meeting, then we don’t need them to be here,” he said.
CAO FitzSimons asks staff to attend meetings when there are important items on the agenda. They can leave once their items have been completed, although some ask to remain if there are other relevant items on the agenda that may pertain to them.
Ms. Rice noted when she’s not taking minutes, or training new staff, she will not have the overtime she does now.
“When Karen (Bromley, new administrative assistant) gets comfortable, or unless something does come up on the agenda, there’s no real need for me to attend, unless Christine requests me to be here, or if the council does,” she explained.
Coun. Jackson is not sure if this policy pertains to all of the employees or just management because the policy says management employees.
“I don’t know if management has been defined in who those managers are in regards to the 70 hours, there’s no definition on record as to who it applies to, but certainly somebody in the position of administrative assistant is not management and therefore entitled, according to employment standards, to overtime,” she said.
Management gets time, but administrative assistant gets time-and-a-half according to employment standards, Ms. Rice noted.
Councillor Chris Olmstead suggested that possibly some of the winter evening meetings could be changed to day meetings to alleviate banking overtime hours.
Coun. Jackson said the first nine months for the new council were heavy meetings. Lately, the meetings have been shorter, with most less than three hours, she said.
“Let’s leave it as is and review (that) next year,” she suggested.
CAO FitzSimons noted for some of the staff, the time between 4 and 6 p.m., which is when the council and committee meetings start, is also calculated into the overtime because they find that’s a quiet time to work.
“The phones aren’t ringing and a lot can be accomplished, so there’s those hours that factor in over and above the meeting hours as well,” she said.
Ms. Rice agreed, noting she did some township work while waiting for the council and committee meetings to start.
That should be used as down time, said Councillor Cathy Regier, noting staff have already put in a full day’s work.
“”Our staff could work 12 hours a day and never be done,” she said. “We need to minimize those hours. From four to six o’clock, would be a way to begin (cutting the ovetime). It’s a long enough day, you employees need that two hour break,” she said.
Councillor Dave Mackay said asking people to work overtime for three months without pay, or even time off in lieu, is a lot to ask.
“You’ll make people bitter when they’re not getting paid for their job,“ he said. “You can say it’s part of their job, but we all know that pisses people off. You’re asking people to come in and do the extra work with no ….”
Coun. Jackson noted it isn’t council asking the employees to come in, but the CAO. She further noted there is no reason for them to be on work time from the end of their working day until the meeting. Using public works manager Bill Misener as an example, she said a text could be sent to him advising his agenda item is up soon and he should come to the meeting.
While that doesn’t apply for all staff who live far away, it can be used for some, she added.
“I don’t see other municipalities increasing their 70 hours and most municipalities have their meetings at night,” she said.
A motion to change the policy was tabled.
Coun. Jackson wants other municipalities surveyed to see what their overtime policy is for management, if they’ve increased overtime from 70 hours and who attends the meetings.
The committee agreed to table motion until more information is gathered and the issue is discussed with staff.
