Employee Relations outlines health care changes, recruitment drives and compensation work as a four‑election budget year approaches

The Department of Employee Relations (DER) updated the Finance & Personnel Committee on Oct. 17 about the department’s 2026 request, benefit plan changes, workforce recruitment and ongoing pay studies and training efforts.

Lede: DER presented a modest proposed budget increase for 2026, noting no reductions in position authority; the department plans to move Milwaukee’s Medicare supplementary coverage to a Medicare Advantage product, expand wellness and return‑to‑work programs, and continue multi‑year market pay studies.

Nut Graf: Director Jackie Q. Carter and DER leadership said 2026 is largely a ‘‘cost‑to‑continue’’ budget with a net increase driven mainly by higher health‑care and workers’ compensation projections. DER described targeted investments in recruitment, internships, apprenticeship programs, a management trainee pipeline and a push to modernize personnel workflows using Workday.

Key budget figures and benefits changes: Budget staff summarized DER’s net operating change as approximately $144,000 with one fewer FTE funded in the operating budget (a paralegal line removed while position authority was retained). The department reported an…