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Eau Claire proposes comp‑time payout changes to comply with WRS; street department workers raise concerns
Summary
An ordinance would change how comp time is earned, used and paid out to ensure compliance with Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) rules. HR staff said the change avoids potential statewide look‑backs and penalties; several city street employees testified they would lose promised time‑off flexibility if comp time must be paid out by mid‑December.
The council heard a presentation May 12 from a city HR director about an ordinance that would alter how employees earn, use and are paid out for compensatory time to ensure compliance with the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS).
The director explained that under the proposed ordinance comp time may be earned January 1 through December 1; hours worked December 2 through year‑end would be paid as overtime. The proposal would also require that the entire comp time balance be used or paid out in the last full pay period in December — in 2025 that means use by Dec. 14 or payment on the Dec. 19 payroll — so that comp time is paid in the year it is earned and the city remains WRS‑compliant.
“This creates WRS compliance issues as the hours are not paid out in the year they were earned and exposes us to risk,” the director said, urging the changes to avoid potential look‑backs and penalties.
Street department employees and other public commenters told the council the change would reduce a long‑standing flexibility that many public‑works employees rely on. Ray Rykerzer, who identified himself as a City Streets Department employee, said many street staff earn comp time during the winter plowing season and plan to take that time off in summer. “If you pay me the money, I can't do that,” Rykerzer said, describing the practice of working in winter in exchange for later time off as a recruiting and retention promise for employees who face heavy winter workloads.
Eric Wold, another city employee, said the department had raised its concerns with HR staff and that the change would have a significant effect on morale and scheduling; Wold also asked whether payroll adjustments to meet WRS requirements would impose additional costs. The HR director said the risk to the city is a possible WRS look‑back and interest penalties if comp time is not paid in the year it is earned.
Why this matters: The proposed ordinance affects how salaried and hourly city staff are compensated for extra hours and ties directly to state retirement reporting and potential financial penalties. City staff characterized the measure as necessary for statewide rules compliance; affected employees described operational and retention impacts for seasonal work such as snow plowing.
No formal vote on the ordinance took place at the May 12 meeting; HR staff presented the ordinance and council members asked questions. Council Member Miller asked whether other municipalities follow the same practice; the HR director said she was not certain how other municipalities handle comp time but emphasized the change responds to identified noncompliance risks.
Clarifying details from the meeting: the policy change would make the comp‑time accrual window Jan. 1–Dec. 1; December 2–31 overtime would be paid as overtime; comp time must be used or paid out by the last full pay period in December (noted as Dec. 14 use or Dec. 19 payout for 2025). Employees said the Streets Department staff count (about 29 people) and scheduling needs during winter months could make it difficult for staff to use comp time by mid‑December.
The council accepted public comment on the proposal and heard employees’ requests that the city consider department‑specific accommodations or other mitigations before finalizing the ordinance.
