Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Premium Pay topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City staff propose premium-pay classifications affecting about 1,275 employees; parameters left to commission
Summary
HR presented a draft of essential-worker job classifications for premium pay covering an estimated 1,275 in‑person employees across unions and nonunion staff; staff noted federal guidance limits and encouraged prioritizing lower‑wage workers; final eligibility and amounts will be decided after a public hearing and lost‑revenue calculations.
Human Resources presented a draft framework for premium pay that would limit eligibility to employees who performed in‑person work during the pandemic. Mr. Rodriguez said the current, preliminary estimate of affected employees is about 1,275 across roughly 229 job classifications: approximately 294 police positions, about 250 fire positions, roughly 45 PMSA positions, about 312 SEIU positions and roughly 374 nonunion positions. Rodriguez and staff emphasized remote workers are ineligible under the guidance.
Commissioners and the president of the commission proposed grouping employees into categories (frontline/high‑exposure; in‑person/behind the scenes; remote‑excluded) and using a graduated stipend, but staff cautioned that they cannot set minimum or exact amounts without knowing the total allocation. Legal guidance read into the record reiterated the interim final rule: premium pay should be targeted to workers who faced heightened risk due to regular in‑person interactions or regular physical handling of items.
Staff noted federal guideposts that include ceilings — staff cited a $13/hour limit and a $25,000 per‑person cap — and said the commission retains discretion over final categories and amounts. The administration said it will return with specific allocation scenarios after lost‑revenue calculations and a public hearing on union negotiations.
