Human Resources Committee adopts holiday premium pay for seasonal parks staff

The Dodge County Human Resources Committee voted to formalize holiday premium pay for seasonal Land Resources and Parks employees, approving edits to Policy No. 207 that grant time-and-a-half for work on holidays between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Human Resources Director Tanya said the department had budgeted the increase and the change was being documented to make implementation official.

Tanya told the committee the premium pay applies only to seasonal staff in Land Resources and Parks and is intended to compensate caretakers and attendants who routinely work on high-use holiday weekends. "This would give the staff that are seasonal in the land resources and parks time and a half whenever they work on a holiday," Tanya said. She added the policy limits the premium pay to Memorial Day through Labor Day and that the medical-certification language in the policy was clerical: supporting medical documentation, not always a doctor's note, would be acceptable.

Committee members noted seasonal starting wages discussed during the meeting; one member said seasonal staff now start at about $17 per hour and another called seasonal staff "underpaid" for the work they encounter. After discussion, a motion to approve the policy changes was made and seconded; the chair called for the ayes and the motion carried.

The committee packet shows the change was anticipated in the Land Resources and Parks budget and staff will proceed with implementing the written policy. The committee record indicates the revised Policy No. 207 will be forwarded as the committee's formal recommendation to the county board for inclusion in county personnel policies.