Q&A
OLR's role in reviewing pay scales, benefits, and use of equity funding
0:20:00
ยท
129 sec
Daniel Pollock from OLR discusses their role in reviewing pay scales and benefit packages, particularly focusing on the use of equity funding to address recruitment and retention issues in competitive fields.
- OLR uses equity funding to target recruitment and retention issues in specific titles
- Health benefits are negotiated on a citywide basis, not title by title
- Equity funding is used through negotiations with unions to enhance wages or create retention bonus programs
- The process involves a 0.5% contribution from the city matched by 0.5% from the union within the pattern
Carmen N. De La Rosa
0:20:00
Okay.
0:20:01
Thank you for clarifying that.
0:20:03
So a question for OLR.
0:20:05
Is OLR reviewing pay scales and benefit packages to ensure competitive, competitiveness with the private sector, especially for high demand roles?
Daniel Pollock
0:20:17
Thank you for that question, Chair De La Rosa.
0:20:20
So, you know, we, I mentioned the equity funding transfer that we had in this round.
0:20:24
So, certainly, when we were looking at places that we should be targeting for for, you know, to address recruitment and retention issues, we would, you know, look at any info that we had about, you know, issues with recruitment and retention that often includes competitiveness with the private sector.
0:20:41
So where there is a title that, you know, the agency was telling us was was losing too many people to the private sector, unable to recruit, that is something we would look at.
0:20:50
You know, benefit passages.
0:20:51
We're talking about health benefits that's negotiated on a citywide basis.
0:20:54
It's not something we would have altered title by title.
Carmen N. De La Rosa
0:20:57
So how how does the work, the equity fund come into play?
0:21:01
So if there is a a position that is losing, workers, you all would sort of tap into the equity fund to try and bring the wages to a more competitive level?
Daniel Pollock
0:21:12
Yes.
0:21:12
And well, it'll be through negotiations.
0:21:14
So, you know, it's always through the conversation with the union.
0:21:17
But, you know, when we're in when we'd be bargaining a contract with the union, we would, you know, be aware of what titles within that union union, if any, had we heard about issues.
0:21:25
We would also see if the union had any titles where they felt there were issues.
Megan Chambers
0:21:29
Mhmm.
Daniel Pollock
0:21:29
And then, you know, if we felt the data supported that there is a recruitment retention problem and both sides wanted to use this construct to address it, we would then try to figure out what we should do to to enhance their wages or we've also worked out retention bonus programs and other things.
Carmen N. De La Rosa
0:21:45
It would routinely still follow the pattern.
Daniel Pollock
0:21:47
Yes.
0:21:48
It would be fit within the pattern.
0:21:49
That construct I follow I described of, you know, 0.5% from the city, 0.5% from the union, the union would have to fund the 0.5% within the pattern Mhmm.
0:21:58
And the city then would match 0.5%.
0:22:00
That's, you know, essentially, it's not outside the pattern, but it's, you know, in addition to the pattern wage increases, there's this additional 0.5% match.