FY 2020 PERFORMANCE-BASED RETENTION PAY PLAN.PDF

FY 2020 Performance-based Retention Pay Plan
Initiating Department: Human Resources
Board of Supervisor’s Approval Date: 6/26/2019
I. PURPOSE
This discretionary plan helps address retention and recruitment issues that exist in departments
throughout the County and assists with incentivizing employees’ performance so that they are engaged
and continue to provide quality services to the residents of Maricopa County.
II. APPLICABILITY
This plan applies to the County’s elected offices, appointed departments, the Flood Control District, and
the Library District, as well as the Judicial Branch of Maricopa County who receives performance-based
funding from Maricopa County (collectively referred to as “Departments”). This plan does not apply to the
County’s Elected Officials or their Chief Deputies.
III. PLAN
A. Departments have two tools to address their recruitment and retention issues:
1. Performance-based Retention Increases: Where higher performers earn more than
employees who are successfully performing their job.
2. Critical Recruitment and Retention Increases: Addresses pay issues that impact
retention of high performers or the recruitment of difficult-to-fill vacancies.
B. Performance-based Retention Increase Eligibility Criteria
1. Full or part-time classified, contract, or unclassified employees.
2. Continuously employed by one or more of the departments in a regular non-temporary
status for at least one year as of June 30, 2020.
3. Must currently be successfully performing their job and have a performance appraisal
completed within FY 2019 or FY 2020 with a rating of “successful” (or equivalent) or higher.
a) Departments with employees on leave who do not have current performance
appraisals should contact Employee Compensation.
4. Employees who were promoted, transferred, or voluntarily demoted are eligible as long as
they meet the other criteria.
5. Ineligible: Employees involuntarily demoted for disciplinary reasons on or after July 1, 2018
or employees who terminate before their increases are processed in the payroll system.
C. Critical Recruitment and Retention Increase Eligibility Criteria
1. Full or part-time classified, contract, or unclassified employees.
2. Critical recruitment and retention increases may be given to employees who have not been
continuously employed by one or more of the departments in a regular non-temporary status
for at least one year as long as they are successfully performing their job.
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FY 2020 Performance-based Retention Pay Plan
3. Employees who, under this plan receive a critical recruitment and retention increase prior to
their year of continuous employment, may not be eligible to receive an additional increase
when they reach one year of employment as they received their increase early.
D. Funding
1. Up to five percent (5%) of the budgeted regular salaries and associated variable benefits
for eligible employees may be used for Performance-based Retention Increases and Critical
Recruitment and Retention Increases.
2. The Budget Office will analyze the funding requirements of departmental plans and submit
an agenda to the Board of Supervisors to adjust appropriations as necessary. Special
revenue funds are expected to pay for their awards where allowed. As done in prior years,
one-time funding will be appropriated for lump sum payments. Funding for midyear
increases is based on their effective date and departments’ budget capacity. FY 2021
budget baselines will incorporate adjustments necessary to annualize midyear increases
and will remove funding for one-time lump sum payments.
E. Effective Date
1. Performance-based Retention Increases:
a) 07/01/2019: Employees employed continuously for at least one year as of July 1, 2019.
b) Beginning of the Next Pay Period after Eligibility Date: Employees who become
eligible between July 2, 2019 and June 28, 2020.
c) 06/29/2020: Employees eligible between June 29, 2020 and June 30, 2020.
2. Critical Recruitment and Retention Increases: For employees receiving critical recruitment
increases and retention increases under this plan, effective dates will be at the beginning
of the next pay period after concurrence of their plan from County Human Resources.
IV. IMPLEMENTATION
A. Departments will receive spreadsheets for use in calculating increases and should verify that all
eligible employees are included and that employee-level information is correct. The County
Manager will receive a spreadsheet with the appointed departments’ deputy directors and above.
B. Increases can be given as a percentage of base pay or an hourly dollar amount.
C. One-time lump sums may be offered to employees who are at or above their range maximum.
D. Departments that vary increases for similarly situated employees with the same performance
rating need to explain their strategy and how fair and legally defensible practices were followed.
E. Departments may not take performance-based pay from employees who may or have received a
recent market adjustment implemented within the last year in order to increase the pay of those
employees not involved in the market adjustment.
F. County Manager may approve variations to the plan that are within the plan’s allocated funding.
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