FY 2019 PERFORMANCE-BASED RETENTION PAY PLAN.PDF

FY 2019 Performance-based Retention Pay Plan
Initiating Department: Human Resources
Board of Supervisor’s Approval Date: 06/27/2018
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 all Elected Offices, Appointed Departments, the Flood Control District, the Library
District, the Stadium District, and the Judicial Branch. This plan does not apply to 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: Address pay issues that impact retention
of high performers or the recruitment of difficult-to-fill vacancies.
a) Must establish that there is a critical recruitment and retention issue.
B. Performance-based Retention Increase Eligibility Criteria
1. Be a full or part-time classified, contract, or unclassified employee.
2. Continuously employed by the County in a regular non-temporary status for at least one
year as of June 30, 2019.
3. Must currently be successfully performing their job and have a performance appraisal
completed within FY 2018 or FY 2019 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. Employees involuntarily demoted for disciplinary reasons on or after July 1, 2017 are not
eligible.
6. Employees who terminate employment before their pay increases are processed through
the payroll system are not eligible.
C. Critical Recruitment and Retention Increase Eligibility Criteria
1. Be a full or part-time classified, contract, or unclassified employee.
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FY 2019 Performance-based Retention Pay Plan
2. Critical recruitment and retention increases may be given to employees who have not been
continuously employed by the County in a regular non-temporary status for at least one year
as long as they are successfully performing their job.
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 three percent (3%) 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.
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 to provide
budget capacity, where allowable and appropriate. Special revenue funds are expected to
pay for their awards where allowed.
E. Effective Date
1. Performance-Based Retention Increases: For employees employed with the County
continuously for at least one year as of July 2, 2018, the effective date is July 2, 2018. For
employees who become eligible between July 3, 2018 and June 16, 2019, effective dates
will be at the beginning of the next pay period after their eligibility date. For employees
who become eligible between June 17, 2019 and June 30, 2019, the effective date is June
17, 2019.
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 Human Resources.
IV. Implementation
A. Departments will be provided spreadsheets and should verify that all eligible employees are
included and that employee-level information is correct.
B. The County Manager will receive a spreadsheet with the executives (deputy director and above)
for all of the appointed departments.
C. Increases can be given as a percentage of base pay or an hourly dollar amount.
D. One-time lump sums may be offered to employees who are at or above their range maximum.
E. 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.
F. County Manager may approve variations to the plan that are within the plan’s allocated funding.
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