FY 2014-15 PERFORMANCE-BASED RETENTION PAY PLAN.PDF

FY 2014-15 Maricopa County Performance-Based Retention Pay Plan
Initiating Department: Human Resources
Board of Supervisor’s Approval Date: June 25, 2014 (C-31-14-038-6-00)
I. Purpose
Maricopa County Management recognizes the vital role its employees play in providing mandated
services and accomplishing its strategic goals and priorities so that the citizens of Maricopa County
can enjoy living in a safe and healthy environment. The purpose of this discretionary plan is to
address retention and recruitment issues that exist in every department throughout the County and to
incentivize employees’ performance so that they are engaged and continue to provide quality
services to the citizens of Maricopa County.
II. Applicability
This plan applies to all Maricopa County Elected Offices and appointed departments, Special Districts
that follow Maricopa County’s compensation plan and policies, and the Judicial Branch. Administration of
this plan for chief deputies, chiefs of staff, and assistant chiefs of staff for Elected Officials, and the direct
reports to the Board, shall be at the discretion of the Elected Official within allocated plan funds.
III. Guidelines
A. The cost of each department’s implementation plan may not exceed two and a half percent
(2.5%) of the budgeted regular salaries and associated variable benefits for eligible employees.
See eligibility below. Departments must consider all employees who may become eligible during
the fiscal year to ensure sufficient funds are available and consistent pay practices are applied.
B. At the discretion of the Elected Official or Appointing Authority, the allocated funding will be
used for performance-based retention pay and critical recruitment-based equity pay.
1. Performance-Based Retention Pay
 Eligibility Criteria:
 Be a full or part-time classified, contract or unclassified employee.
 Have a performance appraisal on file, completed within FY 2014 or 2015, with
a rating of “meets expectations” or higher.
o Departments with employees who do not have performance appraisals
completed within FY 2014 or 2015 because the employees are on leave,
whether for Military Leave, FMLA or another non-disciplinary or
disciplinary reasons, should contact Employee Compensation.
 Have been employed with the County continuously in a regular status for at
least one year as of June 30, 2015.
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FY 2014-15 Maricopa County Performance-Based Retention Pay Plan
 Employees who have been promoted, transferred or voluntarily demoted are
eligible as long as they meet the other criteria.
 Employees involuntarily demoted for failure to pass promotional probation or a
disciplinary demotion on or after July 1, 2013 are not eligible.
2. Critical Recruitment-Based Equity Pay: Some of the department’s allotment may also
be used to address compression issues (e.g., employees with varying years of experience
making the same or similar rate of pay) that restrict the department’s ability to offer
competitive salaries and hire qualified personnel.
 Eligibility Criteria:
 Be a full or part-time classified, contract or unclassified employee.
 In order to address current critical recruitment issues, employees whose
salaries are identified as restricting job offers may be eligible for a recruitment-
based equity pay increase even if they have not been at the County
continuously for at least one year assuming the individual is fully performing at
the level required of the position held.
 Employees who under this plan receive a critical recruitment equity pay
adjustment prior to their year of continuous employment, will not receive an
additional increase when they reach one year of employment.
C. Effective Dates
1. For employees who have been employed with the County continuously for at least one
year as of July 7, 2014, the effective date is July 7, 2014.
2. For employees who become eligible after July 7, 2014, effective dates will be at the
beginning of the next pay period after their eligibility date up to June 30, 2015.
Exceptions: Employees who become eligible between June 22, 2015 and June 30, 2015
will have their increase effective June 22, 2015. Critical recruitment-based equity
adjustments distributed under this plan will be effective July 7, 2014.
IV. Consistency
A. Departments have discretion to determine increases as a percentage of base pay or an hourly
dollar amount. The consistency rules below apply only to Performance-Based Retention Pay.
1. If increases are based on a percentage of base pay, the highest percentage awarded to any
employee within the same MRT and with a specific performance rating must be less than the
lowest percentage awarded to any employee with the next higher performance rating.
2. If increases are based on an hourly dollar amount, the highest amount awarded to any
employee within the same MRT and with a specific performance rating must be less than the
lowest amount awarded to any employee with the next higher performance rating.
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FY 2014-15 Maricopa County Performance-Based Retention Pay Plan
Exceptions: Subject to approval from Employee Compensation, exceptions may be made to
the consistency rules above based upon such factors as years of experience, etc.
V. Performance Management Guidelines
A. Employees should be rated on the County’s standard five-point scale, or an equivalent
standard, unless an exception is requested and granted by Employee Compensation.
1. Unacceptable: Regularly/consistently did not meet a significant portion (s) of the “Meets”
indicators. This would be an individual who has already been coached and counseled
about work performance and still has not made improvements.
2. Needs Improvement: Periodically failed to sustain one or more of the “Meets” indicators
and needs to improve to expected levels by the next rating period.
3. Meets: Fully competent, engaged, and a consistently solid/stable performer. This is a
positive rating; all employees are expected to be successful and to perform well. It is
anticipated that the majority of employees will be rated at this level.
4. Exceeds: Consistently proactive in doing his/her job and taking the initiative to go
above and beyond the required level of performance. This is more than simply
surpassing targets. The employees who earn this rating made major contributions that
improved efficiency, quality, cost effectiveness and/or strategic outcomes. Exceptional
employees stand out from the crowd.
5. Outstanding: Consistently achieve results that distinguish them from others and have a
significant positive impact on achieving the mission of the department. Few employees
will achieve this rating on a consistent basis.
VI. Funding Allocation
The Office of Management and Budget 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, for the performance-based awards. Special
Revenue funds are expected to pay for their awards where allowed. Adjustments necessary for
employees hired after June 30, 2013 and before July 1, 2014 will be pro-rated.
VII. Approval and Implementation
A. Departments will be provided spreadsheets which list all employees. Departments are expected
to 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. Employee Compensation will work with departments on the implementation of their plan.
D. For the purposes of this plan, employees’ salaries may exceed the maximum of the market
range with the concurrence of Employee Compensation. In situations where the market range is
current and the employees are considered “red lined”, employees may be offered a one-time
lump sum.
E. The County Manager may approve minor variations to the plan that are within the department’s
allocated funding.
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