Calvert County, MD Article I Pay and Adjustments

§ 86-3-101 Entrance level.

It shall be the policy of the Board of County Commissioners to administer a pay plan on the basis of job classification and years of service. Employees shall, as a general rule, begin employment with the County at the base rate of the grade in which the position is classified. Employees may be employed at higher rates within the respective grades, based on previous experience and/or qualifications.

§ 86-3-102 Pay scale increases.

The Board of County Commissioners annually determines whether to make an adjustment to the pay scales. In the event of an increase in the approved pay scale, the increased pay rates shall apply to all merit employees, including those in the probationary period, part-time, and grant employees, subject to the availability of funds, and any other class of employees designated by the Board of County Commissioners.

§ 86-3-103 Step increases.

[Amended 3-12-2013 by Ord. No. 07-13; 4-4-2017 by Ord. No. 11-17]

Subject to the availability of funds and the terms of the pay scale, the Board of County Commissioners grants step increases once per fiscal year as described below.

A. The following employees shall be eligible for step increases:

(1) Merit employees that have received a satisfactory or better performance evaluation shall be granted a step increase at the beginning of the fiscal year.

(2) Merit employees serving a new probationary period upon status change.

(3) Full-time grant-funded employees that have received a satisfactory or better performance evaluation shall be granted a step increase at the beginning of the fiscal year.

(4) Full-time grant-funded employees serving a new probationary upon status change.

(5) Part-time and part-time grant-funded employees that have: (a) received a satisfactory recommendation from the department head; and (b) completed six months of service shall be granted a step increase at the beginning of the fiscal year.

(6) Hourly employees that have received a satisfactory recommendation from the department head shall be granted a step increase at the beginning of the fiscal year, provided they have completed one year of continuous service as an hourly employee.

(7) Returning seasonal employees shall be granted a step increase at the beginning of the fiscal year, provided they are returning to the same position held previously as a seasonal employee.

B. If a part-time or part-time grant-funded employee moves to a job with a different title, the employee must complete six months of service in the new title prior to receiving the increase.

C. Employees serving their initial probationary period are not eligible to receive step increases. If an employee is on initial probation and ineligible for the step increase at the time it is granted, that employee shall be eligible for a step increase upon completion of the initial probationary period if the employee has received a satisfactory performance evaluation and a favorable recommendation from the department head and if the employee began his/her probation prior to the first day of the pay period that the increase was granted.

D. If the County Sheriff has established a probationary period in excess of one year, deputy sheriffs shall be eligible for a step increase upon completion of one year of service, and each July thereafter if they have received a satisfactory performance evaluation and a favorable recommendation from the Sheriff and if their probationary period began prior to the first day of the pay period that the increase was granted. The granting of such a step increase shall not be construed as successful completion of the probation.

E. All step increases shall be effective at the beginning of the pay period that is closest to July 1. If July 1 falls exactly in the middle of a pay period, the step increase shall be effective at the beginning of that pay period.

§ 86-3-104 Other salary adjustments.

A. Demotion. The salary rate upon demotion shall be established at the step within the new range which shall provide a six-percent decrease in the regular straight-time hourly rate. In the event the salary rate falls between two steps, the employee shall be granted the lower of the two. The salary rate upon demotion for the rank of Deputy Sheriff Lieutenant being demoted to a lower rank in the Sheriff's Office shall be established at the step within the new range which shall provide a twelve-percent decrease in the regular straight-time hourly rate. In the event the salary rate falls between two steps, the employee shall be granted the lower of the two.

B. Detail. During an approved official detail to a higher-graded position, an employee's salary shall be computed as if the action were a promotion. This shall be effective commencing with the 31st consecutive calendar day of performing the majority of duties and responsibilities of any other position that is vacant or where the incumbent is on extended leave and shall be retroactive to the first day of the approved official detail. Upon expiration of the detail, the former salary rate shall resume. In the case of a detail to a position of an equal or lower grade, the employee's salary shall not be affected.

C. Promotion.

[Amended 8-6-2019 by Ord. No. 23-19]

(1) The salary rate upon promotion shall be established at the step within the new range that shall provide a 6% increase, or the minimum of the higher grade, whichever is greater, in the regular straight-time hourly rate. In the event the salary rate falls between two steps, the employee shall be granted the higher of the two.

(2) Promotions by the Sheriff of sworn law enforcement and correctional officers (Correctional Deputies after September 30, 2019) shall be in accordance with full-time equivalents and budget-approved by the Board of County Commissioners annually.

D. Recall. When a nonprobationary merit employee is recalled within 12 months from the date of layoff to a position of the same pay grade as that from which the employee was laid off, the rate of pay shall be the same hourly rate as the employee was earning at the time of layoff. When an employee is recalled within 12 months from the date of layoff to a position of a lower pay grade with a lower maximum rate than that from which laid off, the hourly rate shall be the step providing the pay rate closest to, but not higher than, the hourly rate the employee was earning at the time of layoff.

E. Reclassification.

(1) The salary rate upon reclassification to a higher grade shall be computed as if the action were a promotion.

(2) The salary rate upon reclassification to the same grade shall be computed as if the action were a transfer.

(3) The salary rate upon reclassification to a lower grade shall be computed by first providing any step increase due and then placing the employee at the step within the new range that provides no decrease in the hourly rate. If the rate after step increase exceeds the maximum of the new range, the rate shall be frozen until the maximum exceeds it. At such time the employee shall be placed at the step rate that provides no decrease in the hourly rate.

(4) These provisions may be superseded by the terms of implementation of special study at the discretion of the Board of County Commissioners.

F. Transfer.

(1) For employees who are transferring to a position on the same salary schedule, their step shall remain the same.

(2) For employees who are transferring to a position on a different salary schedule, their salary rate shall be established at the lowest step that provides the same regular straight-time hourly rate within the new range as the employee received immediately prior to transfer. In the event the salary rate falls between steps, the employee shall be granted the higher of the two. If steps have the same salary rate, they shall be placed at the step that shall not delay a salary rate increase when next eligible.

G. Movement from one salary schedule to another. In order to determine if a movement from one salary schedule to another constitutes an upgrade, downgrade or no change in grade, the classification system shall be utilized.

H. In accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Board of County Commissioners may make deductions in the amount of compensation paid to an exempt employee from the exempt employee's salary to the extent that it is warranted and permitted by federal and state wage and hour laws and regulations. If an employee believes that such a deduction has been made and that the deduction is inconsistent with his or her exempt status, the employee shall immediately report the matter to his or her supervisor, department head or the Office of Personnel. The Board of County Commissioners shall investigate any alleged improper deductions, shall reimburse the employee if it is deemed that the deduction was in violation of any federal or state wage and hour laws and regulations, and shall take whatever action it deems necessary to ensure compliance in the future. The Board of County Commissioners is committed to investigating and resolving all complaints promptly and accurately.

§ 86-3-105 Workweek.

The regularly scheduled workweek for County service shall consist of five workdays of not fewer than 35 hours nor more than 40 hours per week, at the direction of the Board of County Commissioners. The normal workweek commences on Monday at 12:00 midnight and terminates on the following Sunday at 12:00 midnight. Special provisions apply to shift work. The Board of County Commissioners may adopt a variety of shift work schedules. The Board of County Commissioners may also adopt a variety of nonshift, nontraditional work schedules for groups of employees as prescribed by County government needs. These work schedules shall relate to a specific class of County employees whose nature of work is best suited to a nontraditional workweek. The adoption of nontraditional work schedules shall be to accommodate the needs of the County and the public, not the desires of individual employees.

§ 86-3-106 Shift differential pay.

[Amended 3-12-2013 by Ord. No. 07-13; 10-8-2013 by Ord. No. 44-13]

Shift differential is paid to those eligible employees working qualifying shifts as set forth below:

A. Eligible employees are employees that receive and dispatch emergency and nonemergency calls from the public regarding public safety and law enforcement issues and sworn members of the Sheriff's Office and the Detention Center.

B. Qualifying shifts are shifts that begin before 6:00 a.m. or after 9:00 a.m.

C. Shift differential will be paid for hours worked between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. by an eligible employee working a qualifying shift.

D. Shift differential is not paid for hours on paid or unpaid leave.

E. The shift differential rate is established in each approved annual budget for the County.

F. The Director of Personnel and the Director of Finance and Budget or their designee must review all requested shifts to ensure compliance with policy.

§ 86-3-107 Field Training Officer pay.

[Added 1-13-2015 by Ord. No. 02-15;[1] amended 1-23-2018 by Ord. No. 02-18]

A. Qualified Deputy Sheriffs, Correctional Officers, and nonsupervisory Public Safety Call-Takers, Dispatcher Trainees, and Dispatcher Is are entitled to receive an additional $1 for each hour they directly instruct and supervise a probationary deputy or employee during the initial field training period for a probationary deputy or employee. The $1 per hour shall not be paid for hours when the Field Training Officer (FTO) or probationary deputy or employee is on leave or not working the same schedule.

B. In order to qualify, an FTO must be formally trained and designated by the Sheriff or department head as a FTO and assigned a probationary deputy or employee within the guidelines of the Sheriff’s Office’s or Department’s FTO program. No FTO shall receive FTO pay after the assigned probationary deputy or employee is released to perform independent duties. Only one FTO shall receive the FTO pay per trainee per hour.

[1] Editor's Note: This ordinance stated that it would be applied retroactively as if it had become effective 10-1-2014.

§ 86-3-108 K-9 Handler pay.

[Added 4-18-2023 by Ord. No. 11-23]

A. K-9 Handler pay is that amount set forth in the budget approved by the Board of County Commissioners, if any, paid to sworn law enforcement who kennel and care for their Calvert County Sheriff's Office canine that is in service.

B. Only a handler that has successfully completed training as a K-9 Handler in accordance with the Calvert County Sheriff's Office Administrative and Operational Manual, and is designated by the Sheriff as a K-9 Handler.

C. A K-9 Handler is eligible for K-9 Handler pay, subject to budget, for:

(1) Each regular hour worked; and

(2) Each hour of approved paid leave used.

D. A K-9 Handler is not eligible for K-9 Handler pay for:

(1) Hours on unpaid leave; or

(2) Overtime hours.