The merit compensation plan and assignment of employees to positions
and pay rates shall be recommended by the human resources director
and submitted for approval of the town manager and ratification by
the town council annually or from time-to-time to the town council.
Any wage and salary increases, when authorized, shall be dependent
upon the financial and budgetary constraints of the town as outlined
in the town’s annual operating budget. Neither the merit compensation
plan or any salary ranges established within the plan or individual
job descriptions shall be considered an obligation by the town unless
authorized within the annual budget and for each employee by the employee’s
department director, the town HR department, the town finance department
and the town manager through the execution of a properly executed
and approved employment status change form.
(Ordinance 18-01 adopted 2018)
Every job in the town will be classified using a job factor
analysis. All jobs will be evaluated using a systematic methodology
utilizing the following factors: job knowledge, responsibility, difficulty
of work, and work environment. The town compensation plan will include
pay grades and salaries developed from the analysis.
(Ordinance 18-01 adopted 2018)
Pay grades and salaries are developed from the position classification
process, and as adjusted for cost of living or for any negotiated
change, and shall be submitted to the town manager and town council
each year for approval.
(Ordinance 18-01 adopted 2018)
It is the intent of the town to consider and negotiate cost
of living adjustments (COLA) and other adjustments to wages and salaries
on an annual basis. The amount and frequency of these adjustments,
if any, will ultimately be based upon the town budget and other economic
constraints.
(Ordinance 18-01 adopted 2018)
In determining the total compensation value of any employee
position, the full cost of the town providing benefits to the employee
must be considered. Total compensation is calculated as base salary
plus cost of benefits. Preference will always be given to maintaining
the cost and level of benefits to employees, before considering salary
adjustments. In comparing benefit packages provided in the labor market,
the town may evaluate both level and total compensation costs or other
factors as deemed appropriate.
(Ordinance 18-01 adopted 2018)
All initial employment appointments to town service will normally
be at the minimum rate of a pay grade. Exceptions may be approved
by recommendation of the department director and signature authority
of the finance director, based upon the funds being allocated and
available for the position and to the department and, ultimately are
at the discretion of the town manager based upon organizational resources
and priorities. The town manager may authorize paying up to mid-range
for the job classification. If an employee cannot be recruited for
the position at the minimum rate or the qualifications of the individual
selected for the position exceed the minimum requirements, the town
manager may seek council permission to exceed mid-range, to reset
the salary range to market rate or to reclassify the position, and
then to re-advertise for the opening.
(Ordinance 18-01 adopted 2018)
Progression through a pay grade normally is based on negotiated
annual cost of living adjustments and merit pay increases when recommended
by the employee’s immediate supervisor, department director
and the HR director, and approved by the finance director and town
manager based on funding in the town budget. The organizational pay
plan, including any cost of living increase and/or merit pay, longevity,
union negotiated or other incremental increases to remain competitive
shall be based on proven continued long-term operational funding in
the town’s current and future budgets based on the recommendation
of the town’s finance director, and town manager, with the approval
of the mayor and town council.
(Ordinance 18-01 adopted 2018)
Employees shall be paid bi-weekly, with twenty-six (26) pay
periods per year. If a payday lands on a holiday, the day of pay shall
be the last working day proceeding the normal payday. The designated
workweek is a period of time which begins at one minute after twelve
o’clock (12:01) a.m. Saturday, and ends at twelve o’clock
(12:00) midnight, the following Friday; the workweek for full-time
employees will normally consist of eight (8) hours per day, five (5)
consecutive days per week. The town manager may approve an alternative
workweek.
(Ordinance 18-01 adopted 2018)
Payroll time and attendance procedures and records will be administered
by the finance department and payroll administrator.
(Ordinance 18-01 adopted 2018)
Assignment of acting status to any town position shall normally
entitle the employee to be compensated at the entry level of the position
in which he/she is acting, though not less than the employee is making
at their position prior to being transferred to the acting status,
or adjusted for appropriate placement within the pay grade dependent
upon the percentage of assigned job responsibilities within the acting
status, subject to recommendation of the department director and based
on budget availability and signature approval of the finance director
and town manager, or the mayor, in the absence thereof.
(Ordinance 18-01 adopted 2018)
When an employee is selected to fill a vacancy at a higher pay
grade, the employee will normally be paid at the entry level of the
new position or adjusted for appropriate placement within the pay
grade, subject to recommendation of the department director based
on budget availability and signature approval of the finance director
and town manager.
(Ordinance 18-01 adopted 2018)
When it becomes necessary to demote an employee pursuant to section
3.80.040, “Demotion”, of this title, the employee will normally receive a reduction in pay to the entry level of the new position or adjusted for appropriate placement within the pay grade. The amount of the pay reduction shall be determined on a case-by-case basis. The pay recommendation from the department director shall be based on budget availability and signature approval of the finance director and town manager.
(Ordinance 18-01 adopted 2018)
Shift differential pay is intended to compensate police officers
and paid fire fighters who report to work at odd hours, to relieve
the previous shift as part of their duties and responsibilities. Shift
work is recognized where more than one group of employees report to
work during the same twenty-four (24) hour workday. Employees who
work a swing shift shall receive an additional fifty cents ($0.50)
per hour and graveyard shall receive an additional one dollar ($1.00)
per hour for each hour of regular shift pay for the entire shift.
(Ordinance 18-01 adopted 2018)
A. An employee
who is dismissed or discharged shall receive his or her final pay
in accordance with section 50-4-4 New Mexico Statutes Annotated 1978,
which provides:
A. Whenever an employer discharges an employee, the unpaid wages or
compensation of such employee, if a fixed and definite amount, and
not based on a task, piece, commission basis or other method of calculation,
shall, upon demand become due immediately and the employer shall pay
such wages to the employee within five days of such discharge.
B. In all other cases of discharged employees the settlement and payment
of wages or compensation shall be made within ten days of such discharge.
B. An employee
who resigns shall receive his or her paycheck in accordance with section
50-4-5 New Mexico Statutes Annotated 1978, which provides:
Whenever an employee (not having a written contract
for a definite period) quits or resigns his or her employment, the
wages or compensation shall become due and payable at the next succeeding
payday.
(Ordinance 18-01 adopted 2018)
A. The
workweek is a period of time which begins at one minute after twelve
o’clock (12:01) a.m. Saturday, and ends at twelve o’clock
(12:00) midnight, the following Friday. The town manager may approve
an alternative workweek in writing when requested by a department
director or an employee under special circumstances and where the
request does not interfere with the productivity of the department
or town.
B. The
town shall not change the workweek to avoid payment of overtime. A
change to the scheduled work hours within the workweek shall not be
considered a change to the workweek.
C. Time
worked in excess of forty (40) hours by non-exempt employees during
the designated workweek shall be compensated in accordance with the
provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
D. With
the permission of the town manager, department directors may, at their
discretion, permit exempt and non-exempt employees to use flex time
on a case-by-case basis, where meetings, training, or other approved
work related assignments require an employee to work extended hours
outside of their normal work day and where subsequent attendance at
work may interfere with employee performance, productivity, safety
or well-being. Flex hours must be used within the same town pay period
in which they were accrued, unless otherwise approved by the town
manager in writing and in advance.
E. The
department director shall determine the need for employees to work
overtime, and be responsible for authorizing overtime work in advance
and in writing approved before and after by the town manager.
F. All
time spent in training, at workshops, meetings, and related travel
when such attendance is made mandatory (non-voluntary) by the town
shall constitute hours worked and shall be used to calculate overtime
eligibility under the FLSA.
G. Time
spent attending authorized and voluntary training, workshops, conferences,
meetings, seminars, etc., shall not count towards overtime and shall
count as work time only if it occurs during an employee’s normal
work day and work time (i.e., for a traditional Monday through Friday
work schedule). (Voluntary attendance at functions listed above on
Saturdays and Sundays is not counted as work time, nor shall any other
time not identified above, unless directed or approved in advance
for compensation by the town manager, or the mayor.)
H. The
special exemptions under section 207 of the Fair Labor Standards Act
(FLSA) allowed for law enforcement and fire protection personnel with
regard to overtime will be applied as follows:
1. For
those employees engaged in fire protection activities (defined by
the town as firefighters) who have a work period of at least seven
(7) but less than twenty-eight (28) consecutive days, no overtime
compensation is required under 29 USC section 207(k) until the ratio
of the number of hours worked exceeds the number of hours which bears
the same relationship to two hundred twelve (212) as the number of
days in the work period bears to twenty-eight (28) days.
2. For
those employees engaged in law enforcement activities (defined by
the town as patrol officers/police officers) who have a work period
of at least seven (7) but less than twenty-eight (28) consecutive
days, no overtime compensation is required under 29 USC section 207(k)
until the ratio of the number of hours worked exceed the number of
hours which bears the same relationship to one hundred seventy-one
(171) as the number of days in the work period bears to twenty-eight
(28) consecutive days.
I. With
the permission of the town manager, department directors may, at their
discretion, permit employees to use flex time on a case-by-case basis,
where meetings, training, or other approved work related assignments
require an employee to work extended hours outside of their normal
work day and where subsequent attendance at work may interfere with
employee performance, safety or well being. Flex hours must be used
within the same town pay period in which they were accrued.
(Ordinance 18-01 adopted 2018)
A non-exempt employee may be required to remain on call after
their normal or alternative work schedule to answer and respond to
town emergencies. An employee placed on-call will be provided a radio
or cell phone for the purpose of notification to report for work;
employees are not paid for all time spent carrying the notification
device but are paid for time spent responding to calls. In the event
that an emergency requires an employee to work, the employee must
physically respond within twenty (20) minutes of notification. Employees
are paid for the actual time when work is performed, as measured from
the time the call is received to the time the work is completed and
shall be informed by a call, text, or e-mail to the dispatching supervisor.
An employee’s on-call status shall be recorded on his or her
time sheet. On-call time will not be considered time worked in the
computation of regular and/or overtime hours.
A. Town
employees assigned to “on-call” status shall be provided
with a take-home town vehicle to be used only while responding to
calls and to perform the assigned town duties when necessary.
B. Vehicles
designated for on-call use will be designated by the department director.
C. Various
town positions will be designated as on-call eligible and are as follows:
Public Utilities Foreman, Public Utilities Operators III, II, and
I.
D. On-call
schedules are designated by the department director.
The non-exempt employee shall be paid for on-call pay as follows:
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1.
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One hour at straight time, per day, eight o’clock (8:00)
a.m. Monday through five o’clock (5:00) p.m. Friday; then
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2.
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Two (2) hours at straight time, per day, beginning at five o’clock
(5:00) p.m. Friday through eight o’clock (8:00) a.m. Monday;
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3.
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Two (2) hours at straight time, per holiday observed by the
town.
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(Ordinance 18-01 adopted 2018)
When an unscheduled employee accepts management’s request
to report to work immediately, the employee will be paid as directed
by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Employees who are called to
report to work on their regular day off or that have been recalled
to work after having left the town’s premises shall be guaranteed
a minimum of two (2) hours of pay at the applicable straight time
or overtime rate, as is applicable to the total hours worked by the
employee, with call-back time, for that pay week.
(Ordinance 18-01 adopted 2018)
Legal public holidays shall be approved and authorized by the
town council for each calendar year, usually at the regular council
meeting held in December for the next calendar year’s designated
holidays. The following conditions will apply with respect to holidays
and holiday pay:
A. Temporary
employees and part-time employees are not entitled to holiday pay.
B. When
a holiday falls on an employee’s day off, the employee’s
holiday shall be observed on the following work day, work load permitting,
as determined by the department director.
C. When
a holiday falls during an employee’s authorized leave, the day
shall be counted as a holiday, and not as a leave day.
D. In order
to receive pay for a designated legal holiday, employees shall be
in work or paid leave status on their scheduled work day immediately
preceding and following the holiday, or must have worked on the stated
holiday. An employee absent without leave on their scheduled work
day before or after a holiday will not receive pay for that holiday.
E. Holiday
pay will be based on the employee’s regular hours and rate of
pay for that day.
F. Full-time
employees who are required to work on a holiday will be paid their
regular pay for the actual hours worked on the holiday, plus holiday
pay of one hour of regular pay per the actual hours worked. Employees
will be paid overtime based on the rules of the FLSA.
(Ordinance 18-01 adopted 2018)
The town participates in an overall benefit plan provided by
the State of New Mexico and other various supplemental insurance and
benefit providers. The town offers benefits to full-time and partial
fringe benefits to part-time employees. Specific details of the benefits
available and costs to an employee are available in the human resources
department.
(Ordinance 18-01 adopted 2018)