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:
1.
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
2.
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;
3.
Two (2) hours at straight time, per holiday observed by the town.
(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)