By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer
DE PERE – The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic this year now includes pay-for-performance monetary awards for non-union city employees.
The De Pere Common Council voted 7-1, May 19 to suspend salary increases and bonuses in the pay-for-performance program payable in 2020 for performance dating back to 2019, but agreed to still allow paid time off with the program.
Alderman Jonathon Hansen cast the lone dissenting vote.
City Administrator Larry Delo said non-union employees have been eligible to receive a pay-for-performance award each year, as part of the city’s compensation plan structure, and the award can be a salary increase, a bonus or paid time off, or a combination of the award options.
Delo said the city’s administration recommended suspending pay-for-performance awards payable in 2020 because of the current economic conditions with the COVID-19 pandemic restricting the economy.
“Our intent would be that we would reestablish the entire program again for 2020, payable in 2021, unless the determination is later to suspend it or change it,” he said.
Delo said the change to the pay-for-performance program affects all city employees not subject to a collective bargaining agreement.
“Those (union) employees are not part of the pay-for-performance plan,” he said. “They’re covered, again, under a collective bargaining agreement and those terms.”
Delo said the finance/personnel committee wanted to continue the time-off portion of the program, but not salary increases or bonuses.
He said 1 percent of general fund salaries and wages from the previous year will be set aside in the annual budget for the pay-for-performance program with the awards typically paid out around May or June.
Delo said the intent for suspending the monetary awards this year “is really more for optics than it is for an anticipated budget shortfall for the calendar year 2020.”
Human Resources Director Shannon Metzler said the pay-for-performance awards take in consideration part of the current year and go back to May of the previous year.
Metzler said paid time off awarded to employees in 2020 as part of the program would be available to them sometime in July.