sr-042683-6c2~
PE:SEM:p Santa Monica, California
Council Meeting: April 26, 1983
T0: Mayor and City Staff
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Update on Clerical Reclassification and Resolution
Establishing Premium Pay
Introduction
This report provides an update on the clerical reclassification
and requests adoption of a Resolution establishing premium pay
for certain clerical classifications.
Background
On January 23, 1983, Council approved a reclassification of the
City's clerical series. Following that action, individual
employees were notified of their tentative classification
assignments and an appeals process commenced. Twenty-eight
appeals were received. Three levels of appeal were provided.
The Principal Personnel Analyst provided the first review.
Those individuals not satisfied with his findings then appealed
to the Director of Personnel,. The City Manager provided the
final review, The results of the appeals process are summarized
below:
6-c
15 Original Classification Appropriate
10 Classifications Changed
3 Premium Pay Recommended to Council
28
Of particular note is that only two of the unsuccessful
appellants would have suffered a reduction in pay as a result of
the reclassification. Both chose to retain their former job
titles and pay under the terms of Resolution 6628, adopted by
Council on February 8, 1983.
Premium Pav Recommendations
Appeals were received from the Secretary to the Police Chief
(recommended at Staff Assistant ZV), the Senior Secretary in
Transportation (recommended at Supervising Staff Assistant), and
the Senior Secretary in General Services (recommended at Staff
Assistant IV). Each had a slightly different rationale for her
appeal but in evaluating the information that they presented
Personnel discovered a commonality. Although the job
descriptions for the classes to which they are assigned
accurately reflect the duties performed and the skills and
abilities necessary to perform those duties, these three
positions have a shared intensity that appears to warrant
recognition, not in the specifications themselves, but in the
form of a "premium" for public contact of a sustained, sensitive
and wide-ranging nature.
The three largest city departments, Police, Transportation and
General Services account for over half of the permanent
workforce. Their employees work outside, at varying locations
throughout the City and so have high visibility in the community
because their work brings them in daily contact with a wide
variety of citizens. The heads of these departments receive a
high volume of complaints and requests for problem solving from
the public. They can be thought of as uniquely accountable.
Their personal secretaries must consequently deal on a daily
basis with a high volume of sensitive and important public
contact. The ability of these secretaries to act independently
and appropriately to resolve complaints and solve problems has a
significant effect on the departments' responsiveness and to
citizen satisfaction with city services.
In recognition of the particular demands and high public profile
of these three positions, we propose additional compensation in
the form of a premium pay of $50.00 per month above the salary
assigned to their classifications.
Recommendation
It is recommended that Council adopt the attached Resolution
establishing premium pay as described above, completing the
clerical reclassification process.
Prepared By: Susan E. McCarthyl_z1