HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-10-21, Page 5County reworks sick -time policy
Huron County stands
to save hundreds of
thousands a year,
according to FIR staff
Gerard Cremes
signal -star staff
The County of Huron has re-
worked its sick time policy in an
effort to curb the nearly $600,000
spent on employees not at work
last year.
Director of human resources
for the county, Darcy Michaud,
said the county decided to take
a look at their policy after the
City of London clamped down
on their own excessive sick time
in 2007.
"When they had their big ri-
gamaroll about sick time, it
brought it to light," Michaud
said.
One look into the county's sick -
time pay revealed some startling
figures, he said. More troubling,
he added, were that those figures
were not the whole cost.
"We estimated ours in 2008
was $591,691.87," he said. "All
that is is lost wages in sick time
paid out."
However, that figure does not
include long-term disability,
backfill (getting the work done
after the fact), overtime or extra
work from other employees pick-
ing up the slack.
An estimate from the Work-
place Safety and Insurance Board
of Ontario pegs the actual cost of
sick time much higher.
For every dollar spent on some-
one being sick, Michaud said,
there is an additional 20-30 cents
being spent on back fill.
"This is two per cent (of the to-
tal levy) a year that we're paying
year over year in sick time," he
said. "Council has made it clear
that figure is too high."
As a result, the county has laid
out a new process for monitoring
sick time, as well as keeping em-
ployees accountable for it.
"There is criteria," Michaud
said. "If you want to stay work-
ing, you get onto the sick plan."
The county has reworked their
benefits to better reflect the hard
economic times, Michaud said,
while still providing excellent
service to employees.
"The public sector has to bring
in their benefit package to what
is in line with the times," he said.
"We need to be accountable to
the ratepayer."
Prior to changes, Huron ,Coun-
ty's sick policy was a two-page
bylaw, something Michaud said
was rare among municipalities.
Now, he said a far more thour-
ough approach has been taken.
The new sick time program is
thirteen pages long, and lays out
the process the employer would
take with the medical community
as well.
The role of the medical com-
munity takes a much more sig-
nificant role in the new plan, Mi-
chaud said, as focus shifts from
just covering time for sick
employees to actually
working towards their re-
entry in the workplace.
"We would have people
who were off for months
on end. They didn't bring
a (doctor's) note and there
was nothing we could do,"
he said. "Now, with satis-
factory medical evidence
we will 'gladly pay their
due. If not, they don't get
paid."
The county has extend-
ed that period from three
days to five days before
employees need a doc-
tor's verification, however
the expectation is that em-
ployee will work towards
getting back on the job.
Implementing the new
plan will require a staged
approach. Always first in
line for change are the
county's non-union em-
ployees, who will enter
into the new program im-
mediately.
"Everyone has the same
package," he said. "But
whenever we have to
make changes our non-
union employees are the
leaders in initiatives or
cost-saving measures."
Michaud said there are
seven different unions
employed throughout the
county, and the new plan
needed to be brought in
before union contracts
come up for renewal.
There are two union
contracts expiring this
year - SEIU and IUOE.
The other five expire after
2010.
Michaud said within
two years, he expects to
see a 15-20 per cent im-
provement on sick time
and the associated costs.
"I can safely say we'll
be saving hundreds of
thousands of dollars a year," he
said. "But it's going to take a few
years to get there."
He said in the meantime, he is
hopeful the unions and the coun-
ty will work together to promote
sustainable management of sick
time costs.
The new plan will affect be-
tween 160-170 employees this
year, and within two years will
encompass all 670 county em-
ployees.
Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, October 21, 2009 - Page 5
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