Agenda Item Name:
Title
Request to eliminate the remaining Part-Time .25 and .50 janitorial positions with a definitive end date and replace with full time positions in the General Facilities Department.
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Presenter:
Charlie R. Jackson
Description:
Request to eliminate all of the remaining .25 and .50 part-time positions by September, 30, 2021, with adequate notice to the affected staff and continued encouragement that they each apply for the full-time positions that this plan makes available.
As of 3/25, the department had the equivalent of 1.75 open custodial positions. The elimination of the remainder (11 at .25 and 1 at .50) of the part time positions would result in an additional 3.25 positions. The remaining 12 part time employees who this plan affects have had numerous opportunities to transition into full time positions. If the plan took effect today, there would be 5 full time positions opportunities available for the part time staff to apply to fill time.
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approve the request to transition all 12 of the .25 and .50 part-time positions to 5 full time positions by the end of the fiscal year, with adequate notice to the affected staff.
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Prior Board Motions:
The Board approved the creation of 40 part-time positions during the FY18 budget adoption as part of the project to bring all janitorial services in-house and eliminate contracted services. On 3/27/2018 the Board approved the request to reclassify 40 part-time custodial positions to 10 full time equivalent positions, through attrition.
Fiscal Consideration:
Fiscal Consideration
Transitioning the part-time to full time employees will have additional costs for benefits for each full-time position estimated to be $6,000 funded from 001.19.1912.712.
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Background:
In FY2018 budget, the Board approved the creation of 40 part time positions and directed staff to transition cleaning services in the County’s Administration Building, State Attorneys’ Building, Criminal and Civil Courthouses, Public Works Complex and Sheriff’s Complex from contracted to in-house janitorial services. This was accomplished with much success.
On 3/27/2018 the Board approved the request to reclassify 40 part-time custodial positions to 10 full time equivalent positions, through attrition.
Since that time, staff has followed the Boards direction and is now only providing cleaning services with part time employees in the Criminal Courthouse.
During the past three years as janitorial staff has turned over, the Facilities department has hired one full -time employee each time they have had four .25 janitorial vacancies. However, as of March 2021, there are still 11 employees who each work approximately nine hours per week, and one employee working 20 hours per week. As stated earlier they are assigned to the Criminal Courthouse. All of these employees have full time positions with other agencies (where they also receive benefits) and have expressed that they do not wish to give up their other employment, in order to work full time with the County. We have given adequate time to allow the staff to transition to full-time and the department needs to move forward with a plan to manage a full-time work force.
Although the County has implemented an enhanced cleaning program to satisfy COVID-19 sanitizing and disinfecting requirements, we expect to continue meeting that demand with temporary workers. These workers will be scaled back as the environment improves, and will eventually go away.
There are several benefits to transitioning from part time to full - time as 1)
The majority of the cleaning tasks can be accomplished during normal work hours 2) reduce overtime associated with having a supervisor to supervise the evening shift and 3) cost associated with keeping court security staff on site after hours in the courthouse for the purposes of cleaning will also be reduced.
Staff is requesting Board approval of completing the transition of part - time to full - time janitorial services with the remaining employees. Completing this transition by September 30, 2021 would provide the County with sufficient time to make a smooth and orderly transition.