2023 - 2026 SCLEA Memorandum of Understanding:   Article 8: Special Compensation Benefits

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What’s on this Page

• 8.1 Special Compensation Premium Pays
• 8.2 Specialist Premiums
• 8.3 Specialty Assignment Selection
• 8.4 Specialty Assignment Trial Period
• 8.5 Specialty Assignment Guarantee Period
• 8.6 Specialty Assignment Continuation
• 8.7 POST Premiums
  • 8.7.1 Incentive Pay for Communications Dispatcher
• 8.8 Park Ranger I/II ― Premium Assignment and Housing
  • 8.8.1 Park Ranger I/II ― Assignment and Transfer
  • 8.8.2 Park Ranger I/II ― Housing
  • 8.8.3 Park Ranger I/II ― Maintenance Fees
  • 8.8.4 Park Ranger I/II ― Special Provisions
  • 8.8.5 North Coast Assignment Premium
• 8.9 Canine Handler Compensation
• 8.10 Title IV E ― Part time ― Masters of Social Work (MSW) in Public Child Welfare ― Internship
• 8.11 Title IVE ― Full Time Masters of Social Work (MSW) in Public Child Welfare ― Education Leave
  • 8.11.1 Education Leave (MSW) ― Health Benefit Continuation
  • 8.11.2 Education Leave (MSW) ― Employee Requirements
  • 8.11.3 Education Leave (MSW) ― Non-Grievability
• 8.12 Helicopter Training Premium

Read Next: Article 9: Bilingual Pay

Premium pays provided herein will not be added to an employee’s base hourly rate for computing overtime or any other differential, premium pay, or any other specialty pay unless specifically provided for herein or as required by law.

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The County will provide specialist premium compensation to employees whom the Department Head assigns to a specialized unit of duty from among those assignments listed below. The specialist premium compensation shall be in lieu of any other payment for hazard pay and for any other payment for any and all hours of overtime worked while attending or participating in mandatory training in such specialty, except as otherwise required by law. Employees assigned to a specialist assignment will receive the specific premium identified for that assignment as an addition to the employee’s base hourly rate, according to the levels listed below and shall only be paid for hours worked except where specified. An employee in a Unit who is assigned to more than one specialty assignment shall receive the combination of the different premium pays up to and including a total of ten percent (10.0%) above the base hourly rate. Specialist premium pay shall be compensated according to the assignments shown below:

Classification / Detention Alternatives 

Effective July 30, 2019, employees in the District Attorney Investigator classification series and newly assigned to the Background Investigation specialist assignment will be paid the Background Investigation specialty premium on all hours actually worked in the specialty assignment only.

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When the department head elects to fill a specialist premium position from the assignments listed above, notification will be provided to all eligible employees via county email, with a reasonable number of days to respond. Eligible, interested employees will be entitled to participate in the interview and/or testing process.

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An employee assigned to a specialty assignment covered by Article 8.2 shall serve an initial six (6) consecutive months trial period in the specialty assignment effective from the date the employee was put in the assignment during which he or she may be removed from the assignment in the Department Head's sole discretion.  Reassignment of an employee from a specialty assignment prior to the end of the sixth month of such assignment does not require a statement of cause or showing of cause under the rules of the Civil Service Commission.

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Once an employee in a specialty assignment has served the six (6) month trial period, the employee shall be entitled to a guarantee period which shall last for an additional thirty (30) months. The Department Head may remove the employee involuntarily from the specialty assignment during the guarantee period for cause as stated in Rule 10 of the Civil Service Rules, or for reasons under Rule 11 of those rules relating to position allocation reductions. In the event an employee voluntarily transfers from a specialty assignment, any entitlement to a guarantee period is forfeited.

When the department requires temporary assignments, due to situational conditions, to specialty classifications the employee temporarily assigned shall not be covered by the guarantee provisions of this Article. During such temporary assignments the employee will be compensated at the premium rate listed in Article 8.2.

Temporary Facilities Training officer assignment will be for a minimum of three (3) months, such assignment may be extended at the discretion of the Sheriff’s Department. Any subsequent reassignment to Temporary Facilities Training officer will result in a new three (3) month guarantee.

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The Department Head may retain an employee in a specialty assignment beyond the guarantee period and may reassign the employee from the specialty assignment after the guarantee period in their sole discretion.  Reassignment of an employee beyond the guarantee period does not require a statement of cause or showing of cause under the rules of the Civil Service commission.

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Each employee in an eligible job classification who has been awarded a valid intermediate or advanced certificate issued by the California Commission on Peace Officer’s Standards and Training (POST) shall be eligible for POST Premium compensation upon presentation of said certificate to the County. 

Effective July 30, 2019 each eligible employee who has been awarded a valid intermediate certificate shall receive three and one half percent (3.5%) of employee’s base hourly rate for all compensation purposes, including overtime, and retirement.  Effective July 30, 2019 each eligible employee who has been awarded a valid advanced certificate shall receive six and seventy five percent (6.75%) of employee’s base hourly rate for all compensation purposes, including overtime and retirement.

The payments set forth in this Section 8.7 shall become effective at the beginning of the first full pay period following date of eligibility or application for the specified POST premium, whichever date is later. No employee shall receive POST Premium compensation for a valid intermediate or advanced certificate issued by POST if such a certificate is required by the minimum qualifications of the employee’s class or position.

Job classifications eligible to receive the POST premium are: District Attorney Investigator I/II, Sr. District Attorney Investigator, Welfare Fraud Investigator I/II, and Sr. Welfare Fraud Investigator.

8.7.1 Incentive Pay for Communications Dispatcher

Each Communications Dispatcher who has been awarded a valid Intermediate Dispatcher or Advanced Dispatcher certificate issued by the California Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) shall be eligible for POST Premium compensation upon presentation of said certificate to the County. A Dispatcher who has been awarded a valid intermediate certificate shall receive three and one half percent (3.5%) of employee's base hourly rate for all compensation purposes, including overtime and retirement. A Dispatcher who has been awarded a valid Advanced Certificate shall receive six and three quarter percent (6.75) of employee's base hourly rate for all compensation purposes, including overtime and retirement.

The payments set forth in this Section 8.6.1 shall become effective at the beginning of the first full pay period following date of eligibility or application for the specified POST premium, whichever date is later. No employee shall receive POST Premium compensation for a valid intermediate or advanced certificate issued by POST if such a certificate is required by the minimum qualifications of the employee's class or position.

Job classifications eligible to receive the POST premium are: Communication Dispatcher 1/11, Senior Communication Dispatcher and Supervising Communication Dispatcher.

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8.8.1 Park Ranger I/II ― Assignment and Transfer

The Regional Parks Department maintains the right to assign and transfer an employee to a specific reporting location.  If a transfer is at the direction of the department, the employee will be given at least seven (7) days notification.  At least thirty (30) days notification shall be given of any transfer directed by the department that exceeds twenty-five (25) miles or requires the employee to relocate their permanent residence.  Employees transferred at the direction of the department over twenty-five (25) miles, or who are required to relocate their permanent residence shall also be entitled to up to three (3) days of paid moving leave, and reimbursement for moving expenses of up to $300 for rental of truck or trailers upon submitting receipts for approval to the Director of Regional Parks.

8.8.2 Park Ranger I/II – Housing

Any employee in the class of Park Ranger I/II may be assigned to live in County-provided housing.  Consideration in assignment to housing within each ranger area will be given to rank in the following order by earliest hire date:

1. Rangers;
2. Park Maintenance Workers; and
3. Aquatic Specialist

8.8.3 Park Ranger I/II ― Maintenance Fees

Once a Housing License Agreement is signed by a Park Ranger residing on County property, it shall be a condition of employment.  No rent is charged. The employee granted a license to utilize the assigned housing will be charged an individual maintenance cost based upon the cost of providing utilities and normal maintenance upkeep of the residence structure. The Board of Supervisors shall set the maintenance fee, subject to the provisions of this Section (8.8.3), and this fee shall be deducted from the employee’s paycheck.  Maintenance fees will not, in any case, exceed fifteen percent (15%) of the salary of each licensed employee based upon the base hourly rate of the employee.  Each licensed employee shall be responsible for any possessory interest tax levied against them. Maintenance fees may be increased by the County with each adjustment being a percentage amount not exceeding the percentage amount of the cost-of-living salary adjustment, excluding equity adjustments, in the preceding fiscal year under this Memorandum.

8.8.4 Park Ranger I/II ― Special Provisions

The reasonable cost of the housing shall not be added to the employee’s base hourly rate in computing the employee’s regular rate of pay.  In addition, no Standby or Callback will be paid to Park Ranger tenants, except that off-shift work including emergency responses, will be counted toward hours worked for the purpose of computing overtime.  Park Ranger tenants shall maintain and submit a log identifying off-shift work and time spent performing this work in the regular work period in which overtime is claimed.

8.8.5 North Coast Assignment Premium

Any employee in the class of Park Ranger I or Park Ranger II who is permanently assigned to the North Coast reporting locations for Stillwater Cove and Gualala shall receive a ten percent (10%) premium for all hours actually worked.

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The County and SCLEA estimate that the time canine handlers spend in all aspects of the care, feeding, and exercise, transport to/from work, and maintenance of their canines on a bi-weekly bases to be seven hours. The parties further agree that any time spent in excess of such time is not reasonable necessary and is unauthorized. The parties stipulate that the pay rate for the performance of such work shall be $11.12 per hour. Accordingly, the full compensation due to a member for the performance of their canine responsibilities, is $116.77 bi-weekly (seven hours paid at overtime rate, monthly equivalent $253.00).

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For the term of this Agreement only, the County will establish a pilot program for current employees of the Human Services Department who have been accepted into an accredited MSW Program with an emphasis in Public Child Welfare, approved by the Human Services Department.

The employee selected for the internship program would remain in their base classification and pay rate and would be allowed time away from their regular responsibilities up to sixteen (16) hours per week for completing their required field placement work which would take place at the County of Sonoma’s Human Service Department.

The County and Association agree that the internship hours that occur during regular working hours (16 hours per week), are compensable hours.  All other hours required of the Title IV E program are not compensable work hours.

This program is strictly voluntary and the internship duties do not directly relate to the employee’s base classification.  Completion of coursework related to the MSW and homework is not part of the program and would be completed outside the employee’s regular work hours.

Section 8.10 is not grievable or arbitrable under Article 30 of this MOU.

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8.11.1 Education Leave (MSW) – Health Benefit Continuation

Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 18.6, employees in the Human Services Department who are authorized a Leave of Absence to attend graduate school under the IV-E Training Program, to obtain a Masters of Social Work in Public Child Welfare (MSW), shall be entitled to continue the County Health Benefit insurance program during the education leave. 

The County shall continue to make its normal health benefit contribution for the employee as provided under Section 18.2.3(County Contribution toward Active Employee Medical Benefits). The employee shall make appropriate payments acceptable to the Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector to continue their portion of the premium during the leave.

8.11.2 Education Leave (MSW) – Employee Requirements

Each employee shall comply with all requirements of the Department in applying for educational leave. The employee shall agree and contract with the County, that upon return from leave, they will continue working for the County for a minimum of one (1) year for each year of approved education leave. If, for any reason, the employee is not able to satisfy the agreement, then the employee shall repay the County for the total cost of the County’s contribution for the continuance of the health insurance benefit during the approved period. The County Department of Human Services may waive the pay back requirement under this Section.

8.11.3 Education Leave (MSW) – Non-Grievability

Section 8.11 is not grievable or arbitrable under Article 30 of this MOU.

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Any County Helicopter Pilot FAA certified as a trainer shall receive a five percent (5%) premium to their base salary for all actual hours worked spent training other County Helicopter Pilots during their first year of employment. The premium will not be paid for hours not spent training other County Helicopter Pilots.

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