DATE: January 12, 2021
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Steve Johnson, Interim Director of Human Resources
SUBJECT: Salary Resolution Amendment - Risk Management
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve Amendment to the Salary Resolution deleting one Human Resources Technician I/II/III and adding two Human Resources Analyst I/II/III/Sr to the Human Resources Department Org 8925, effective January 25, 2020, as reflected in Appendix A.
REPORT
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The recommended action would allow the Human Resources - Risk Management Division to act on recommendations provided by a recent outside evaluation of their operations. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If your Board were not to approve the recommended action, the Risk Management Division would not be adequately staffed to fully enact the recommendations of an outside evaluation or respond to needs in a timely and effective manner.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. The total estimated increase in cost is approximately $150,134 annually. All cost increases associated with the recommended action will be absorbed within the Department of Human Resources’ Org 8925 Adopted FY 2020-21 Budget and will be included in subsequent budget requests.
DISCUSSION:
The Risk Management Division of the Human Resources Department manages the County’s insurance programs, safety initiatives, and Workers’ Compensation and General Liability programs. At the direction of the Director of Human Resources, a thorough audit was completed this year working with Sloan Sakai Yeung & Wong Management Strategies Group. The scope was to assess the County’s current Risk Management program and provide prioritized recommendations for improvement. The Director’s aim was creating a program of continuous improvement in program performance, collaboration, and a proactive approach to managing risk throughout the organization. This project also resulted in the creation of a thorough and ambitious implementation plan that will take 2-3 years to implement but will result in a stronger risk strategy that places risk management as a strategic priority for the County.
The position changes recommended in this item are fundamental to accomplishing the recommendations in the evaluation report. The first position will be a Human Resources Analyst added to the Workers’ Compensation team. The volume and complexity of Workers’ Compensation claims has increased during the pandemic, due in part to new State legislation such as Senate Bill 1159 that makes COVID-19 a rebuttable presumption claim. This position would increase the Workers’ Compensation team from three to four Analysts dedicated to the program. Additionally, with this addition, the County can focus strategically on a practical and robust return to work program that helps employees return to work sooner, increases employee productivity, and ultimately saves the County Workers’ Compensation costs.
The second position change is the deletion of a currently allocated Human Resources Technician I/II/III position, with a corresponding addition of a Human Resource Analyst I/II/III/Sr. This is not a new position, just a change of the allocated classification, allowing for a recruitment for the position at a higher level. One of the areas identified in the consulting report that had the most deficiencies and will require the most work is the Countywide Safety program. Adding another Analyst to the Safety Team will provide additional resources to enact needed changes and increase support on safety issues to County Departments.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Salary Resolution Amendment - Appendix A
CAO ANALYST:
Yussel Zalapa