MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (October 1, 2021) - The Human Resources Committee of Council will receive information and may vote upon the implementation of the recently updated Classification and Compensation study, as well as one-time bonuses for employees at their October 4, 2021, meeting. A Classification and Compensation study was originally completed in early 2020 by The Archer Company, HR consultants, and anticipated for implementation in mid-2020. Due to the unknown economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Town Council approved a financial contingency plan with multiple action steps. One such action was the delay of implementation for the Classification and Compensation Study until such time as economic stability was assured. The Town’s HR staff and The Archer Company have completed an update to the study to ensure changes in comparable wages were captured and current data was provided. The updated study recommends increases for employees in all departments. The total estimated cost for implementation is $2.5 million. Following the implementation of the compensation study, staff will immediately begin to further develop department specific incentive programs as well as a new performance appraisal tool.
“This plan is a bold step in supporting the people who support our community, especially our first responders. It recognizes the value of our employees and places Mount Pleasant as the leader in our industry,” said Town Administrator Eric DeMoura.
Examples of jobs and associated increases are provided below.
| Current | New | |
Firefighter | $38,766 | $43,217 | Firefighter II EMT |
Police Officer | $43,368 | $45,527 | entry level with associates degree |
Waste Management Operator | $32,031 | $34,559 | |
Building Inspector | $43,290 | $46,624 |
Staff Engineer | $49,101 | $55,770 |
One-time bonuses to employees will also be voted upon for those critical employees whose job it was to maintain the safety of our community; had significant increases in work responsibility directly related to COVID-19; and/or were at risk of exposure to COVID-19 in performing their daily work. It is proposed by staff that employees meeting some or all of these criteria will be compensated up to $2,500 depending on the amount of time worked, as well as the criteria noted above, during the Town Hall closure between March 17 and May 31, 2020. Examples of the bonus is provided below.
| Critical Employee (.5) | At-Risk Exposure (.5) | COVID-19 Workload (.5) | Total Of Factors* | % of Time
Worked | Amount Of Payment |
Court Clerk |
| x |
| 0.5 | 92.4% | $1,155 |
Firefighter | x | x |
| 1 | 87.0% | $2,175 |
Police Officer | x | x | x | 1 | 100.0% | $2,500 |
Recreation Coordinator |
|
| x | 0.5 | 100.0% | $1,250 |
Building Inspector | x | x |
| 1 | 100.0% | $2,500 |
Waste Management Collector | x | x | x | 1 | 100.0% | $2,500 |
* Limited to a maximum of two criteria factors in calculating bonuses for a maximum multiplier of 1
If approved, the increases and one-time bonus will be implemented by November. Mount Pleasant Town Council has supported employees throughout the pandemic and these proposed compensation increases and one-time bonuses are further evidence of their continued support. The Human Resources Committee will be held on October 4, 2021, at Mount Pleasant Town Hall.