Pay Study Recommends Pay Bump for 54% of Bulloch Co. Employees

The County recently commissioned The Archer Company to conduct a pay study for county employees. The total project cost the county $48,880 and Commissioners approved the recommendations at the December meeting for implementation this month.

The goal was to analyze the classification of positions, adjust job titles, compare salaries to marketable organizations, and ensure the county is in compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Ultimately, The Archer Company also recommended pay plan implementation scenarios.

The study included approximately 457 employees, performing a very wide array of duties and responsibilities, covered by approximately 178 current job titles. The study compared the pay of Bryan County, Burke County, Candler County, Chatham County, City of Dublin, City of Pooler, City of Savannah, City of Statesboro, City of Waynesboro, Effingham County, and Emanuel County.

Though the study found that, on average, Bulloch County current range midpoints are at approximately 93% of market, The Archer Company still recommended a pay increase for 54% of the county employees, a cost $325,360, a 2% increase to the current base pay for the group.

The other recommendations include:

• Merit increase process resulting in individual merit increases, where appropriate, in the range of 0% – 2% for full-time employees hired on or before July 1, 2018 at a cost of $320,511.
• Effective the first day of the second pay period of January, all employee who are not currently paid at the new range minimum for their new pay grade (after the merit increase has been applied) will be moved to the pay range minimum

Among the other highlights from the study:

• To avoid pay compression, The Archer Group will work with the County as it considers the 2nd phase in FY 2020 to move employees further into the pay ranges in recognition of differences in length of service
• To establish a stronger pay-for-performance structure which gives Management the ability to distinguish between levels of performance and provide more incentive for those employees who consistently exceed the organization’s expectations
• There are a number of County jobs in which the current midpoint is considerably below market, and a much smaller number where the current midpoint is considerably above market.
• The higher end of the new ranges will allow the County to pay “above market” wages and salaries to employees who have shown solid performance over a prolonged period of time.

Some employees already paid above the market average

The pay compensation study also yielded results that some county employees are already exceed the midpoint of their peers in the region.

• County Engineer — 116% of the midpoint
• Chief Tax Assessor – 126% of the midpoint
• Director E911 – 112%
• Director of Public Works – 103%
• Director of EMS – 104%
• Deputy Registrar – 106%
• Probate Court Clerk – 101%
• Sheriff Deputy – School Resource Officer – 104%
• Sheriff Dispatcher – 111%
• Lead Appraiser – 104%
• Tax Appraisal Clerk I – 135%
• Office Assistant – 119%

Several employees paid well below the market average average (Only those at 85% or lower included on this list. Full list is in PDF at the bottom of the article)

• Purchasing manager – 76%
• Building inspector – 83%
• Animal shelter manager -67%
• Environmental supervisor – 63%
• Clerk of Board – 79%
• Assistant Fleet Superintendent – 72%
• GIS Technician – 83%
• Parks Maintenance Worker  – 79%
• Sheriff Sergeant Patrol – 78%
• Sheriff Captain Patrol – 79%
• Sheriff Lieutenant Patrol – 85%
• Code Enforcement Officer – 81%

The pay point of these employees had an impact on the overall county average setting at 93% of the regional pay points.

You can read the pay study in its entirety below. (The PDF is large and may take a few moments to load)