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first meeting of the newly commissioned Policies and Procedures Committee on Feb. 19 worked to clarify a Water and Sewer Department policy regarding on-call and overtime pay for employees doing nonscheduled afterhours repairs.

Water and Sewer Department Director Lonnie Foley sought clarification because some employees are reluctant to come in on holidays thinking they would lose overtime pay.

The committee voted to recommend a new policy to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen that differentiates scheduled and non-scheduled afterhours work and clarifies on-call pay. The new policy will be voted on at the March BOMAmeeting Work that is scheduled for after hours will count regular hours toward the employees’ regular 40 hours, even though it may be performed after normal quitting time. Non-scheduled afterhours work would be for employees called in to make emergency-type repairs.

“No matter where you are in your time for the week,” Mayor Joey Hobbs said, “if you are called out after you have gone home, we should pay time-anda- half for you to come back to work.”

Confusion arose with some employees who felt that if they carried the “on-call” cell phone they would be guaranteed nine hours of pay.

Foley said he hoped to simplify matters by avoiding “comped time” that would allow employees to bank afterhours time worked to be used for time off.

“They want to be paid, they don’t want free time off,” Foley said.

Water Department employees work a set 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The two employees who are scheduled will go on-call each day at 3:31 p.m. and continue over the weekend until the next Monday. Those employees are given eight hours of pay for the week.

The department has a schedule on a board which employees will be on call for the next six months. Employees can rotate their on-call week among themselves.

The proposed policy is one of three that had been generated by various directors over the last few years.

“When we set down there were three different sheets,” Hobbs said. “I didn’t know what sheet to follow. Lonnie and myself said I think this is how I think it should work and that’s what we’ve been doing since then. Now we want to put it into policy form.”

Scheduled after-hours jobs are relatively rare, but one will be performed in the coming weeks near city hall in the evening to avoid heavy traffic times.

Job Title Revisions

The Committee also addressed Water and Sewer Department job titles to better incentivize career progression in the department.

“You put titles in place so people can aspire to the next position,” Foley said.

He said that clear titles can inspire people to gain licenses and certifications to move up. Clear outlines of prerequisites for positions would take out any nepotism or favoritism in the promotion process.

Foley also advocated for clear pay ranges in job descriptions to promote equity to give fair compensation for employees.