Writer: Brian Wellmeier
Published December 12, 2022
The Times from yahoo! news
Hall County employees will receive a 3% raise next year.
The raise, which amounts to $4.5 million from Hall County's general fund, was approved by commissioners at Thursday's regular meeting as a result of a wage and compensation study conducted by the University of Georgia's Carl Vinson Institute of Government.
The study to assess employee pay was first launched in 2019 before being delayed two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Revived in 2021, the project has served as a guiding basis for the 15% pay increases approved by commissioners for cost of living adjustments for employees over the past two years, according to county spokesperson Sarah Crowe, who said the study has factored in unforeseen market fluctuations like inflation since it was resumed.
A primary purpose of the study, in addition to providing an adequate compensation structure and boosting employee retention, was to see that Hall County remains an attractive destination for employment amid one of the more competitive labor markets in decades.
"The goal of the wage and compensation study, per the Carl Vinson Institute, is to 'review internal equity — pay relationships between positions — and external competitiveness, (which is) pay relationships with labor market competitors," Crowe said. "The (Carl Vinson) Institute of Government collected and analyzed salary survey data from Georgia's Department of Community Affairs local and government wage and salary database. Data was derived from 15 city and county governments within the relevant labor market to Hall County."
Human Resources Director LisaRae Jones described the pay hike as essential in addressing issues of recruitment and retention of Hall County employees.
"The implementation of the results of this study ensures our employees' compensation is competitive within the market, and our hope is that it goes a long way to address recruitment and retention needs within our organization," Jones said. "We are very grateful the board of commissioners values the contributions of its employees and strongly supports placing our compensation structure as a leader in the market."
The cost-of-living adjustment for all eligible employees is expected to take effect January 1, 2023, and paid on the January 20 pay date, according to county officials.
