10-13-2011 WS_Employee Service Award MEMORANDUM
TO: Honorable Mayor and Council
FROM: Jamie Titcomb, Village Manager
BY: Mary Kay McGann, Human Resources Director
DATE: October 13, 2011
SUBJECT: Workshop—Employee Service Award Program
On October 14, 1999 Council passed Resolution 59-99 adopting a policy for Employee Service
Awards. The policy allowed for monetary payments as follows:
• Ten Year Service Award — certificate of appreciation and $100 check presented by the
Village Manager;
• Fifteen Year Service Award— certificate of appreciation and $125 check presented by the
Village Manager;
• Twenty Year Service Award — certificate of appreciation and $150 check presented by
the Village Council;
• Twenty-Five Year Service Award — certificate of appreciation and $200 check presented
by the Village Council; and
• Thirty Year Service Award — certificate of appreciation and $300 check presented by the
Village Council.
These monetary awards were awarded one-time only as applicable in recognition for continuous
service to the Village.
The Village Administration has recently been advised by its Labor Attorney Lara Donlon of
recent changes to Florida Statutes that are in conflict with the Village's current policy as it
relates to lump sum bonus payment programs like the Employee Service Award. The
amendments to the State law require that a local government's policy, ordinance, rule, or
resolution designed to implement a bonus program must:
• Base the award of a bonus on work performance;
• Describe the performance standards and evaluation process by which a bonus will be
awarded;
• Notify all employees of the policy, ordinance, rule, or resolution before the beginning of
the evaluation period on which a bonus will be based; and
• Consider all employees for the bonus.
In light of these recent legislative changes and in order to comply with them, the Administration
has ceased payment of all monetary awards under the Employee Service Award program. At this
Memo re: Workshop—Employee Service Award Program
Agenda Item for Council, October 13, 2011
time, there is no way to make a longevity bonus compliant with the current statutory
requirements; as a result, the Administration is advancing these issues before Council to provide
Council with the updated information and request Council input and guidance as to the extent
that modifications are desired — if at all — so that that Employee Service Award Program can be
brought into compliance with new State law.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Village Administration requests Council consideration and direction as to the extent
that modifications are necessary and/or desired in order to bring the Village's Employee
Service Award Program into compliance with new State law
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