To: Honorable Mayor and Members of Town Council
From: David L. Corliss, Town Manager
Title
Discussion/Direction: Christmas Eve Holiday
Body
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Executive Summary
Town staff has demonstrated resiliency, creativity and adaptability throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, all while maintaining strong public service and adhering to the Town values. Staff has not only adapted to the continually changing environment throughout the pandemic, but also identified improvements that the Town will carry forward after restrictions are lifted.
As approved by Town Council, Christmas Eve is a considered a legal holiday and staff receive one half day off for the Christmas Eve holiday when it falls between Monday and Friday. According to Town Code, Town Council “may grant other holidays as it deems fit.” (§2.06.010)
In recognition of the efforts of Town Staff throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, I recommend the approval of a full-day holiday on December 24, 2020. This recommendation is only for this year and is in direct response to the challenges that staff faced throughout 2020.
Budget Impact
Town staff currently receive a half-day holiday on Christmas Eve. The budget impact for a one-time adjustment to a full-day holiday on Christmas Eve is approximately $40,000 across all Town funds with roughly $30,000 of this incurred in the General Fund. This one-time cost can be absorbed into current budgets due to personnel vacancies and other savings that have occurred this year.
These additional costs are directly related to increased holiday pay for those employees who are required to work, including Police, Fire and Parks & Recreation. The amount of holiday pay varies by type of employee that works on the holiday as summarized below:
• Firefighters working a 24-hour shift are paid for that 24-hour shift plus an additional 12 hours of holiday pay.
• Police Officers working a ten-hour shift are paid for ten hours worked plus an additional eight hours of holiday pay.
• A general non-exempt employee working the holiday received one hour of holiday pay for each hour worked.
Employees that are eligible for holiday pay but not required to report to work receive regular pay for the holiday with no additional holiday compensation. Additionally, part-time benefited employees are eligible for a prorated amount of holiday pay based on their specific status.
Proposed Motion
“I move to approve a one-time holiday adjustment to provide a full-day holiday for Town staff on December 24, 2020.”