Buncombe County Government North Carolina
Buncombe County Government North Carolina

departments & agencies

personnel ordinance / pay plan

Buncombe County Human Personnel
205 College Street Suite 100
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 250-4166 (Voice)
(828) 250-4183 (Job Line)

Article III - Payment Plan

Section l. Adoption

The salary schedule, as approved by the Board of County Commissioners, is hereby adopted as the pay plan for Buncombe County.

Section 2. Maintenance

The Human Resources Director shall be responsible for the administration and mainte¬nance of the pay plan. The pay plan is intended to provide equitable compensation for all positions when considered in relation to each other, to comparable rates of pay for similar employment in the private and public sector in the competitive labor market, to changes in the cost of living, to financial conditions of the County, and other objective factors. To this end, the Human Resources Director may, from time to time, conduct comparative studies of all factors affecting the level of salary ranges.

Section 3. Administration

The pay plan shall be administered in a fair and systematic manner in accordance with work performed. The pay structure should be externally competitive, and should maintain proper internal relationships among all positions based on relative duties and responsibilities.

Section 4. Hiring Rate/Starting Salary

*The minimum rate established for the class is the lowest rate of the first quartile on the salary schedule. Appointment may be made anywhere within the first *or second quartile upon recommendation of the Departmental Director and approval of the Human Resources Director. Appointment within the *third quartile may be made upon the recommendation of the Departmental Director and Human Resources Director, and approval of the County Manager. Appointment within the fourth quartile must have the Board of County Commissioners’ approval. Above the *second quartile, appointment shall be based on such factors as the qualifications of the applicant being higher than the minimum education and training for the class, and a shortage of qualified applicants to accept employment within the first *or second quartile on the salary schedule.

  1. *If a Departmental Director desires to recommend appointment of a new employee above the *second quartile on the salary schedule, he/she shall submit written recommendations to the Human Resources Director prior to submitting the proposed appointment.
  2. The Human Resources Director shall study the recommendations of the Departmental Director and make recommendations to the County Manager prior to consideration of the proposed appointment.

    3. Section 5. Salary Advancement

    1. Upon successful completion of the probationary period, an employee shall receive a pay increase of between zero and four and one-half percent in salary upon recommendation of the Supervisor and approval by the Departmental Director and Human Resources Director.
    2. The Supervisor shall review the work performance of the employee just prior to the employee’s **anniversary probationary date, and submit recommendations in writing to the Departmental Director and Human Resources Director as to whether or not the employee should receive a salary increase using the County’s ** Probationary Employee Performance Evaluation and Development Program.
    3. If a Supervisor has recommended that an employee receive a salary increase, the Human Resources Director, with the approval of the Departmental Director, shall transmit the Supervisor’s recommendations to the County Manager for his consideration and approval.
    4. All salary increases shall be granted subject to availability of funds in the departmental appropriations.

    Section 6. Payment at a Rate Within the Salary Range

    Employees covered by the salary plan shall be paid at a rate within the salary ranges established for their respective job classes except for employees in a trainee status or employees whose present salaries are above the established maximum rate following transition to a new pay plan *or workweek hours.

    When an employee attains the maximum rate of a salary range for his/her present position, no further salary increase shall be received unless (1) the position is reclassified to a higher salary range, (2) the employee is promoted to another position with a higher salary range, or (3) the salary range for the present position is increased.

    Section 7. Trainee Salary

    An applicant hired, or an employee promoted to a position in a higher class, who does not meet all the established requirements of the position, shall be appointed with the approval of the corresponding appointing authority, County Manager and/or Human Resources Director in a "trainee" or "work-against" status. In both the "trainee" or "work-against" status, employees shall be paid at the lower level position salary grade which does not exceed the minimum - of the higher level position. An employee in a "trainee" or "work-against" status shall continue to receive a reduced salary until the corresponding appointing authority, County Manager, and/or Human Resources Director shall determine that the employee is qualified to assume the full responsibilities of the position.

    Section 8. Pay Rates in Promotion, Demotion, Transfer, and Reclassification

    When an employee is promoted, demoted, transferred or reclassified, the rate of pay for the new position shall be established as follows:

    1. An employee who is promoted shall customarily receive at least a two and one-quarter percent increase or an increase to the minimum rate of the new pay grade above the normal entry hiring rate, whichever is higher. Additional increases may be made upon the recommendation of the Departmental Director, Human Resources Director, and approval of the County Manager.
    2. An employee who is demoted may have his/her salary left the same or reduced to any rate in the lower grade.
    3. An employee transferring from a position in one class to a position in another class assigned to the same pay range shall continue to receive the same salary.
    4. An employee whose position is reclassified to a class having a higher salary range shall receive at least a two and one-quarter percent increase or an increase to the minimum rate of the new pay range above the normal entry hiring rate, whichever is higher. If his/her position is reclassified to a lower pay range and the employee is receiving a salary above the maximum rate established for the new class, the salary of the employee may be maintained at the level until such time as the employee’s pay range is increased above the employee’s current salary.
    5. An employee who has received a promotion or a reclassification of his/her position shall not be required to serve a new probationary period.

    Section 9. Pay Rates in Salary Range Revision

    When the *Board of County Commissioners approves a change in salary range for a class of positions, the salaries of employees whose positions are allocated to that class shall be affected as follows:

    1. When a class of positions is assigned to a higher pay range, employees in that class shall receive at least a two and one-quarter percent pay increase or an increase to the minimum rate above the normal entry hiring rate of the new range, whichever is higher.
    2. When a class of positions is assigned to a lower pay range, the salaries of employees in that class shall remain unchanged. If this assignment to a lower pay range results in an employee being paid at a rate above the maximum established for the new class, the salary of the employ¬ee shall be maintained at that level until such time as the employee's pay range is increased above the employee's current salary.
    3. If the Board of County Commissioners, at its discretion, provides funds through appropriation for an across-the-board increase, then the pay plan shall be revised upward for all grades and ranges, so that employees receive a percentage increase. Each employee’s grade assignment shall remain the same.

    Section 10. Pay for Part Time Work

    Compensation of any employee appointed for less than the standard work period established by the County shall be computed on a hourly basis. All employees who work less than the standard work period established by the County shall be covered by Workers' Compensation and Social Security. Other benefits are available as provided in Articles VI and VII.

    Section 11. Overtime

    1. The County abides by all applicable sections of the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Fair Labor Standard Amendments of 1986. The County shall properly record all applicable overtime accrued for each covered employee. This overtime policy is applicable only to employees of Buncombe County who are "Non-Exempt" under the Fair Labor Standards Act. If any area of this section is in conflict with the FLSA, then the FLSA shall supersede.
    2. Employees are expected to work during all assigned periods exclusive of breaks or mealtimes. Employees are not to perform work during breaks or at any time that they are not scheduled to work unless they receive approval from their supervisor, department head, County Manager or corresponding appointing authority except in cases of emergency. An emergency exists if a condition arises that could reasonably result in damage to property or persons or that requires the immediate attention of the employee. Employees who work excess hours because of an emergency shall advise their immediate supervisor of the overtime worked as soon as practical following completion of the work.
      Based upon the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, a non exempt employee’s work which has not been requested by management but is endured or permitted is considered work time. Therefore, when an employee voluntarily works prior to or after his regularly scheduled work day, and it is endured or permitted, it is considered overtime hours when in excess of 37.5 40 hours in the work-week, although the work had not been specifically authorized.
      Department heads are responsible for ensuring that overtime hours are authorized, recorded, and properly documented for compensatory time off or overtime pay in accordance with the established record keeping forms and in¬structions.
    3. Computation for overtime shall include actual work hours over and above the standard work hours for a five (5) day work period for non-law enforcement employees. For non-law enforcement personnel, computation for overtime hours shall be at the standard rate of one hour per hour worked up to forty (40) hours per week, and at one and one-half hours per hour worked above 40 hours per week.
    4. Computation for overtime shall include actual hours worked over and above the scale set for EMS and Sheriff employees in accordance with FLSA.
    5. Sick leave, holidays, annual leave, and compensatory time off in a work period shall not count toward computing overtime hours.
    6. It is the goal of Buncombe County to provide a work load that can be processed within the normal working day. Work in excess of the regular schedule is discouraged unless absolutely necessary. Compensatory time is earned by all non-exempt employees who work additional time in conducting County business. The Human Resources Director's Office maintains a listing of all non-exempt and exempt positions.
      Non-exempt personnel scheduled to work on an on-call basis shall earn one and one-half hours compensatory time for each hour actually worked during on-call duty outside of normally scheduled work hours. The time these employees work should be recorded daily on their time sheets. If work is conducted outside of regular hours, the nature of work should be recorded on the time sheet.
      Department heads shall be responsible for administering their compensatory policies by allowing employees to take accrued compensatory time in a timely manner so that compensatory hours shall not accrue to excessive levels. In situations in which compensatory time off is not practical non-exempt employees shall be paid monetary compensation included in the employee's regular paycheck for overtime; however, overtime monetary compensation must be approved by the immediate supervisor and/or Department head.
    7. On-Call Time spent by an employee who is required to remain on-call and is unable to use the time for his/her own purposes is considered working time. Employees who are merely required to leave notification as to where they may be reached are not considered On-Call as stated above.
    8. Employees who work on a holiday shall receive either payment for two days of work or payment for one day and receive a compensatory day off with pay at a later date. This choice shall be the employees’ with the approval required from the Departmental Director.
    9. I. An employee who is “Called Back” to work for a Call-Back Emergency situation, outside his/her regularly scheduled hours, shall be paid a minimum of three hours base hourly pay for the first call and a minimum of two hours for the second call. For Sheriff's department employees with issued vehicles, a minimum of one hour of base pay for the first and second call shall be allowed. If further calls back to work are made the same twenty-four hour period, the employee shall receive actual (portal to portal) time for these calls.

    Overtime Rates For Non Exempt Employees

    When overtime is paid, it is at the rate of one and one-half (1 ½) times the employee's regular hourly equivalent salaried rate for those hours worked in excess of forty (40) hours per week for non-law enforcement personnel. If the employee's standard five (5) day work period is thirty seven and one-half (37.5) hours then the employee's regular hourly equivalent salaried rate is calcu¬lated by dividing the annual full-time salary by 1,950.

    • Annual full-time salary / work hours assigned = regular hourly rate
    • Overtime pay, greater than 37.5 hours but less than 40 hours = Regular hourly rate x 1.0 x overtime hours
    • Overtime pay, greater than 40 hours = Regular hourly rate x 1.5 x overtime hours

      Overtime Rates For Non Exempt Law Enforcement Employees

      When overtime is paid, it is at the rate of 1 1/2 times the employee's regular hourly equivalent salaried rate for those hours worked in excess of an assigned FLSA approved work schedule. The employee's regular hourly equiva¬lent salaried rate is calculated by dividing the annual full time salary by 2,080.

      • Annual full time salary / 2,080 = regular hourly rate
      • Overtime pay = regular hourly rate x 1.5 x overtime hours
    • Non-exempt employees who work in public safety activities (Deputies and Jailers) may accrue not more than 480 hours of compensatory time for overtime hours worked after April 15, 1986. All other non-exempt employees may accrue not more than 240 hours of compensatory time for overtime hours worked after April 15, 1986.
    • On-call periods should not be counted for the purpose of computing work hours. On-call is considered to be a back-up position for an emergency situation. Individuals that are assigned to be on-call are not restricted to the employer's premises or their own residences, but must remain in their respective response area and must keep the County Communications Center or their supervisor informed of their location and telephone number. Since the employee can use this time for their own purposes it should not be counted as work time.

Section 12. Payroll Deductions

Federal and state income taxes, Social Security tax, withholding for court-ordered child support payments (upon receipt of appropriate notices to withhold or by other order of a court of competent jurisdiction), and retirement contribu¬tions shall be deducted as authorized by law and the Board of County Commissioners. Credit Union deductions, insurance premiums and other deductions requested by the employee and not paid by the County may also be deducted. Because these deductions are calculated on the basis of information provided by the employee, it is mandatory that the employees keep the County informed of their personal status for withholding purposes.

Section 13. Longevity Compensation

Longevity pay is to recognize long-term service of permanent full-time and permanent part-time employees who qualify for benefits under the Local Governmental Employees’ Retirement System. Additionally, the payment is justified by the incentive provided towards retention of trained, experienced employees thus helping to avoid incurring expenses involved in recruiting and training replacement workers.

  1. Time and Method of Pay
    1. Longevity pay is automatic; payment shall be made when all eligibility requirements are met as specified in the following criteria.
    2. Longevity payment shall be made in a lump sum.
    3. Payment shall be made to otherwise eligible employees who are on worker's compensation leave and approved medical leave of absence without pay.
    4. If an employee retires, resigns, or is otherwise separated or dies between the eligibility payment date and actual payment, the payment shall be made to the employee or to the estate if deceased.
    5. Eligibility for payment shall be based on the years of service as of December 1st of each year.
    6. Pro rata payments for partial year service shall not be made. Eligibility is dependent upon employee status on December 1 except for individuals who are separated by retirement or death. Pro rata payment in these cases shall be made based on the date of retirement or death and computed on the longevity pay scale then in effect. If deceased, payment shall be made to the estate.
    7. If an eligible employee goes on extended military leave without county pay, a longevity payment shall be computed based on a pro rata basis for the period in which the individual was in a County pay status. Upon return, the individual shall receive a longevity payment based on the same eligibility criteria as other employees.
    8. Payment shall be made to the nearest cent rather than the nearest dollar.
  2. Amount of Longevity Pay
    Annual longevity pay amounts are based on the length of aggregate total service to Buncombe County. *Employees rehired on or after August 1, 2002 will no longer be eligible to restore their previous years of service for determining longevity payment. The amount of payment shall be a set amount for periods from date of hire through four years service. Thereafter the amount of payment of longevity pay shall be based on a percentage of the annual salary of the employee in existence on the eligibility date of December 1.
    **The following tables shall be in effect for longevity purposes.
    Employees hired on or after 7/8/2006 Employees hired before 7/8/2006
    Total Years Aggregate Longevity County Service Pay Rate Total Years Aggregate Longevity County Service Pay Rate
    Less than 1 year $25.00 less than 1 year $100.00
    1 year but less than 5 years $50.00 1 year but less than 5 years $300.00
    5 years but less than 15 years 1.25% 5 years but less than 10 years 3.00%
    15 years but less than 20 years 1.50% 10 years but less than 15 years 4.00%
    20 years but less than 25 years 1.75% 15 years but less than 20 years 5.00%
    25 years plus 2.00% 20 years but less than 25 years 6.00%
        25 years plus 7.00%

    Employees working less than full-time, but otherwise meeting eligibility requirements shall receive a pro rata payment based on the percentage of hours actually worked divided by full-time hours for the position.
  3. Eligibility Requirements
    1. An employee must qualify for benefits under the North Carolina Local Governmental Employees’ Retirement System.
    2. An employee must have a permanent appointment either full-time or part-time (20 hours or more weekly).
    3. Credit for the aggregate total service requirement shall not be given for temporary full-time or temporary part-time employment and periods of leave without pay in excess of one-half the work days and holidays in a payroll period with the exception of military leave and worker's compensation leave and approved medical leave of absence without pay.
    4. Upon change of appointment to temporary part-time or less than half-time (20 hours per week) the employee is ineligible for continued longevity pay.
    5. Credit shall not be given towards aggregate service time for any employment other than with Buncombe County.
  4. Effect of Longevity Pay
    Longevity pay is not considered a part of annual base pay for classification and pay purposes, nor is it to be recorded in personnel records as a part of annual pay.
  5. Qualifying Standards
    The County Board of Commissioners reserves the right to terminate, decrease, increase, or otherwise modify the longevity pay plan at its discretion at any time. If terminated, at any time, no vested payment requirements shall exist after the termination date.

    6. Section 14. Payroll Procedure

    All employees shall be compensated bi-weekly.

    Section 15. Effective Date of Salary Adjustments

    Salary adjustments shall become effective on the date of the actual adjust¬ment.

    Section 16. Consumer Price Index Salary Adjustment

    Each year, effective during the month of April, all permanent employees shall receive an annual salary percent increase equal to the percent change in the annual consumer price index for the prior calendar year. The pay plan shall be revised upward for all grades and ranges to reflect an increase in the consumer price index.

    *Revision 01/22/08