The hiring and retention bonuses put in place to reduce staff shortages in the Lancaster County Children & Youth agency will continue for another six months.
On Wednesday, the Lancaster County commissioners approved a side letter with Service Employees International Union Local 688, providing for the bonus extension, which will run from December 2022 through this coming June 30.
Initially implemented at the end of 2021, the arrangement gives new hires a bonus of $1,000 after their first 90 days, $2,250 after 180 days and another $2,250 after a full year of employment, or $5,500 in all.
The extension is needed because the agency remains understaffed, Chief Clerk Larry George said. About 30 positions are open out of a roster of 90, for a vacancy rate of 33%.
The county’s standard is that hiring and retention bonuses can be offered for departments with vacancy rates of 25% or more.
The bonuses are paid out of the county’s American Rescue Plan Act funding.
In their Tuesday work session, the commissioners agreed both that the bonus extension makes sense, and that it’s worthwhile to keep reassessing the need on a periodic basis. Hopefully, Children & Youth’s vacancies will have dropped below 25% by the end of June, Commissioner John Trescot said.
A side letter allows the parties to a collective bargaining agreement to amend their contract without reopening it.
(Editor’s Note: This article was updated on Jan. 5 to add the source of funding.)
