City looks at employee benefits

Electric City is wading its way through the benefits package it provides its employees.

Front and center is its vacation leave package, which is essentially a standard 40 hours (one work week) of vacation time after a year, two weeks from 2-5 years, three weeks from 6-12 years and four weeks after 13 years.

The city credits employees by the month, such as 3.34 hours per month in the first year. It’s the fractions that bother Councilmember Birdie Hensley.

She raised the concern at the July 10 council meeting, saying it was awkward figuring vacation time by using fractions.

Hensley also stated that she would like to consider the benefit package, all elements at the same time, so the different parts of it dovetail together better.

The vacation policy, which has been reviewed by council twice, is the first part of the benefit package that has been open for discussion.

City Clerk Jackie Perman said that the council could agree to the different parts of the benefit package and then vote on it all at the same time.