Vacation time for North East's part-timers

NORTH EAST — Should part-time employees working for the town more than 20 hours a week be granted a week’s worth of vacation time year after one year? That was the question put before the Town Board at its business meeting May 14. The request, which came from two employees, Lisa Cope and Lorna Sherman, applies only to a few municipal workers.  

“I can see where they are coming from,� said town Councilman Dave McGhee. “I tell you, I work at a place where part-timers work more hours and workers are there more, so then you do that. I work so many hours, so then on my paycheck I’ll get around 2.6 hours toward my vacation time, and it’s been there since last year September, and now I have five hours toward vacation.�

“If we do a percentage, it’s more even for everybody,� town Councilman Dan Briggs said. “So if you’re working five days a week, you get five days off.�

“What would the board be interested in?� asked town Supervisor Dave Sherman, going over some of the details.

The board discussed the option of having employees who work 15 hours or more receive three days of vacation.

“Then we’re just providing X number of hours per day,� Sherman said. “That has been adjusted. The question is whether we want some numbers worked out for people working less than 20 hours a week.�

Briggs said the simplest approach is to do a percentage of time worked. He suggested 2 percent. For an employee working 20 hours a week, during one year’s time, that comes out to be one week’s worth of vacation time. For employees working less than 20 hours, they will still get vacation time, in proportion to the hours worked.

“This is something we’ve been thinking about,� McGhee said. “With the economy we have to do something right. They’ve earned theirs. They’re trying to do the right thing with updating this here.�

Briggs agreed.

“People here for over one year earn one week of time [of normal work hours], starting on Jan. 1, 2010,� he said. “We can institute a 2-percent accumulation, with no carry over from what was earned the previous year [for instance, 2009].�

The board gave its consensus to Brigg’s suggestion. It will work out the details and legalities for its next meeting, scheduled for Thursday, June 4, at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

After the discussion concluded, McGhee looked at Cope and Sherman and told them not to fear, that they would get their week’s vacation.

“You will have it,� he said with confidence. “You will.�

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