Good news for current and future employees of the city of Henderson: The Henderson City Council adopted a city-wide minimum hourly rate of $15 per hour for all employees at its Nov. 14 meeting,
City Manager Terrell Blackmon made the request, which is in line with the most recent strategic plan strategies to attract and retain city workers.
According to information from the meeting agenda, 19 out of the city’s 200 employees currently earn less than $15 an hour, but the council’s adoption of the $15/hour rate changes that. It will cost an extra $1,173.47 per pay period – $30,510.18 a year – to make this change.
In his recommendation to the council, Blackmon stated that it was necessary “due to increasing wages and the competitive hiring environment in Vance County and the surrounding area.”
New employees will receive an hourly rate of not less than $15 per hour, and existing employees’ pay will be adjusted to reflect the pay raise. Employees hired before July 1, 2022 will have their salaries adjusted upon completion of their probationary period, he explained.
In other action from the council, city employees will get a bump in their pay if they are called back in to work. This changes will cost the city about $48,300 annually.
This “call-back” pay is for employees who are scheduled to be on call throughout the year. Blackmon proposed, and the council adopted, that the number of hours change to ten hours, up from two hours’ guaranteed pay for being called back to work outside of normal working hours.
Employees would receive 10 hours for being on-call plus time worked as already outlined in the existing policy. The city currently has three employees, usually one primary (Crew Leader) and two secondaries, on-call at all times. Each employee will be on-call five or six times a year.
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