Civil service employees flood office with phone calls
St. Charles parish civil service employees didn’t receive the 13 percent pay increase they were promised after the Parish Council’s final budget meeting, and they want an explanation.
Lorrie Toups, director of finance for St. Charles Parish, says her office was flooded with phone calls when the employees received their Nov. 9 paychecks without the pay increase.
“The people who earned a merit raise from the 2006 evaluations would have normally received a pay raise on Jan. 1 of 2007, but they didn’t,” Toups explained. “Because they didn’t, and they received the one time salary adjustment of $1,000 at the beginning of the year from Mr. Laque, we implemented their merit raises on the pay period ending Nov. 2. Those checks were received Nov. 9.”
Toups says the amount of that merit raise depends on the score the employee received on their evaluation from their supervisor.
“Normally, employees get a score of 0 percent for negative evaluations, 2 percent for an average evaluation and a 4 percent pay increase for a high rating, but since Mr. Laque gave that one time salary adjustment, he lowered the merit increase to 0 or no raise for employees who receive a negative evaluation, 1.5 percent for an average evaluation and 3 percent merit increase for a high evaluation.”
Toups says she’s surprised by the reaction of some of the employees and thinks that the pay increases could help everyone all around.
“The 10 percent pay increase for all civil service employees will be on the next pay period, beginning Nov. 3 through the 16th. Those checks will be received the week of Thanksgiving,” she said. “Next years cost of living and merit raises won’t come until Jan. 1.”
Toups says the council approved the 10 percent adjustment and the 3 percent cost of living increase for the 2008 budget. “But Mr. Laque wanted the employees to see the 10 percent portion of their pay increase early,” she said. “The cost of living increase of 3 percent won’t be received until January 2008.”
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