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The Fairfax Town Council is currently considering increasing benefits like bonuses and paid time off for town employees.
Public employees in the Town of Fairfax will be able to take two new paid holidays off, as a result of changes that the town council made at its October 16 meeting. Additionally, the town is considering increasing the amount of annual leave that full-time employees can receive, as well as larger bonuses for town employees.
For months, the Town of Fairfax has failed to attract enough employees to meet the town’s municipal needs, an issue that has created problems for the town’s water department. In early September, the town’s water department’s bills were delayed. Council member Ken Ready, who serves on the town’s water committee, said the issue “comes down to a shortness of staff” at the town’s September meeting.
The town has openings in its sanitation department, water department and at the town hall. At the October 16 meeting, council members discussed increasing the number of holidays and paid time off as a way to attract new employees. The council voted unanimously to add two new paid holidays for public employees in Fairfax: the day after Christmas and Juneteenth. Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and is celebrated each year on June 19. In 2021, it became a federal holiday.
However, some of the benefits requested by Fairfax’s employees, like improvements to the paid time off system and larger bonuses were discussed but tabled at the October 16 meeting.
Currently, during their first year, full-time employees of Fairfax accrue leave at a rate of 1.54 hours every two weeks worked, which adds up to 40 hours annually, or five paid (8-hour) days off. After their first year, regular full-time employees accrue leave at a rate of 3.08 hours per two weeks worked, which adds up to 80 hours annually, or ten (8-hour) days off. Part-time employees of Fairfax can earn credits of annual leave at half the rate of full-time employees.
However, for new employees, these benefits only begin accruing after a six-month introductory period in which employment is not guaranteed.
The current structure for paid leave was criticized by council member Olando Spiller at the October 16 meeting.
“I don’t agree with it,” Spiller said. “I know that’s our policy, but if you only get three hours a pay period, then it takes you almost a month and a half just to get hours to take off. I think we need to change that.”
The new structure for leave that the council tabled at the October 16 meeting would allow employees to accrue leave “at the rate of one day for each month of service.” This would mean that full-time employees receive twelve days of leave every year, a rate higher than the current structure.
Council member Phyllis Smart said the reason the town tabled the change was because it hasn’t done its budget yet.
“We don’t know how much money we have,” Smart said. “Since we don’t know, we can’t make that decision.”
However, the council overall voiced support for the employees’ request.
“That’s the reason employees will seek other jobs if they’re getting burned down,” said council member Tiffine Forester. “If someone feels bad and they figure they cannot be without pay, what are they going to do, come to work feeling bad? By not accruing leave time, it’s just a disadvantage to the employee.”
