On March 4, 2020, Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers and City of Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin, in coordination with the District’s Health Officer Dr. Chris Spitters, declared a public health emergency for Snohomish County. Section 4.06 of the District Employee Handbook states that an exception to extra pay or comp time will be reviewed in the event of an emergency response.
Starting March 2, 2020, which was the beginning of the week of the pay period under the emergency declaration, exempt employees working the following hours will receive straight compensatory time if hours actually worked are within the ranges listed:
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40 to 45 hours – 2 hours of compensatory time
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46 to 50 hours – 3 hours of compensatory time
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51 to 55 hours – 4 hours of compensatory time
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56 or more hours – 5 hours of compensatory time.
For example, if an employee worked 57 hours in a work week, they will have earned 14 hours of compensatory time (2 hours + 3 hours + 4 hours + 5 hours).
If Board-approved on March 18, moving forward with the first full week of March 16 to March 22, exempt employees will earn compensatory time for actual hours worked over 40 hours. For example, if an employee works 44 hours, they will earn 4 hours of compensatory time.
Compensatory time earned during the emergency declaration must be utilized in the calendar year that it was earned; any unused hours will be forfeited. Use of earned compensatory time must be approved by the employee’s supervisor. If employment is terminated by the end of the calendar year, compensatory hours will not be cashed out.
We have several employees who are capped at 320 hours due to them not being able to utilize their vacation during our response efforts. If an employee has a vacation balance of 320 or more hours, the District will waive the cap and allow these exempt employees the ability to accrue above the 320 maximum hours. Vacation hours above 320 hours will need to be used by March 17, 2021 (one year after board approval), and if employment is terminated with the District, the maximum hours to be cashed out will be anything under 320 hours.
These changes in compensatory time and vacation time cap will end once the Health Officer’s public health emergency declaration (Health Officer’s Order No. 20-056) has been terminated by a subsequent order.