Staff Retention Taskforce Announcement

SD1 is building a culture where staff are empowered, equipped and encouraged to serve our community with pride. Over the past year, the Staff Retention Taskforce explored various facets of our culture - from salary and benefits to policies and professional development opportunities.

During that time, we conducted multiple staff surveys, held more than a dozen meetings, and conducted a comprehensive salary study. What we found was that SD1 is a great place to work and we know there are some things we can do both short-term and long-term to make it even better!

We are happy to share with you an approved comprehensive package of benefit and policy enhancements. Details about each of the items below will be posted on The Pipeline in the coming days and we will be implementing these new enhancements over the coming months.

1. In response to a changing market environment and information gained through our recent salary study, the FY2023 merit pool will be set at 6.5 percent and divided into two categories: (1) a base pool set at 5.5 percent to be distributed based on annual performance reviews and departmental salary guidelines; and (2) an enhanced pool of an additional 1 percent that will be available to adjust to changing market conditions.
   
   
2. We have created a retention-based vacation bonus to reward staff for their loyalty rather than perfect attendance.
   
   
3. Starting this year, SD1 will recognize Veterans Day as an official paid holiday.
   
   
4. In addition to Veterans Day, we will be adding a second new holiday to our calendar, and staff will have the opportunity to vote for which holiday will be added!
   
   
5. We have begun working to revise the Staff Handbook to replace our current occurrences system with a new sick-leave program that offers staff and managers more flexibility.
   
   
6. We will increase the annual uniform allowance for uniformed staff to $130 and we have also created an annual $30 SD1 Apparel Allowance for non-uniformed staff. We are in the process of creating an online Cintas store to make it easy to shop for uniform items and other SD1 merchandise.
   
   
7. SD1 is committed to the health and well-being of our team, and we are creating a new staff volunteer group called SD1 Cares that will explore opportunities to continuously improve the work-life balance at the District. One of their first projects will be to oversee improvements to the Main Office Gym.
   
   
8. The SD1 Financial Well-Being program now offers free financial planning and confidence tools to all staff. Learn more by visiting the Truist Momentum tab on The Pipeline.
   
   
9. We will continue to offer our other excellent benefits programs at no additional cost to employees, including our affordable, high-quality medical, dental and vision benefits; our generous tuition assistance program, pension and other retirement plans; life insurance and disability benefits; counseling services through our Employee Assistance Program; and others.

I am proud of the work that has been done over the past year, and I want to thank the members of the Staff Retention Taskforce for their candor, creativity and patience as we’ve worked to make things better here at SD1. Also, thanks to everyone who completed one of the Taskforce surveys or submitted ideas or concerns along the way.
 
These investments in our people are not the end of our work. We know there is more to do, including examining our pay scales, expanding our professional development opportunities, developing a process to reward staff for longevity and for employment referrals, and more.

At SD1, our team is our greatest asset, and we will continue to listen and to work collaboratively to ensure that our team is empowered, equipped and encouraged to serve our community with pride.