Post by PAY ME on Apr 26, 2009 2:31:29 GMT -5
Some state workers got pay raises despite freeze
Some increases were set by law others came with promotions or were bonuses set by governor
By Mary Beth Schneider
mary.beth.schneider@indystar.com
The freeze on state workers' salaries has about 5,000 cracks in it.
About 2,230 of Indiana's 37,000 state employees have received a bonus since the governor announced the freeze in early December. These bonuses, which ranged from $15.60 to $4,300, have totaled more than $1 million in extra pay through March. All went to rank-and-file state employees and not to agency heads, the state said.
In addition, about 2,300 state employees -- including lawmakers and State Police, whose salary increases were mandated by law, and people who were promoted -- still received pay raises that totaled about $7.2 million.
DATABASE: www.indystar.com/data/government/statepay_increases.shtml">Search for state employees who have receive pay raises or bonuses this year.
The extra dollars were awarded at a time when bonuses and raises are becoming scarcer in the private sector, as companies are cutting salaries, freezing or eliminating benefits and furloughing or laying off workers.
Leslie Scott, director of the National Association of State Personnel Executives, said bonuses are "a rarity" in state governments right now, with many states instead looking at cutting their payrolls.
But Karl Ahlrichs, a partner with ExactHire, an Indianapolis human resources firm, said he wishes more private-sector employers would follow the state's lead in using bonus pay to reward the best employees.
"Those kind of bonuses, which motivate properly, need to stay in place," he said. "In private industry, smart businesspeople leave those bonuses in place."
State Personnel Director Dan Hackler said that when Gov. Mitch Daniels assumed office, he instituted a pay-for-performance program, and the bonuses are a key tool that he wanted to continue even as salaries were frozen.
"The recognition of outstanding performance was something the governor wanted to maintain," Hackler said. "In the big picture, it's really not that much money."
The biggest bonus, $4,300, went to a deputy state auditor, Michael Frick, who had to do extra work to complete two annual state financial reports by year's end in 2008.
State Auditor Tim Berry said Daniels created three bonus programs -- a governor's public service award of $1,000 given to exceptional employees; an agency spot bonus program for awards ranging up to $1,000, given at the discretion of department heads; and a program to give quarterly bonuses of $1,250 each to certified public accountants who keep current their certification and license.
A February 2006 memo outlining the spot agency bonuses said the goal was to recognize 10 percent to 20 percent of an agency's employees.
Some state agencies -- such as veterans affairs, agriculture and the health department -- gave no bonuses from December, when Daniels imposed the pay freeze, through at least March, according to data from the auditor's office.
The Indiana Economic Development Corp., however, gave bonuses to 37 of 77 employees.
Mitch Roob -- whose own state pay jumped by nearly $20,000 when he moved in January from leading the Family and Social Services Administration to become IEDC chief -- said he's given out no bonuses.
But the governor's office confirmed that the agency's previous director, Nate Feltman, did hand out bonuses to about half the staff in December, a number that actually was smaller than in prior years.
Looking ahead, Indiana might have to reconsider whether it can continue to afford bonuses and whether it might have to go further by cutting pay or jobs.
Daniels, who has been warning legislators about spending beyond the state's means and has ordered cuts in almost every area of state government, said his goal is to avoid taking those measures in Indiana.
"Things that affect our employees are a last resort," Daniels said.
But, he added, "we simply can't rule out any particular step. It's obviously a lot better to skip a day or two now or then (to a job furlough) than to lose a job completely."
Employee Agency Previous salary Current salary Salary increase Bonus (if received) Department change
RONAY, DANIEL G INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $81,682.12 $93,934.36 15.00% No
BEATTY, DONALD G INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $86,384.22 $89,953.24 4.13% Yes
OSBURN, MICHAEL J INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $67,967.64 $79,862.12 17.50% Yes
LLOYD, MICHAEL CHARLES INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $68,992.04 $75,201.36 9.00% Yes
KELSAW, MIA E INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $36,554.70 $42,037.84 15.00% $250.00 No
TANIS, CHRISTOPHER MATTHEW INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $34,706.88 $36,280.40 4.53% Yes
BOYE, RICHARD W INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $30,339.14 $35,633.78 17.45% No
DICKINSON, SHARON KAY INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $24,383.32 $28,041.00 15.00% No
DURAKOVIC, JASMIN INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $26,156.00 $27,196.00 3.98% No
STEPHENS, CARL DURANT INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $26,156.00 $27,196.00 3.98% Yes
STROTHER, RANDALL DEAN INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $200.00
SCHEETS, JON ROBERT INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
SCHUBERT, PAMELA LYNN INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $400.00
SHIVELY, SARAH ELIZABETH INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $1,000.00
SIMS, JENNIFER LYNN INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
ELLAR, WRAE JEAN INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $1,000.00
ELLIS, PATRICIA ANNE INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $100.00
GOODING, BRIAN J INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
LORENZ, JOHN INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
MCCALEB, GERALD D INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $1,500.00
TURNER, YOLANDA KAYE INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
VANCE, GERALD W INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
WARNER, DENISE R INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $500.00
WILLIAMS, JAMES J INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $75.00
WUTHRICH, DAVID INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $2,000.00
Employee Agency Previous salary Current salary Salary increase Bonus (if received) Department change
DOANE-SELMIER, STACY C INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $200.00
DOCTOR, NICOLE N INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $500.00
GREEN, TONY INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $200.00
HAYS II, ROBERT A INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
HOARD, LEE WAYNE FORRESTER INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $500.00
HOWE, REBECCA R INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
HUNTER, KEVIN M INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
JACKSON, DENISE ELIZABETH INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $100.00
KEEN, TAMMIE J INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
LIEBEL, DAVID JUDKINS INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $700.00
BENSHEIMER, KURT A INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $500.00
PARRISH, JACQUELINE JONICE INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
PATTERSON SR, LAMONT TERRELL INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $75.00
PAULSON, TILMER E INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $500.00
PAVESE, MICHAEL J INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $600.00
POER III, JOHN R INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
ALEXANDER, NICOLE L INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $200.00
BROWN, TIMMY JEROME INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $1,000.00
ALSIP, MORTON D INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $750.00
CARTER JR, GERALD D INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $100.00
CARTER, CINDY LOU INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $300.00
CATRON, DEBBIE DARLENE INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $500.00
COX, JIM INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
CRIDER, CASSANDRA LYNN INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
DAVIS, RICHARD L INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
Employee Agency Previous salary Current salary Salary increase Bonus (if received) Department change
RENTSCH, MELANIE ANN INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $300.00
RICHEY, DARRELL W INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $750.00
RILEY, NANCY ANN INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $500.00
Some increases were set by law others came with promotions or were bonuses set by governor
By Mary Beth Schneider
mary.beth.schneider@indystar.com
The freeze on state workers' salaries has about 5,000 cracks in it.
About 2,230 of Indiana's 37,000 state employees have received a bonus since the governor announced the freeze in early December. These bonuses, which ranged from $15.60 to $4,300, have totaled more than $1 million in extra pay through March. All went to rank-and-file state employees and not to agency heads, the state said.
In addition, about 2,300 state employees -- including lawmakers and State Police, whose salary increases were mandated by law, and people who were promoted -- still received pay raises that totaled about $7.2 million.
DATABASE: www.indystar.com/data/government/statepay_increases.shtml">Search for state employees who have receive pay raises or bonuses this year.
The extra dollars were awarded at a time when bonuses and raises are becoming scarcer in the private sector, as companies are cutting salaries, freezing or eliminating benefits and furloughing or laying off workers.
Leslie Scott, director of the National Association of State Personnel Executives, said bonuses are "a rarity" in state governments right now, with many states instead looking at cutting their payrolls.
But Karl Ahlrichs, a partner with ExactHire, an Indianapolis human resources firm, said he wishes more private-sector employers would follow the state's lead in using bonus pay to reward the best employees.
"Those kind of bonuses, which motivate properly, need to stay in place," he said. "In private industry, smart businesspeople leave those bonuses in place."
State Personnel Director Dan Hackler said that when Gov. Mitch Daniels assumed office, he instituted a pay-for-performance program, and the bonuses are a key tool that he wanted to continue even as salaries were frozen.
"The recognition of outstanding performance was something the governor wanted to maintain," Hackler said. "In the big picture, it's really not that much money."
The biggest bonus, $4,300, went to a deputy state auditor, Michael Frick, who had to do extra work to complete two annual state financial reports by year's end in 2008.
State Auditor Tim Berry said Daniels created three bonus programs -- a governor's public service award of $1,000 given to exceptional employees; an agency spot bonus program for awards ranging up to $1,000, given at the discretion of department heads; and a program to give quarterly bonuses of $1,250 each to certified public accountants who keep current their certification and license.
A February 2006 memo outlining the spot agency bonuses said the goal was to recognize 10 percent to 20 percent of an agency's employees.
Some state agencies -- such as veterans affairs, agriculture and the health department -- gave no bonuses from December, when Daniels imposed the pay freeze, through at least March, according to data from the auditor's office.
The Indiana Economic Development Corp., however, gave bonuses to 37 of 77 employees.
Mitch Roob -- whose own state pay jumped by nearly $20,000 when he moved in January from leading the Family and Social Services Administration to become IEDC chief -- said he's given out no bonuses.
But the governor's office confirmed that the agency's previous director, Nate Feltman, did hand out bonuses to about half the staff in December, a number that actually was smaller than in prior years.
Looking ahead, Indiana might have to reconsider whether it can continue to afford bonuses and whether it might have to go further by cutting pay or jobs.
Daniels, who has been warning legislators about spending beyond the state's means and has ordered cuts in almost every area of state government, said his goal is to avoid taking those measures in Indiana.
"Things that affect our employees are a last resort," Daniels said.
But, he added, "we simply can't rule out any particular step. It's obviously a lot better to skip a day or two now or then (to a job furlough) than to lose a job completely."
Employee Agency Previous salary Current salary Salary increase Bonus (if received) Department change
RONAY, DANIEL G INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $81,682.12 $93,934.36 15.00% No
BEATTY, DONALD G INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $86,384.22 $89,953.24 4.13% Yes
OSBURN, MICHAEL J INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $67,967.64 $79,862.12 17.50% Yes
LLOYD, MICHAEL CHARLES INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $68,992.04 $75,201.36 9.00% Yes
KELSAW, MIA E INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $36,554.70 $42,037.84 15.00% $250.00 No
TANIS, CHRISTOPHER MATTHEW INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $34,706.88 $36,280.40 4.53% Yes
BOYE, RICHARD W INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $30,339.14 $35,633.78 17.45% No
DICKINSON, SHARON KAY INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $24,383.32 $28,041.00 15.00% No
DURAKOVIC, JASMIN INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $26,156.00 $27,196.00 3.98% No
STEPHENS, CARL DURANT INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $26,156.00 $27,196.00 3.98% Yes
STROTHER, RANDALL DEAN INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $200.00
SCHEETS, JON ROBERT INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
SCHUBERT, PAMELA LYNN INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $400.00
SHIVELY, SARAH ELIZABETH INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $1,000.00
SIMS, JENNIFER LYNN INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
ELLAR, WRAE JEAN INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $1,000.00
ELLIS, PATRICIA ANNE INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $100.00
GOODING, BRIAN J INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
LORENZ, JOHN INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
MCCALEB, GERALD D INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $1,500.00
TURNER, YOLANDA KAYE INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
VANCE, GERALD W INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
WARNER, DENISE R INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $500.00
WILLIAMS, JAMES J INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $75.00
WUTHRICH, DAVID INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $2,000.00
Employee Agency Previous salary Current salary Salary increase Bonus (if received) Department change
DOANE-SELMIER, STACY C INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $200.00
DOCTOR, NICOLE N INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $500.00
GREEN, TONY INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $200.00
HAYS II, ROBERT A INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
HOARD, LEE WAYNE FORRESTER INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $500.00
HOWE, REBECCA R INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
HUNTER, KEVIN M INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
JACKSON, DENISE ELIZABETH INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $100.00
KEEN, TAMMIE J INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
LIEBEL, DAVID JUDKINS INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $700.00
BENSHEIMER, KURT A INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $500.00
PARRISH, JACQUELINE JONICE INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
PATTERSON SR, LAMONT TERRELL INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $75.00
PAULSON, TILMER E INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $500.00
PAVESE, MICHAEL J INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $600.00
POER III, JOHN R INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
ALEXANDER, NICOLE L INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $200.00
BROWN, TIMMY JEROME INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $1,000.00
ALSIP, MORTON D INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $750.00
CARTER JR, GERALD D INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $100.00
CARTER, CINDY LOU INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $300.00
CATRON, DEBBIE DARLENE INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $500.00
COX, JIM INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
CRIDER, CASSANDRA LYNN INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
DAVIS, RICHARD L INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $250.00
Employee Agency Previous salary Current salary Salary increase Bonus (if received) Department change
RENTSCH, MELANIE ANN INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $300.00
RICHEY, DARRELL W INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $750.00
RILEY, NANCY ANN INDC-DEPT. OF CORRECTION $500.00