Lakeland’s employees in supervisor positions have been left unfairly and negatively impacted by the city’s implementation of its recent wage study, according to a Lakeland Electric employee.
Last fall, Jeff Saenz’s job title changed to electric system operator supervisor from chief electric system operator when Lakeland implemented a series of job and wage compensation changes due to its pay study.
These changes turned Saenz’s non-exempt position with mandatory 12-hour work shifts to an “exempt” employee under the federal Fair Labor Standard Acts. His hours were changed to four 10-hour shifts with no overtime pay.
This reduced Saenz’s annual wages by $18,000 a year before taxes, or about $1,500 a month.
Saenz said he has spoken with other Lakeland Electric and city employees in supervisory roles to find they too had been “unjustly affected by this monumental pay study.”
Based on this study, City Manager Shawn Sherrouse suggested several changes to wages and compensation for the city’s general employees.
Sherrouse said those employees identified as being paid less than a competitive market rate would receive a pay adjustment with the average individual adjustment being no greater than 5%. There would appear to be some outliers, Sherrouse warned, where particular individuals may receive up to a 20% adjustment, but he said the average adjustment will be less than 5%.
The city’s implementation of the wage study resulted in 37 positions changing from non-exempt to exempt from overtime — including Saenz.
City commissioners approved a 3% across-the-board pay raise and a 2.5% to 3% merit-based increase to general union employees for fiscal year 2024. Saenz said this has resulted in situations where those in supervisory roles are being paid less than those they oversee.