The program will provide an incentive, up to $10,000 in some cases, to employees who are willing to quit their jobs.
The county is hoping that as many as 125 people would sign up for the program. Should that many people opt out of their jobs, it would represent a 4% reduction in the county’s work force and allow Humbolt to save approximately $8 million per year.
Funding for the program, $770,000, was set aside by the board of supervisors.
From the Times-Standard:
In an effort to minimize layoffs, Humboldt County is planning to give employees who are willing to quit their jobs up to $10,000 as an incentive.
Today, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors will discuss the plan, which aims to have 77 to 80 general fund employees participate in voluntary separation before June 30.
County Administrative Officer Phillip Smith-Hanes said the county can’t afford the current staffing in the next fiscal year, and the program encourages employees to leave voluntarily before layoffs begin.
According to a staff report, the supervisors have set aside $770,000 for the Voluntary Separation Incentive Program, or VSIP. Under the VSIP, employees leaving before June 30 would receive an incentive of $10,000. After June, employees choosing to leave between July and October would received $2,000 to $5,000, depending on which month they leave.
Read the full article here.