MARCH 4, 2022

• Legislative Overview
• HR Modernization
• Training
• HR Shout-Outs!
• COVID-19 Vaccine Incentive Summary

---

Legislative Overview

Change in Employee Compensation (CEC)

JFAC approved the CEC Committee’s recommendation for a fully funded 3% pay structure shift for all employees. This is different than previous years where only employees at the minimum were shifted. In addition, agencies will receive $1.25 for each permanent employee to disperse based on merit. DHR and DFM are preparing the CEC guidance memo to be sent out once Governor Little signs off on the budget.

DHR also received approval on supplemental budget requests for the transfer of five vacant HR positions (detailed in the HR Modernization update below) and for the spending authority to conduct a full classification and compensation review for approximately 2,500 classifications. In addition, DHR was approved to invest in a system that supports statewide employee engagement surveys as part of the FY 2023 budget.

DHR Proposed Legislation

Click on the bill numbers below to see the progress of each bill in the legislature.

• H0504 “State Employees, Ed Reimbursement”: Adds to existing law to establish an educational reimbursement program. Changes the current loan repayment program for physicians, psychologists, and mid-level practitioners to an educational reimbursement program for eligible state employees.
• H0515 “State Personnel, Public Health”: Amends the existing law to clarify that public health district employees are not part of the state personnel system. Provides “clean up” language from last year’s passage of HB 316. Removes reference to the state’s personnel system (IC 67-53). Last year’s bill changed the authority of personnel decisions to the board within each health district and removed state funding for public health districts. With this change, public health district employees no longer fall under the laws and rules of the state personnel system. References were removed from statute.
• H0516 “Public Health Districts, Personnel”: Amends the existing law to provide for the power of a district health director to establish a personnel system. Provides “clean up” language from last year’s passage of HB 316. Removes reference to the state’s personnel system (IC 67-53).
• H0594 “State Employees”: Amends and repeals the existing law to provide for consistency of terminology with respect to state employees. Clarifies rule applicability and requirements for non-classified and classified employees.
• H0595 “State Employees, Compensation, Increases”: Amends existing law to provide for compensation increases based on performance as well as consideration of certain internal and external factors.

Back to top.

---

HR Modernization

DHR’s first steps of conducting a needs assessment and gap analysis began last September. This included meeting with agencies and creating a draft reporting structure based on bodies of work. We are now in the process of defining job duties and refining the reporting structure. In addition, our agency requested the transfer of five vacant HR positions from other agencies in our FY 2023 budget, which JFAC approved on February 18. These positions include statewide managers for recruitment, employee services, training and development, occupational health, and civil rights/ADA. They initiate the first significant shift in the staffing infrastructure needed to proceed with HR Modernization. DHR will notify the HR group once these positions are open for recruitment.

We encourage you to visit the HR Modernization webpage for a project timeline, regular updates, FAQs, and to submit questions and suggestions you may have about the process.

Back to top.

---

Training

DHR is pleased to announce the return of in-person training beginning in April 2022! In-person trainings will be held without social distancing or mask requirements. Online options for all courses will still be available for those who prefer a virtual environment. For current information and updated class offerings, please see the DHR training page.

Idaho’s 5th Annual Statewide Mandatory Cybersecurity Awareness Training is going on now! Please remind employees to complete their annual mandatory cybersecurity training by March 25, 2022. The training is expected to take about 20 minutes and does not have to be completed in one sitting. All executive office agency employees should have received an email with a link to the training on Monday, February 28. If you have any questions, please email cybertraining@dhr.idaho.gov.

Back to top.

---

HR Shout-Outs!

Please let DHR know if someone on your HR team has recently earned a professional certification or anything else noteworthy. We would love to include additional shout-outs in future First Friday updates!

Back to top.

---

COVID-19 Vaccine Incentive Summary

Thank you to everyone who helped promote the COVID-19 vaccine incentive. A total of 8,843 state employees utilized the incentive, coding 34,972 CVT hours. The final day for employees to code CVT for receiving a COVID-19 vaccine was January 31, 2022.

Back to top.

---