Update Regarding Comp Time

Over the past few days, you may have received a memo from your management or heard from fellow employees that Department Directors have been instructed to stop approvals of comp time accruals for all City employees as of January 1, 2019. MEA had no advance notice or warning of the City’s intent to announce and implement such a unilateral change in policy and practice.

On learning of the City’s announcement, MEA took immediate action to protest and challenge the City’s decision. These efforts resulted in an emergency meeting today between the City’s responsible officials and MEA General Manager Mike Zucchet and MEA attorney Ann Smith. This meeting was highly productive. We exchanged views on the legal issues and worked to find an acceptable path forward which addresses the City’s identified IRS issues but does not change an employee’s option to accrue comp time instead of taking overtime in cash.

MEA and the City will continue to work on such an outcome and will update you early next week regarding our progress. We remain hopeful that MEA’s proposed method for addressing and resolving the City’s tax concerns will lead to the City’s withdrawal of this directive to Department Directors so that the longstanding past practice regarding comp time accruals will continue in effect on and after January 1, 2019.

Please stay tuned and have a great weekend in the meantime.