Recommended Staffing Changes What Do You Think?
Information:
In light of the financial conditions of the Presbytery of the Cascades and in response to the directions of Presbytery Council through the work of the Special Council Committee on Budget Priorities and Direction, the P&A Committee established a Staffing Review Subcommittee. This subcommittee met over several months and reviewed the financial situation of the presbytery as well as the staffing structure of the presbytery. The key focus of their work was to discern how Cascades Presbytery can be best staffed in order to enhance the vitality and growth of our local congregations. The report of this subcommittee was presented to the full P&A Committee which approved the following recommendations:
1. Initiate staff reductions to be effective January 1, 2012.
a. Reduce Bookkeeper position from 35 to 20 hours per week (slightly less than 50% reduction)
b. Reduce Media Resource Center Director position from 16 to 8 hours per week (50% reduction)
c. Reduce Camp Coordinator position from 35 to 20 hours per week (slightly less than 50% reduction)
d. Reduce Restoring Creation Enabler position from 8 to 4 hours per week (50% reduction)
e. Reduce Administrative Assistant positions (4) and Business Manager position from 35 to 28 hours per week (20% reduction)
f. Reduce Co-Executive positions (3) from 50 to 40 hours per week (20% reduction)
2. Provide medical/pension benefits for employees working 20 or more hours per week.
3. Close the presbytery offices one specific day a week.
4. Review and revise all position descriptions to reduce responsibilities in accordance with reduced hours. [This will be done as annual performance reviews are conducted through the next six months.]
5. Revise Personnel Policies to implement #2 and #3 above. [This was accomplished at the Presbytery Council meeting on May 21, 2011.]
6. Finalize the following time-line for implementation of recommendations.
April 13
P&A Meeting
Decision on recommendations made – appointed and program staff changes approved by P&A; elected staff recommendations on time and dollars to be sent to November presbytery meeting.
May 21
Council Meeting
Employment Policies & Procedures changes to be approved. [Done]
Early June
P&A liaisons and supervisors meet with staff. Program staff meetings include chair of program support committee. [Done]
June 8
P&A Meeting
Preliminary 2012 budget numbers determined for budget consultation. [Done]
June 24-25
Presbytery MeetingP&A reports on changes.
August 11
Budget Consultation
2012 personnel staffing budget allocated.
September 14
P&A Meeting
Establish Compensation Sub-Committee which will report back at October P&A meeting.
November 11-12
Presbytery Meeting
Action on changes in terms of call for elected staff.
I am very pleased to see that Hugh’s position is not being eliminated! I was so afraid that would happen. I feel we are hanging on just by a string in Tulelake, and that string is attached (in earthly beings) to Hugh. Thank you for choosing the general reduction of hours instead. ♥
I must say that I agree with Marcia that across-the-board cuts are MANY times better than eliminating any one area of service (and the related staff person). And, the ‘close the offices one day a week’ solution is far superior to never knowing who’s available when.
However, I am also concerned that in a time of economic difficulty such as our country is currently facing, churches with shrinking budgets may try to rely on the services our staff people provide more strongly and/or more frequently. For example, instead of purchasing their own video for an educational class or hiring a speaker, they might choose to borrow more frequently from our Media Resource Center. That means more work for our staff person, and less time to do it in. This can apply to any service (and the related staff person) that our Presbytery offers.
I know it is a “catch-22″ as the old saying goes. We again need to do more, with less. How will we support our excellent staff as they seek to fill our (possibly expanding) needs for their services in less time? How will these reductions affect accomplishing our mission as a Presbytery? What can each one of us do to help in this situation?
I think we need to challenge ourselves to pray long and hard about these questions as we prepare for this reduction.
Thank you to the P&A committee for a thoughtful solution to a very tough problem!
It is well and good to reduce the hours for which people are being paid, but I don’t see any
mention of reducing responsibility. My hunch is that many of the persons involved will end
up working as many or more hours than they do now. We have a great staff, but let’s bless
and appreciate their capabilities and let’s not wear them out!
Hi Helen–P&A is looking at how to reduce responsibilities for all those who will have reduced hours. It is the consensus of the elected staff that they would like to “live into” the new structure to see where, what, and how the reductions will happen. We don’t want to rush into cutting something when there might be more efficient ways to get things done. There will be an article in the Jan/Feb Omnibus outlining some of the changes we might see. Thank you for your concern–which is shared by those of us serving on P&A.
Janet Wylie P&A Chair