Section 11.  Bilingual Pay

A salary differential of Seventy Dollars ($70.00) biweekly shall be paid incumbents of positions requiring bilingual proficiency as designated by their respective Department Heads or their designee. Said differential shall be prorated for employees working less than full-time or who are in an unpaid leave of absence status for a portion of any given pay period. Bilingual pay is effective the first pay period after Human Resources certifies the result of the bilingual exam. Under no circumstances is bilingual pay retroactive.

Designation of positions for which bilingual proficiency is required is the sole prerogative of the Department and is based on operational and staffing needs of the Department. Human Resources will oversee the bilingual examination, certify exam results and determine effective date of bilingual pay of any individual submitted by the Department for testing.  The Union shall be provided listings of employees receiving bilingual pay on a biweekly basis.

Individuals who promote or transfer to another position or Department will be reevaluated by the receiving Department to determine if bilingual pay should be continued. Should bilingual pay be continued, Department must submit request for continuation with the Human Resources Department.

If any worker’s request for bilingual pay consideration is denied by the Department, such denial shall be subject to appeal to the Human Resources Director whose decision shall be final.

If an employee who has not been designated/approved for bilingual pay is required by the Department to perform bilingual services, the employee may report this issue to their supervisor, who will approve or decline the request for bilingual pay. If the supervisor declines the request the employee may submit the matter to Employee Relations who will investigate the matter within thirty (30) days.

11.1 Hiring and Selection

The County will continue to recruit and hire employees based on a specific need for bilingual skills.

11.2 Testing

All employees hired to fill positions requiring bilingual skills will be tested for bilingual proficiency.

11.3 Continued Use of Bilingual Language Skill

Employees hired to fill positions requiring bilingual skills may be required to remain in bilingual pay positions.  Nothing herein precludes any of the above specified employees from promoting to higher classifications.

11.4 Transfers

Transfers of employees occupying bilingual pay positions shall be in accordance with County policy and practice and shall not be in violation of the Memorandum of Understanding.  It is recognized that utilization of a bilingual skill may be the sole reason for transfer in order to meet a specific County need.

11.5 Review

The number and location of bilingual pay positions shall be periodically reviewed by management.  The Union and the affected employee(s) will be given reasonable notice prior to loss of the bilingual pay differential if the number of filled positions in a specific division or geographical location is to be reduced.

11.6 Administration

Administration of the bilingual pay plan will be the overall responsibility of the Human Resources Department. Any disputes concerning the interpretation or application of the bilingual pay plan shall be referred to the Human Resources Director whose decision shall be final.