Employment Guide. Member Agencies

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1 Member Agencies Carlsbad MWD City of Del Mar City of Escondido Fallbrook Public Utility District Helix Water District City of National City** City of Oceanside Olivenhain MWD Otay Water District Padre Dam MWD Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base City of Poway Rainbow MWD Ramona MWD Rincon del Diablo MWD City of San Diego San Dieguito Water District Santa Fe Irrigation District South Bay Irrigation District** Vallecitos Water District Valley Center MWD Vista Irrigation District Yuima MWD A member of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors also serves as a representative to the Water Authority board of directors. ** The Sweetwater Authority is a service organization for the city of National City and the South Bay Irrigation District. The Water Authority encourages qualified candidates to join our team. Employment Guide S a n D i e g o C o u n t y W a t e r A u t h o r i t y This booklet presents an overview and is not intended to form a contract between the Water Authority and its employees or applicants. Some of the items covered are subject to changes Overland Ave. I San Diego, CA I I job line: Photo: John Bahu (San Diego Conventions & Visitors Bureau)

2 Table of Contents SECTION 1 Introduction Page 3-4 SECTION 2 Organization Page 5-6 Organizational Values An Equal Opportunity Employer Staff Organization SECTION 3 New Hires Page 7-8 Probation Performance Review Promotions SECTION 4 The Basics Page 9-10 Work Schedules Paydays Holidays Vacation Leaves SECTION 5 Group Benefits Page Health, Dental, Vision, Life Long-term Disability Flexible Spending Account Short-term Disability Occupational Injury or Illness Retirement (PERS) Deferred Compensation Social Security SECTION 6 Additional Benefits..... Page Employee Assistance Program Tuition Reimbursement Employee Recognition Program Employees Association The San Diego County Water Authority s Olivenhain Dam and Reservoir is the largest rollercompacted dam in North America. Water began flowing into the dam in late It has an emergency water storage capacity of 24,000 acre-feet.

3 1 Search I N T R O D U C T I O N for Water The San Diego County Water Authority's story originated more than a half-century ago, when the agency began delivering imported water from hundreds of miles away to a booming World War II-era San Diego County. In 1944, San Diego voters approved the formation of the San Diego County Water Authority as a public agency under the County Water Authority Act. Reliability Through Diversification Providing a safe and reliable water supply to the people who live and work in the San Diego region is the mission of the Water Authority. The region's 3 million residents and $142 billion economy depend upon the Water Authority to fulfill this vital mission. The best way to ensure reliability now and into the future is to avoid being overly dependent on a single source of water. Today, up to 90 percent of this region's water is imported from a single supplier. New Imported Water Supplies In 2003, Southern California's Colorado River water agencies approved the Quantification Settlement Agreement, reducing California's over-dependence upon the Colorado River and the state's draw to its annual apportionment. The QSA cleared the way for the annual transfer of water from the Imperial Irrigation District to the Water Authority. Water conserved by concrete lining of the All-American and Coachella canals will provide additional water supplies to San Diego County. Making the Most of Local Supplies The Water Authority s effort to diversify local water supplies includes promoting the use of recycled water, water conservation, desalinating brackish (salty) groundwater through modern reverse osmosis technology and developing groundwater storage programs. Furthermore, seawater desalination is now on the horizon as a new local water supply for San Diego County that is both droughtproof and cost-effective. Mapping the Region's Water Future Through the Water Authority's Capital Improvement Program, new water supply options and facilities required to meet regional needs through 2030 are in San Diego's water future. CIP projects will increase production of treated water, increase water storage, improve operational flexibility and expand the capacity of the aqueduct system. These sound investments in a diversified water supply portfolio, local water resources and new water facilities will secure a safe and reliable water supply for the region well into the future. 4

4 2 O R G A N I Z A T I O N Customers Employees Communication Teamwork Excellence Integrity Fiscal Responsibility Organizational Values Key organizational values of importance to the Water Authority: Customers our highest priority Employees our most valuable resource Communication our key to understanding Teamwork our commitment Excellence our standard Integrity our pledge Fiscal Responsibility our duty An Equal Opportunity Employer The San Diego County Water Authority maintains an equal employment opportunity policy. The Water Authority pledges its continued commitment to provide equal access and fair treatment to all applicants, employees, prospective contractors and vendors. The Water Authority provides fair and equal treatment and does not discriminate against any individual or firm on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical handicaps, medical and mental conditions, marital status, age, gender or sexual orientation. All personnel decisions including, but not limited to, those regarding compensation, employment, promotion, training, transfers and discipline are based solely on qualifications, experience and job performance of individual employees or applicants. All employees are expected to give their full support to this policy in a manner which creates and maintains a nondiscriminatory working environment in which all individuals are treated fairly. The Water Authority has excellent employer-employee relations, with a multi-year agreement with six employee groups. The technical/support, professional/administrative and managerial/ supervisory groups are represented by Teamsters local 911. The three groups not represented are the executive, senior management and confidential. Staff Organization The Water Authority staff is directed by the General Manager, who reports to the Board of Directors. In addition to the General Manager s office and the General Counsel s office, the Water Authority is organized into departments: Administrative Services, Engineering, Finance, Human Resources, Imported Water, Operations and Maintenance, Public Affairs, Right of Way and Water Resources. 6

5 3 Performance n e w h i r e s Probation Newly hired Water Authority employees in regular positions serve in a probationary status for six months. This creates an opportunity for them to learn about the job and allows the supervisor to thoroughly evaluate the employees work. During probation, employees will be given a three-month progress report and six-month performance appraisal. If they successfully complete the probationary period, they will be designated regular status employees. If unsuccessful, employees may be subject to retention or separation from Water Authority service. Employees who are promoted also serve a probationary period of six months. During this probationary period, they will be evaluated at the end of three and six months. Employees who do not satisfactorily complete probation may return to their prior position or to a position in the same or lower classification for which they are qualified, depending on availability. review Employees are entitled to know how their supervisors view their work performance. To ensure that there is no misunderstanding, employees receive a formal performance review at least once a year during their anniversary month (or more often if required). This review highlights the employees work performance, indicating where improvements are required. The review form becomes a permanent part of the employees file and is used for personnel actions ranging from salary increases to disciplinary actions. Employees are encouraged to contribute to the review process by openly discussing their performance evaluations with their supervisors. Promotions Vacant positions are initially publicized within the Water Authority to allow employees who believe they are qualified to apply. The positions are filled by the qualified candidates whose background and performance most closely meet the requirements of the job. 8

6 4 Work Schedules Vacation Full-time employees are assigned to one Regular employees accrue vacation T h e B a s i c s of the following three bi-weekly work schedules which include consecutive days off: 44/36 Work Schedule consists of eight nine-hour days and one eight-hour day in a pay period. 5/8 s Work Schedule consists of five days, eight hours per day. 4/10 s Work schedule consists of four days, ten hours per day. Paydays Employees are paid bi-weekly and may have their savings, checking or loan payments deducted from their paychecks and automatically deposited into a participating financial institution of their choice. Holidays Employees enjoy 13 paid holidays each year which includes two floating holidays. Floating holidays may be used each fiscal year at the employees discretion. based on length of service. The following is an example of a typical vacation schedule: Commencement of Annual Accrual Years of Service Rate (days) Leaves Regular employees may be eligible for the following leaves of absence: sick, family care and medical emergency, bereavement, pregnancy, judicial, military and leave without pay. 10

7 5 Public G r o u p B e n e f i t s Health Benefits The Water Authority offers regular employees health, dental and vision insurance programs for themselves and their dependents. Basic Plan The Water Authority pays 100 percent of the basic plan. Premium Plan For full-time employees with eligible dependents choosing the premium plan, the Water Authority pays 50 percent of the monthly premium for costs that exceed the basic medical plan coverage. In addition, the Water Authority provides life for the employee and dependent, accidental death and dismemberment and long-term disability insurance at no cost to regular full-time employees. Flexible Spending Account The Water Authority provides employees with the opportunity to participate in a flexible spending plan. The plan allows employees to designate pre-tax dollars for certain health care and dependent care expenses, and thereby increases take-home pay. Short-term Disability Employees Retirement System (PERS) When joining the Water Authority, regular employees automatically become members of PERS. The Water Authority pays the employees 7 percent contribution to PERS. Deferred Compensation The Water Authority maintains a deferred compensation plan which offers employees the opportunity to set aside a portion of their income on a pre-taxed basis until retirement. In addition, the Water Authority matches the contributions dollar for dollar, up to a specified limit. Social Security Water Authority employees are members of the Social Security system. Contributions to their Social Security account are deducted from their salary. Employees are offered an employeepaid (voluntary) short-term disability insurance program. Occupational Injury or Illness The Water Authority assumes financial responsibility for treatment in cases of accidental occupational injury or illness. In addition, employees may receive compensation to replace a portion of lost wages. 12

8 6 Employee A d d i t i o n a l B e n e f i t s Assistance Program This program affords employees the opportunity of talking with trained professionals about their personal problems such as stress, alcohol or drug abuse, marriage and family counseling, and financial and legal concerns. This independent outside-service is available 24-hours-a-day and all information is strictly confidential. Employees and their dependents are eligible for three free assessment sessions per year. Tuition Reimbursement The Water Authority encourages all employees to maintain and enhance their skills and job knowledge through continuing education and training. Employees who are regular status with at least six months service may have a substantial amount of their educational expenses reimbursed by the Water Authority. These regular employees must earn a grade of C or higher and complete educational courses related to their current or future work at the Water Authority. Employee Recognition Program The purpose of the Water Authority s Employee Recognition Program is to recognize, motivate and reward the accomplishments and contributions of employees to the Water Authority. The program is designed to encourage and support efficiency, creativity in the workplace and an improved working environment to the maximum extent possible; and provide appropriate recognition and rewards commensurate with the successes of its employees. Employees Association The Employees Association organizes and plans events throughout the year to enhance the social enjoyment of Water Authority employees. Some of the events include an annual breakfast, summer picnic, holiday party, discounted movie tickets and many other events. The association also considers each employee special and will celebrate or console with a gift or flowers for the employee in special times. 14