One of the primary objectives for the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners is to be the public sector employer of choice, which means providing wages and benefits that will attract, recruit and retain quality employees.
On Tuesday, county leaders approved measures to meet that objective and to stay competitive in a challenging environment impacted by the national labor shortage.
Minimum pay raised to $15 per hour
Gwinnett commissioners voted to approve an 8 percent market adjustment for County employees.
The move will also raise the salaries of first responders in Police, Fire and Emergency Services, Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, Solicitor’s Office, Corrections and E911 by an additional 2 percent, bringing the total pay increase for these frontline employees to 10 percent.
“We take pride in Gwinnett being a preferred public sector employer,” said Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson. “We also know a generous compensation and benefits package is essential to keeping this status and shows our current employees we appreciate their hard work and dedication to the Gwinnett community. At the same time, we hope these incentives will attract prospective employees to consider a career in public service.”
The market adjustment will raise the minimum hourly rate for all positions in Gwinnett County Government to $15 per hour.
Juneteenth now recognized as a holiday for county employees
In the spirit of honoring the vibrant diversity of the community, commissioners also agreed to follow the federal and state governments in making Juneteenth an official county holiday, commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.
This will be an additional paid holiday for employees and will not take the place of any other holiday.
Eligible employees can now take up to four weeks paid parental leave
As of April 1, Gwinnett County now offers four weeks of paid parental leave upon the birth, adoption or foster of a child as well as access to family planning benefits rolled out earlier this year.
The new family planning services range from conception, fertility assistance, prenatal nutrition and post-partum to surrogacy, adoption and return-to-work support.
“We recognize our employees’ hard work, selfless sacrifices and determination in all they do,” said County Administrator Glenn Stephens. “It is both our duty and an honor to invest in their families, finances and overall well-being to ensure they receive the support they need to deliver high-quality, essential services to the residents of Gwinnett County every day.”
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