MAC Surveys

2019 SURVEY

STATE MANAGERS – “NON-COMPENSATORY” BENEFITS

In the Spring of 2019, CT MAC asked Representative and Alternates to poll members regarding benefits they would like to receive that are not a direct salary increase.  Of course, many of these benefits will impact salaries (e.g., reducing health care contributions); the term “non-compensatory” is used to distinguish these benefits from raises.

These ideas are ranked according to the frequency with which they were suggested. This list demonstrates the extent of the ideas submitted, but also shows the similarity of the type of benefits valued by managers.  Some specific notable comments are also included.    

 

Health care contributions.

• Align health plan contributions with the rest of the state employee workforce.
• “We don’t use more health care, why do we pay more?”
• “Why are we penalized?We need healthcare too. All state employees should have equal access to healthcare by making everyone pay the same initial cost for access to health plans.”
• “I make less money than the employees I supervise and now, as an additional hit, I pay more for health care. So unfair.”

Flextime.

• Provide managers with a flexible work schedule.
• Decrease the work week to 35 or 37.5 hours without a reduction in salary.
• Provide for 4 day weeks (or 4/5 day option).
• Allow alternate work schedule option similar to union benefits.
• Allow variable starting and end times within operating hours.

Telecommuting.

• “Managers can accomplish their work even when telecommuting.”
• “Many times the employees I supervise are telecommuting.”
• Allow managers to telecommute on inclement weather days.

Compensatory Time.

• Eliminate expectation that managers work for free for hours worked over 40.
• “Unionized employees’ worktime is valued, as they receive comp time or overtime for extra hours worked.”
• Allow use of comp time for travel to/from conferences or meetings out of state.

Vacation/Personal Leave Time.

• Increase speed at which vacation time is accrued.
• Provide for bonus/extra vacation or personal leave time.

Mentoring and Recognition.

• Establish state-wide experienced/new managers mentoring program.   
• Ask those approaching retirement to be mentors.
• Establish program for Governor to recognize managers.

Training.

• Re-establish DAS managerial training program for new or aspiring managers. 
• Provide free in-service training for managers.  
• Provide managers with the ability to participate in training at their discretion.

Sick Leave Bank.

• Review and revise procedures for contributions and use by managers.  

The MAC Executive Committee sent these to DAS and indicated it would be pleased to work with the Administration regarding any of these ideas.  MAC noted that granting any of these “non-compensatory” benefits would improve the continuing inequities faced by managers and show progress in beginning to address these issues.       

 

2003 SURVEY

During the summer of 2002 the Management Advisory Council surveyed the state managers on a variety of topics. The results of the survey were discussed with the Deputy Commissioner of DAS and the Deputy Secretary of OPM. Based on these discussions, it was determined that several topics needed further investigation and study. One of those topics, undertaken by MAC, was to evaluate and formulate a recommendation for improving the way that PARS is used to distribute raises and bonuses. That was the purpose of the PARS survey of 2003.

There were over two hundred responses to the survey of 2003. The return rate is very high considering that the managers, as a group, are still coping with the effects of layoffs and early etirements. The 200 responses represent an adequate sample to establish statistical significance.

Read the Report on the 2003 Survey

2002 SURVEY

In the early summer of 2002 the Management Advisory Council decided to survey the managers to determine if there were issues of concern that the Council should address.

A questionnaire was developed which contained twenty-one questions.  The questions fell into three categories:

• Those with multiple answers that sought a ranking
• Simple Yes/No questions
• Traditional multiple-choice questions that sought one answer per category.

The questionnaire was sent to over two thousand managers.  Three hundred and nineteen were returned and scored. 

The main topics covered were:

• PARS – How it is used; how it should be used and what, if anything, is missing
• Salary Compression – Does it exist; if so, how prevalent is it and what is its impact
• Bonuses for “Exceeding Expectations” – How important are they; is the award objective and is it a motivator.  Should the bonus process be changed and, if so, how should it be changed
• What should a performance evaluation tool do and what are its characteristics
• Training – Are there problems with obtaining training and in what areas is training available
• Comments on the above and any other areas were solicited