In another win for workers, protest from Corrections employees who were promised fairer holiday pay last summer but saw no action from the Governor has prompted Bureau of Human Resources Commissioner Darin Seeley to announce a new holiday pay policy for all state workers:
In a letter to all state employees Monday, Seeley said his department has been analyzing how to most effectively change the state’s approach to maintain fairness and equity across state government for the paid holiday benefit.
Seeley says the state will implement a special holiday pay this fiscal year for hourly individuals who work on a holiday. Those employees will receive the paid benefit for their total hours worked.
For example, a full-time employee who works a 12-hour shift on December 24, 2021 would receive four additional hours at their regular base rate because of the eight hours of holiday already paid on that date. If a part-time employee worked four hours on Thanksgiving Day but their normal prorated holiday pay is five hours, they would receive the five hours of prorated holiday based on their average hours worked. An employee who does not have to work on the observed holiday would receive the appropriate prorated or eight hours of holiday pay.
Seeley said Governor Noem has authorized the Bureau of Human Resources to temporarily implement this plan for the entire fiscal year. The initial payment of this temporary change will be added to January 14, 2022 paychecks [staff, “State Makes Holiday Pay Adjustment Following I-Team Report,” KSFY, 2021.12.27].
See? A little protest and gently advocative journalism can get even a Republican governor in a Republican state to treat workers fairly.
Hey, she gave Bren $200,000 for her good work.
The above post was authored by me, mfi.
I steal from the best.
All who “benefit” in the short run from Kristi Noem will rue in the long run.