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Date: 4/5/2022
HOLYOKE – In an effort to show appreciation to the hard work from city of Holyoke employees, Mayor Joshua Garcia announced the city’s rollout of an employee retention incentive using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
The goal of this action hopes to give workers who qualify some breaks after working through the challenging and unprecedented situation presented by the coronavirus pandemic. The first goal of the employee retention incentive is to acknowledge employees hired prior to June 30, 2020, who are current employees and either transitioned municipal operations to remote operations at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, provided municipal services despite the heightened personal risk of exposure to COVID-19 or ensured continuity of services during the height of the pandemic.
The second goal is to retain existing city employees so as to reduce disruptions to services and programs and provide an incentive to remain with the city of Holyoke as compared to seeking other employment options. The last goal is to increase the city’s attractiveness and competitiveness amongst other municipalities when recruiting and retaining new employees.
Eligible employees will receive up to $3,000 of retention incentives.
“Over the course of the pandemic, city of Holyoke employees stepped up and worked diligently to adapt to the changing environment to keep up our municipal obligations while attempting to keep our staff and the public safe,” said Garcia. “For city employees, the pandemic created an extra layer of challenges on top of their pre-covid responsibilities. In light of this, and in the interests of employee recognition and retention, we are using ARPA funds for retention of stipends of up to $3,000, depending on length of employment.”
According to Garcia, the stipends are also intended to help retain city employees so as to reduce disruptions to services and provide an incentive to remain with the city of Holyoke.
“We also see to increase the city’s attractiveness and competitiveness amongst other municipalities when recruiting and retaining new employees,” Garcia said.
Retention incentives will be entirely additive to an employee’s regular compensation and shall be less than 25 percent of the rate of base pay for an individual employee acocrding to the programs conditions. Elected officials, board and commission members – paid or unpaid – volunteers, seasonal employees and participants in tax relief programs are not eligible for ARPA Employee Retention Incentives.
Employees who resigned, retired, were terminated or died within the employment dates are not eligible for ARPA Employee Retention Incentives as well. The city personnel office and the city treasurer shall be respobsible for determining which employees are due payments and initiating said payments.
Eligible employees shall be part-time and full-time municipal employees employed by departments located at the following sites: City Hall, City Hall Annex, the Department of Public Works, Holyoke Public Library, Council on Aging, Holyoke Gas and Electric, Holyoke Water Works, Wistariahusrt Museum, The Holyoke War Memorial Building, Police and Fire Departments. The school department will not be included in this program.
During the announcement that took place in the City Hall auditorium on March 18 with city employees present and joined by state Rep. Patricia Duffy and Council President Todd McGee on behalf of the City Council, proclamations were presented declaring March 18, “City of Holyoke Employee Recognition Day.” The proclamations will be hung on display at City Hall.
“This investment in our city employees through ARPA (for as long as the program guideline allows) is a short-term gesture as we continue to build on our long-term plan to strengthen the work environment for city of Holyoke employees,” said Mayor Garcia in a press release. “Therefore, I am thrilled to be able to prioritize ARPA funds to support this retention incentive.”