FAQs - Most Recent

April 17, 2009

Decision Making Process

Communication 

Reduction in Force

Budget-Saving Options

Staffing

48. If the person taking the accountant position’s title changes to “Accountant” - what happens if in the future, it is decided the system does not work well and the work is sent back to the county offices? If I understand correctly, according to CCS rules, accountant can only bump accountant. Does that mean the only possible positions for those employees would be Columbus campus?

The accountant positions will be in the A&P category, which does not have bumping rights. However, even if the accountant position was in the CCS category, the individual would have bumping rights but there would not be anyone within the county boundaries to bump. The A&P accountant also earns more vacation than CCS. See Restructuring Implementation – Shared Services.

49. Will the accountant position be funded by the counties they are serving (i.e. if serving 5 counties, 20% of the funding would come from each county)? If yes, what happens if one of those counties loses county commissioner funding? Does the accountant position then become 80% time or is the additional 20% taken up by the remaining counties? If the accountant position is funded by the host county, how will the county commissioners feel about paying for 80% of the accountant’s time that is spent doing work outside the county and not for their constituency?

The goal is that no funds change hands, but rather duties that the accountant was performing in the office will now be transferred to participating offices, such as web site design, communications…

50. Under the new system, will program assistants continue to have split appointments?  If not, who will determine which program area they work within?

This will be determined by the county Extension director in consultation with the county staff and county advisory committee based upon needs within the county.

51. When will job descriptions for 4-H Educator and 4-H PA or Coordinator positions be available?

Most educator job descriptions will be revised by the area leader, regional director, assistant director and Extension HR. All program assistant/program coordinator job descriptions will be developed by the county Extension director in consultation with the county staff and county advisory committee, with approval from the regional director and Extension HR.

52. As I envision the proposed plan, not all counties within the EERA will have direct costs from their budgets. Some counties will have no expense if they do not have a shared services position housed within their county. How will this be equitable across the counties within an EERA?

The goal is that no funds change hands, but rather programming, services, etc. will be shared within the EERA on an equitable basis. The area leader has the responsibility to ensure this equity within the EERA.

53. Instead of exchanging non-monetary services, can the home county be reimbursed by the other counties within the EERA for the actual costs of these positions specific to each county?  (Ex: the information associate housed in County A would charge County B for X hours of his wage/benefits, mileage, etc. used to work on County B’s database)  This would reduce the proposed financial burden on the home county, and alternatively fairly charge the county for which the expenses are incurred.

See Staffing FAQ #52.

54. Wouldn’t this plan as proposed deter staff from the shared services positions, knowing that their home county would face more expense for their already diminishing county budget?

See Staffing FAQ #52.

55. Why would the home county want to encourage staff to take these positions knowing that they will face more expense in their already diminishing county budgets with this plan as proposed?

See Staffing FAQ #52.

56. Wouldn’t this plan as proposed cause tension between the staff in these positions and their home counties due to the added expense to their already diminishing county budgets…especially if it causes other staff to be RIF’ed?

No one will be RIF’ed due to services being shared unless funding decreases within the county in which the individual is housed. The shared services should not trigger a RIF.

Reassigning Employees

Programs

Funding

Office Closures

My Role

Contact Information

Send your questions to Cheryl Buck (buck.19@cfaes.osu.edu)