Logo courtesy of Sutter County

YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) - Sutter County firefighters working extra shifts to cover vacancies and extended absences have been unable to use enough vacation time to keep earning the benefit, prompting supervisors to temporarily lift accumulation limits.

The Board of Supervisors approved the change at their Sept. 29 meeting after Human Resources Director Veronica Baumgardner said nearly half of fire personnel had reached their maximum balances or were within about 40 hours of doing so.

Employees normally stop earning additional vacation once they reach the cap, officials said. The suspension would allow firefighters and battalion chiefs to continue accumulating leave while staffing shortages restrict their ability to take time off.

“We don’t want them losing their vacation time because they’re providing a service to the county,” Supervisor Jeff Stephens said.

Baumgardner said firefighters brought the problem to her attention after taking on additional shifts and postponing time away from work to maintain fire and emergency services.

The department’s staffing challenges include vacant positions, protected leaves and workers’ compensation-related absences, she said.

Firefighters represented by the Sutter County Professional Firefighters’ Association ordinarily can accumulate up to 480 hours of vacation. Battalion chiefs have a separate limit of 320 hours.

The county took similar action for certain essential employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, Baumgardner said.

Although lifting the limits does not require an immediate cash expenditure, larger leave balances could increase the county’s financial obligations. Board Chair Mike Ziegenmeyer requested an update in three months, shortening the six-month review initially proposed.

Ziegenmeyer said he supported protecting the benefit but wanted supervisors to understand the potential expense before allowing the suspension to continue for an extended period.

Supervisor Jeffrey Boone also questioned how much overtime resulted when vacations and sick leave left shifts short of personnel.

Baumgardner said overtime totals would be available, but she did not know whether the county tracked the specific reasons employees worked those hours. She offered to discuss that information with the fire chief.

County Administrator Steven Smith said preliminary figures suggested fire overtime spending during the previous fiscal year exceeded $400,000 against a budget of slightly more than $200,000. He said he would verify those amounts once year-end financial information was complete.

iring efforts could help relieve the pressure, although Baumgardner cautioned that new employees would need clearance and training before taking on full shifts.

Two extra-help employees had already begun working in stations, and a third was awaiting final clearance, she said. The two who started were volunteers who had already completed the required background process.

Interviews were also underway for additional firefighter positions, including limited-term employees.

Baumgardner said the added personnel should significantly improve existing employees’ ability to take time off, although some firefighters remained on extended leave.

When the county is ready to restore the accumulation limits, employees would be given time to reduce their balances, she said. The follow-up review will help determine whether staffing has improved enough to reinstate the caps or whether the suspension should continue.