Should I pay extra to an employee for filling in for a vacant position?

[jennie0209]

California.

My Operations / HR person filled in 4 months (August / December) for the Bookings/Volunteer Coordinator vacant position.
During this time she trained a volunteer to help her out, and is at present training the new hire.

The agency gives out nominal bonuses to staff, and she has taken the opportunity to ask for compensation for the time she stepped in as Bookings / Volunteer Coordinator.
During all this time she has also been doing her job. The pay rate is also different ($22.50 for her usual position vs. $18) She is a salaried employee and any hour or overtime she has worked on both positions has been compensated.

I do not want to mix the bonus with this request, as it serves two different purposes.
Should I / must I compensate her for filling in for the vacant position and training staff?

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

You are under no legal requirement to pay any extra. But she stepped for you. Giving her an extra bonus would certainly buy you some good will and motivate her (and maybe other employees) to step up in the future.

 

[Zigner]

California.

My Operations / HR person filled in 4 months (August / December) for the Bookings/Volunteer Coordinator vacant position.
During this time she trained a volunteer to help her out, and is at present training the new hire.

The agency gives out nominal bonuses to staff, and she has taken the opportunity to ask for compensation for the time she stepped in as Bookings / Volunteer Coordinator.
During all this time she has also been doing her job. The pay rate is also different ($22.50 for her usual position vs. $18) She is a salaried employee and any hour or overtime she has worked on both positions has been compensated.

I do not want to mix the bonus with this request, as it serves two different purposes.
Should I / must I compensate her for filling in for the vacant position and training staff?

Absent a binding contract of some sort, there is no requirement that you compensate the employee for "filling in" for someone else.
You may do so if you wish.

 

[LdiJ]

California.

My Operations / HR person filled in 4 months (August / December) for the Bookings/Volunteer Coordinator vacant position.
During this time she trained a volunteer to help her out, and is at present training the new hire.

The agency gives out nominal bonuses to staff, and she has taken the opportunity to ask for compensation for the time she stepped in as Bookings / Volunteer Coordinator.
During all this time she has also been doing her job. The pay rate is also different ($22.50 for her usual position vs. $18) She is a salaried employee and any hour or overtime she has worked on both positions has been compensated.

I do not want to mix the bonus with this request, as it serves two different purposes.
Should I / must I compensate her for filling in for the vacant position and training staff?

I want to make sure I understand. Did you say that you paid her overtime even though she was salaried? If so, then in my opinion she has been compensated for any extra time she had to put in. I do not know what your bonuses are all about, but if you wanted to reward her for being a team player and working extra hard, then a bonus is certainly an appropriate way to do so.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

Good catch LdiJ. I must have stopped reading once I saw salaried.

I still think she stepped up but any bonus should take into account that she was already paid OT.

 

[Zigner]

One can be paid as salary non-exempt, which would require that overtime be paid.

 

[FlyingRon]

 

[adjusterjack]

Should I / must I compensate her for filling in for the vacant position and training staff?

Must you? No.

Should you? Yes.

Think about the next time you need her to step in and help you out of a jam. Which way do you want her to remember you?

 

[LdiJ]

Must you? No.

Should you? Yes.

Think about the next time you need her to step in and help you out of a jam. Which way do you want her to remember you?

I really do agree. But my opinion is a business/personal opinion not a legal opinion. I work my backside off for my company, particularly during the tax season. I also get paid overtime during the tax season to cover all of the extra hours that I work. My boss rewards me for this by giving me an incredibly generous bonus every year. That bonus is a big part of what motivates me to work as hard as I do.

It sounds like this employee really stepped up for you and if you seriously reward her for that, she will step up every single time you need her. Its not just about what you are legally required to do, but what a good business person would do to retain good employees.