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Herkimer, N.Y. —
Facing a steadily declining in-home services’ client list, county Public Health Department officials recently decided to layoff almost a quarter of the program’s home health aides.
Four of 18 full-time home health aides learned Monday that they had lost their jobs.
County Administrator James Wallace said a steady drop in home health aide clients in the last several years resulted in the layoffs.
“We had too many hours and not enough to fill,” he said, referring to more health aide shifts than service hours on the schedule.
Public Health Department and county officials will be reviewing program figures in the coming days, Wallace said. The review is required to determine if the right number of positions were eliminated, he said, and the number could decrease or increase.
Steven Billings, county Personnel Department officer, said all four employees notified Monday began working in 2000, and they had the least seniority of the 18 home health aides. Base salary for the position is $21,473, and it receives medical and other benefits afforded to full-time county employees, he said. Home health aides that complete 10 years of service have a salary of $24,407 plus benefits.
The layoffs reduce to 14 the total number of home health aides, which provide a variety of in-home services for the department.
The decision to make layoffs is part of the department head’s budgetary responsibilities and does not require approval from county legislators, according to Wallace, who was unable to provide exact client figures.
Dr. Gregory O’Keefe, Public Health director, did not return several calls requesting comment.
Patrick Russell, county Ways and Means committee chairman, said county legislators have been involved in the analysis of “the amount of business” in Public Health. As for the decision to make layoffs, committees do not “approve or disapprove,” he said.
“We don’t control what the department heads do,” Russell said. “Unless we put some [hiring] freeze on,” he added.
See the whole story in Tuesday's edition of The Evening Telegram
Facing a steadily declining in-home services’ client list, county Public Health Department officials recently decided to layoff almost a quarter of the program’s home health aides.
Four of 18 full-time home health aides learned Monday that they had lost their jobs.
County Administrator James Wallace said a steady drop in home health aide clients in the last several years resulted in the layoffs.
“We had too many hours and not enough to fill,” he said, referring to more health aide shifts than service hours on the schedule.
Public Health Department and county officials will be reviewing program figures in the coming days, Wallace said. The review is required to determine if the right number of positions were eliminated, he said, and the number could decrease or increase.
Steven Billings, county Personnel Department officer, said all four employees notified Monday began working in 2000, and they had the least seniority of the 18 home health aides. Base salary for the position is $21,473, and it receives medical and other benefits afforded to full-time county employees, he said. Home health aides that complete 10 years of service have a salary of $24,407 plus benefits.
The layoffs reduce to 14 the total number of home health aides, which provide a variety of in-home services for the department.
The decision to make layoffs is part of the department head’s budgetary responsibilities and does not require approval from county legislators, according to Wallace, who was unable to provide exact client figures.
Dr. Gregory O’Keefe, Public Health director, did not return several calls requesting comment.
Patrick Russell, county Ways and Means committee chairman, said county legislators have been involved in the analysis of “the amount of business” in Public Health. As for the decision to make layoffs, committees do not “approve or disapprove,” he said.
“We don’t control what the department heads do,” Russell said. “Unless we put some [hiring] freeze on,” he added.
See the whole story in Tuesday's edition of The Evening Telegram
