City provides incentives to educated employees

August 04, 2009

The Belen City Council last night passed a comprehensive new policy that will offer incentives to employees who get certifications or education in areas related to their jobs.

“There’s value attached to certain certifications, especially if it’s mandated by the federal government, such as your water, your wastewater,” Councilor Terese Ulivarri said.

Ulivarri spearheaded the “long, grinding” three-year effort to clarify when and how the city will provide monetary benefits to employees.

According to the new policy, a city employee receives a raise for certifications, training and education they receive, both if it’s mandated or if the employee seeks it on his or her own initiative.

“There’s a certain amount of money that’s added to their salary if they get these certifications,” she said, noting that the higher the certification the more money the employee gets.

“It does stipulate on there that short classes, courses, workshops, conferences, or any type of training issuing certificates of attendance do not qualify,” said Mary Lucy Baca, the city’s human resource officer. “There are a lot of people who think, ‘We’re going to go to this little workshop and get an incentive.’ They don’t.”

Things like bachelor’s and master’s degrees will also be rewarded.

If an employee fails to maintain his or her level of certification, however, the money rewarded for that level is taken away.

“Now it’ll hold them to maintain that level or to continue to better themselves,” Councilor Wayne Gallegos said.

City officials said the policy was set to encourage a more professional and educated staff.

“Any education’s going to make a better employee, no matter how you look at it,” Ulivarri said.

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