The government employees’ wage increases went into effect on June 10, the first day of the pay period, but the money will appear in checks on Thursday.
In order for teachers to receive the full 5% increase from the state, their local school departments must offset this over the two-year period that began a year ago.
The state employed 106,715 full-time employees and 18,634 part-time employees last year, including the university faculty, around 7,900 fewer than in the previous year. Virginia officials and lawmakers continue to seek ways to attract and retain government employees in the face of retirement, competition in the private sector, and a generational change in employee recruitment.
“We have an aging workforce,” said Bishop of the State Employees’ Association. “So we have to do something to make government employment more attractive to millennials [born between 1981 and 1996]. “
“Ultimately, it comes down to pay and flexible working hours,” he said.
Almost four years ago, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission issued a report confirming the trends. It recommended that the state identify and fund jobs that most needed better pay to compete for talent, and also suggested that the governor put employee compensation at the forefront of the budget process, not the end.
One area that officials say desperately needs attention is staffing levels in overcrowded state psychiatric hospitals. Virginia’s only children’s mental health clinic – the Commonwealth Center for Children and Adolescents in Staunton – is operating at half its 48-bed capacity because it doesn’t have enough staff to safely treat more patients. More than a third of the direct care positions – auxiliaries and nurses – are vacant.
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