Our Voices (Spring/Summer 2021)

WELCOME MESSAGE

Hello HR,

It has been approximately 18 months since our world was impacted by COVID-19. This year is going by too fast as we’re now over halfway into 2021. As a department, we have all stepped up and risen to the challenges presented by both the improving work of our County and the dynamics of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 Delta Variant has presented us with new and ongoing challenges. As you know, we have required all HR employees to wear a mask, while in the office, whether vaccinated or not. Of course, if you work alone in an office or a self-contained space that protects both you and others from exposure you may take off the mask. If you are in a shared space or in a space that doesn’t qualify

as a self-contained workspace, you must wear a mask.

COVID-19 has presented an understanding of how telecommuting will become a component of how we will configure work in our future. While telecommuting was initiated for the safety of our County team, it provided an opportunity to learn how it can be structured post COVID-19. Presently, there are many kinks in the telecommuting structure as we didn’t have time to vet the workflows and impacts of telecommuting. However, with creative and thoughtful solutions we will be able to arrive at a telecommuting structure that permits greater access to telecommuting, in some form or fashion, for our HR Team into the future.

I want to thank each of you for your contributions to the achievements of our department in the past two years. The Accomplishments Brochure will be shared with the County departments and our Board. The HR Annual Report is nearly completed. It is exciting to share the valuable work of our HR Team and how well we support the business of the County. Our achievements have been many, and I am so proud of our HR Team. Please, take a moment to feel pride in yourself and our HR Team as it is well deserved.

I hope you and your families have been safe during this time. Please continue to wear a facial covering, social distance, and wash your hands.

My best,

Brenda

MEET OUR NEW CEO

This quarter, we welcomed our new County of Riverside CEO Jeff Van Wageaen. Jeff’s path to this position has been an interesting one, which spans public, private, and nonprofit sectors. He has worked for himself, elected and appointed leaders, and departments.

Jeff sees that there is a common theme: “it is the mission that moves us..”

My goal is to make sure that each of us can share the why of the County.  It is my hope that we become not only proud members of our department teams but also proud members of the County team.  Over the coming days, weeks, and months, it is my desire to make clear the why that unites us and defines our common purpose. In the meantime, I wanted to let you know that what motivates me is what motivates you:  a desire to deliver for the folks we serve – to do good for others and society, to make a lasting difference, and the belief that a good idea can make meaningful change.

You can keep up with Jeff via LINKED-IN and TWITTER.

COVID-19 UPDATES

SENATE BILL SB-95

Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB 95), which creates new Labor Code section 248.2 and mandates that public and private employers with 25 or more employees provide up to 80 hours of Supplemental Paid Sick Leave for COVID-related absences in addition to paid time off benefits employees receive by law or policy. The law went into effect on March 29, 2021, applies retroactively to January 1, 2021, and is effective through September 30, 2021

VACCINE

NEW PROTOCOLS

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) updated their guidance on the proper protocol for quarantine once a vaccination has been received. Therefore, the Public Health Department has updated the protocols in place to be followed if an employee, that has received the vaccination, has been exposed to a confirmed COVID-19 case.

Employees can find vaccination locations, view vaccine data, COVID illness data, and all other COVID-related updates at https:// www.rivcoph.org/COVID-19Vaccine

STAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LATEST COVID-19 GUIDANCE FOR COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE EMPLOYEES

BY VISITING:

• https://www.rc-hr.com/coronavirus

• https://www.rc-hr.com/HR-Services/EmployeeSupport/Telecommuting-Toolkit

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

Celebrating Women’s History Month in HR

In April, we celebrated Womens History Month, and we just want to take the time to celebrate and recognize all the women that make an impact on our lives. Watch the video on the next page, for a few words from some of our leaders here in Human Resources.

• BRENDA DIEDERICHS

• SARAH FRANCO

• MYLENE DANIELS

• BRANDE HUNE

DIVISION HIGHLIGHT

DISABILITY ACCESS OFFICE (DAO)

This month, we interviewed with Joel Sharp from the Disability Access Office.

WHAT DO YOU MOST ENJOY ABOUT YOUR TEAM?

What I appreciate about my team the most is the culture of trust that has been established throughout the team. I feel trust drives everything and is the single most important element to a team’s success. I trust them, they trust me (I hope), and we trust each other. It is this environment that opens us up, gets us talking and collaborating, and allows us to “push the envelope” and express our opinions without fear of judgment or reprisal. All of this leads to an environment that is not fearful of change, and more importantly, brings us together as a team. My team knows that I am here to serve them, trust that they are doing their best to get the job done, do not focus on things that do not impact the larger mission, and they know that they are my most important customer. In return for that, I have a team that is extremely loyal, wants to perform and do their best work and is connected and cohesive. I truly feel my team is an extension of my family, and love coming to work every day because of them!

TELL US A BIT ABOUT THE WORK YOUR TEAM DOES AND HOW IT IMPACTS THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.

My team is responsible for ensuring Countywide compliance with the various disability and family medical leave laws (i.e., ADA/FEHA, FMLA/CFRA/PDL, etc.). What I love about what we do and where we’ve come as an office in the past 4-5 years is that we have truly evolved into a team that utilizes its subject matter expertise in these areas to fully serve both the department’s needs operationally and the County’s need to mitigate risk. For example, several years ago the average length of the Interactive Process could be a year or more, and in some cases several years with employees unable to work in their jobs during that time. In recent years, as my team has become more educated on litigation outcomes, successes and failures, we’ve been able to utilize that knowledge to streamline practices and become more solution-based in our approach to the Interactive Process (IP), particularly the leave management aspect of the IP. This has resulted in a decrease in the amount of time a department is without an employee working in that job and/ or performing the functions of that job. Our knowledge of the law and what is going on in the courts has enabled us to become more confident and proficient at balancing legal requirements with the operational needs of the County. It is this recent evolution of the DAO that we take the most pride in as a team.

WHAT CHANGES DID YOUR TEAM GO THROUGH AS A RESULT OF COVID?

COVID-19 forced my team to quickly adapt to a different way of doing things and into an area of disability and family medical leave compliance that was unprecedented. For instance, we had to determine within several days to a week whether our jobs could be done remotely and work very quickly to adjust processes to accommodate a remote work environment for most of my team. It was this ability to quickly adapt and “roll with the changes” while not missing a beat with maintaining their work that I am most proud of with my team during the past year. We also had to quickly educate ourselves on the COVID-related leave laws and how COVID-related illnesses and high-risk individuals were going to work in the context of ADA and FMLA. This threw us into the uncomfortable position of not always having the answer to everyone’s questions; however, the culture of trust and communication already present on the team helped ease this burden quite a bit. Through many conversations and meetings with feelings of frustration, fear, sadness…..and even laughter at times, we persevered and manaaged to turn the corner, and I am optimistic that COVID-19 has made us stronger and more resilient than ever so that we are even more prepared for the next big challenge.

IF YOU COULD DESCRIBE YOUR TEAM IN ONE SONG, WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

Times Are A Changing – Bob Dylan: I think this song best captures the essence of my team, particularly with this past year. In essence, the song is about change and either we adapt to it or get stuck in the old ways. My team, and the DAO for that matter, have gone through much change in my short career with the County, so our ability to be able to adjust in the past, present and future is critical to our continued growth and success.

FEELING INSPIRED? LISTEN TO TUNES! Click here to listen to ‘Times Are A Changing by Bob Dylan via YouTube.

WELLNESS WITH RYAN WANN

Sometimes, leaving our desk or workstation to dedicate time to movement is simply not an option. Moving within the confines our workspace, however, is very possible. The goal here is to do what can be done.

Tall Seated

This is a reference position, one that most of our stretches will stem from. It is most likely not possible to always maintain this position, but this is a good starting point for our seated stretches. Focus here should be placed on sitting “tall,” reaching the top of our head for the ceiling, placing the feet flat on the floor, and not relying on the back rest. As you reach for the ceiling with your head, contract your abdominals to bring your ribcage down toward your hip bones.

Ankle-On-Knee

From the Tall Seated position, place the ankle of the right leg on top of the knee or lower thigh of the left leg. If need be, straighten the left leg in order to lower it enough to place the right ankle in the proper position. You should feel this stretch in the right hip Switch sides and repeat.

The Leg Cross

From the Tall Seated position, cross your right leg over your left so that your right calf hangs over your left knee or lower thigh. Now sit tall and pull your right knee toward your chest. Your right knee should not have to move very far before you feel a stretch in the right gluteal area (rear end). Switch sides and repeat.

Sit and Reach

From the tall seated position, raise your right hand and reach for the ceiling. Reach with your shoulder as well, shrugging the shoulder up toward your right ear. Don’t forget to reach for the ceiling with your head as well as you also contract your abdominals to bring your ribcage down toward your hip bones. Now lift your eyes to look at your hand. Switch sides and repeat.

Half Kneeling

If you attempt this stretch, a small bath towel may go a long way in padding your knee. While at your desk, place your left knee on the floor. Place your right leg directly forward and place your right foot flat on the ground. Your legs should be aligned and parallel to one another as if on train tracks. Clinch your leg glute (rear end muscle of the down leg) and drive your hips forward while staying tall and keeping your shoulders on top of your hips.

Tall Kneeling

The same set up as Half Kneeling is utilized, except now both knees are on the ground next to each other. Clinch your glute muscles and keep a tall posture with your back and neck.

If you have any questions you can reach out to Ryan Wann via email rwann@rivco.org

Each stretch may be done statically for time (~30 seconds +) or for repetitions (5-10 on each side.

SPRING & SUMMER HIGHLIGHTS

WELLNESS RESOURCES

January saw the implementation of wellness resources and also wrapped an 8-week series called Mindful Minute, offered at no cost by Kaiser Permanente, hosted by Kevin Pham.

TELECOMMUTING WEBSITE GOES LIVEJANUARY 2021

Wouldn’t it be great to learn how to telecommute? Well, with the new County website, you can do just that. Learn more about telecommuting, discover resources and more. Click on the link below for more information.

https://rc-hr.com/HR-Services/Employee-Support/ Telecommuting-Toolkit

AB-2992 VICTIMS OF CRIME LEAVE

Employees who suffer physical or mental injury due to a crime will be entitled to protections from their employers under legislation signed in January by Governor Newsom.

#CREATEYOURPATH WE ARE HR - FEBRUARY 2021

Here at Human Resources we have an amazing group of people working with us. They all have their own families, hobbies and passions, but one thing we all share is our commitment to serving our community. Featuring Len Wittrock, Victoria Santos and Brenda Diederichs, this short film was shot by Ulices Del Toro.

LIEBERT CASSIDY WHITMORE WEBINARS - FEBRUARY 2021

Liebert Cassidy Whitmore, presented “Public Sector Employment Law Updates” webinar for Riverside County Managers/Supervisors and “The Art of Writing the Performance Evaluation” webinar for Riverside County Managers/Supervisors.

KESQ FILMING – MARCH 2021

ALEX CASSADAS AND LAKESHA KIMBOROUGH

Riverside County is not just on the map, but in the news! KESQ spotlights Riverside County Human Resouces as we search to bring on talent. Watch Senior HR Analyst Alez Cassadas and HR Business Partner Lakesha Kimborough’s news segment.

HUMAN RESOURCES WELCOMES OUR NEWEST HIRES

Ahjah Davis-Gasaway

HUMAN RESOURCES TECHNICIAN II

Alex Cassadas

SR HUMAN RESOURCES ANALYST

Alyssa Padilla

HUMAN RESOURCES TECHNICIAN II

Andrew Tsang

HUMAN RESOURCES ANALYST II

Artemese Evans

LOSS CONTROL SPECIALIST

Ashley Thomas

OFFICE ASSISTANT III - CN

Brittany Abundis

HUMAN RESOURCES TECHNICIAN I

Cecilia Holowko

HR BUSINESS SYSTEMS MANAGER

Gabriela Perez

HUMAN RESOURCES SAFETY COORDINATOR

Gregoria Martinez-Ramirez

HUMAN RESOURCES TECHNICIAN II

Jackie Beedles

SUPERVISING ACCOUNTANT - CE

Jacqlyne Espinola

OFFICE ASSISTANT III - CN

Jasmen Torres-Barrera

HUMAN RESOURCES CLERK - CN

Jessica Godina

CLAIMS ADJUSTER II

John Farrar

PROCUREMENT CONTRACT SPECIALIST

Malaysia Sanders

MEDIA PRODUCTION SPECIALIST-CN

Marcus Ulibarri

OFFICE ASSISTANT II - CN

Markus Perez

SAFETY COORDINATOR

Michael Fredendall

HUMAN RESOURCES ANALYST III

Moushumi Hoque

SENIOR HR SAFETY COORDINATOR

Myra Sumpter

HUMAN RESOURCES TECHNICIAN I

Rebekah Mitchell

HUMAN RESOURCES TECHNICIAN II

Roberto Rivas

HUMAN RESOURCES CLERK - CN

Sonya Portillo

HUMAN RESOURCES TECHNICIAN II

Theron Henderson

SAFETY COORDINATOR

Tracy Felton

HUMAN RESOURCES TECHNICIAN II

Ulices Del Toro

RECRUITMENT COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

Ulysses Gerardo

HUMAN RESOURCES TECHNICIAN II

Vanessa Diaz Beaird

HUMAN RESOURCES TECHNICIAN II

Yvonne Riggs

OFFICE ASSISTANT II - CN

Zoraida Villa

OFFICE ASSISTANT III - CN

MANAGEMENT RESOLUTION

On April 27, 2021, the Board of Supervisors approved revisions to the Management Resolution (Resolution No. 2021-095).

Effective May 20, 2021, 8.35% will be removed from the minimum of all classification salary ranges. Employees who are below their classification’s new minimum salary rate at the time of implementation will receive an increase to place the employee at the new minimum rate and the employee’s anniversary date will be reset to the effective date of the increase.

Effective July 1, 2021, 2% will be added to the maximum of all classification salary ranges. Employees who have been at the maximum of their classification’s salary range for one year or longer at the time of implementation will receive the immediate 2% increase, in which case the employee’s anniversary date will be reset to the beginning of the pay period in which the increase to the maximum salary of the range is implemented.

For PRP eligible classifications, the 2.5% is added to the maximum of the PRP discretionary range. Employees who have been at the maximum of the PRP discretionary range for one year or longer at the time of implementation are eligible for the immediate 2.5% increase.

Medical Subsides for two-party and family coverage:

Effective May 20, 2021:

Employees with two-party coverage: Monthly medical subsidy of $50.00 (up from $25.00)

Employees with family coverage: Monthly medical subsidy of $200.00 (up from $100.00)

Effective Plan Year 2023

Employees with two-party coverage: Monthly medical subsidy of $75.00 (up from $50.00)

Employees with family coverage: Monthly medical subsidy of $300.00 (up from $200.00)

Non-substantive changes to memorialize existing practice and other clean up items:

1. Continue the County’s existing pay practice of an ongoing 5.5% salary benchmark between the Deputy County Counsel – CE classification series and the represented Deputy County Counsel classification series. As such, the Deputy County Counsel – CE classification series is ineligible for the salary range adjustments outlined above.

2. Memorialize current practice of Board of Supervisors Chief of Staff receiving 12 hours of Annual Leave per pay period.

3. Memorialize the County’s discretion to set the salary of an At-Will employee anywhere within the salary grade.

4. Memorialize Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) pay for the Sheriff Communications Manager classification.

For more information, please visit the Labor Relations website, or contact Francine Gasparini at Employee-Relations@rivco.org or (951) 955-8849.

Employee Assistance Program Service Summary

PRISM - Public Risk Innovation, Solutions and Management

Available 24/7, 365 days a year

Everything you share is confidential.*

When you need help meeting life’s challenges, the Anthem Blue Cross Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is here for you and your household members. Check out some of the services we offer — at no cost to you:

Counseling

 Up to 6 visits per issue

 Face-to-face counseling or online visits via LiveHealth Online

 Can call EAP or use the online Member Center to initiate services

Legal consultation

} 30-minute phone or in-person meeting

} Discounted fees to retain a lawyer

} Online resources, including free legal forms, seminars and a library of articles

Financial consultation

} Phone meeting with financial professionals

} Consultation available during regular business hours — no time limits or appointments needed

} Online resources, including articles, calculators and budgeting tools

ID recovery

} Identity theft risk level checked by specialists

} Help with reporting to consumer credit agencies

} Assistance filling out paperwork and negotiating with creditors

myStrength

} Online “health club for your mind”

} E-learning modules and mood trackers

} Library of videos, articles and inspirational quotes

} Supports development of personal action plans

Dependent care and daily living resources

} Information available on child care, adoption, summer camps, college placement, elder care and assisted living through the EAP website

} Phone consultation with a work-life specialist

} For help with everyday needs, like pet sitting, relocation resources and more

Other anthemEAP.com resources

} Well-being articles, podcasts and monthly webinars

} Self-assessment tools for depression, anxiety, relationships, alcohol use, eating habits and more

Crisis consultation

} Toll-free number for emergencies

} Round-the-clock help available

Choose Your County of Riverside Benefit Options

ANNUAL BENEFITS ENROLLMENT FOR ALL ACTIVE REGULAR EMPLOYEES

RIVERSIDE COUNTY ANNUAL ENROLLMENT:

September 20–October 15, 2021

Includes: medical, dental, vision, Flexible Spending Accounts (Health Care and Dependent Care) and additional life insurance.

YOUR OPPORTUNITY HAS ARRIVED!

Annual Enrollment for County employees begins September 20. Take advantage of this once-a-year opportunity to confirm your benefits coverage continues to meet your needs. The deadline to enroll or make changes is midnight on October 15.

Use this guide to get started. It includes information about the County’s plans, rates for the new year and how to enroll online. For further details, visit https://rc-hr.com/OE22

We will hold virtual Annual Enrollment information sessions this year. Please visit https://rc-hr.com/OE22 to obtain the meeting schedule, view health plan summaries and access additional tools and resources to make your 2022 plan year elections.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• The three CalPERS PPO plans—PERS Care, PERS Choice and PERS Select—will transition to two plans— PERS Platinum and PERS Gold.

• CalPERS will offer a new medical plan to employees in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties: UnitedHealthcare Harmony HMO.

• Delta Dental PPO basic services will be covered at 90% instead of 80%.

• The Delta Dental PPO lifetime maximum benefit for orthodontics has increased.

• The Local Advantage and Delta Dental PPO plans have increased calendar year maximum benefits.

Alternative formats available upon request. Contact the Benefits Information Line at (951) 955-4981, option 1 as soon as possible.

Trending Videos

ENTERTAINMENT

Needing something new? Check out this list of entertainment across three categories: movies, shows and music. You might find a new favorite!

Top Three Movies

There are other movie lists. Lots and lots of others. So many lists, you couldn’t list them all. Here are the best 3 available now, according to Hollywood.

• JUNGLE CRUISE

• F9: THE FAST SAGA

• SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY

Top Three Binge-Worthy Shows

When it comes to great TV, portion control is for well, no one. Here are the best shows to devour at once.

• SHADOW AND BONE

• LUPIN

• THE CROWN

Top Listening Hits

The tracks that define the Spring & Summer of 2021.

• WILD BLUE - JOHN MAYER

• LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN - SILK SONIC

• GOOD 4 U - OLIVIA RODRIGO