Request to Change Human Resources Employment Specialist position status from Part-Time to Full-TimeCity of Dubuque
City Council
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Copyrighted
October 6, 2025
ITEM TITLE: Request to Change Human Resources Employment
Specialist position status from Part -Time to Full -Time
SUMMARY: City Manager recommending City Council approval to change
the Human Resources Employment Specialist position from
part-time (0.75 FTE), non-exempt status to full-time (1.0
FTE), exempt status.
SUGGUESTED Receive and File; Approve
DISPOSITION:
ATTACHMENTS:
1. MVM Memo
2. Revised Stickfort memo to MVM re HRES position status change from PT (0.75) to
full-time (1.0) 8-2025 (3)
Page 141 of 1264
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TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Request to change Human Resources Employment Specialist position to
full-time (1.0 FTE)
DATE: September 29, 2025
Chief Human Resources Office Shelley Stickfort is recommending City Council approval
to change the Human Resources Employment Specialist position from part-time (0.75
FTE), non-exempt status to full-time (1.0 FTE), exempt status.
The Human Resources Department utilizes temporary staffing agencies and other City
Department's staff to help support these efforts during peak temporary employee hiring
and offboarding times of the year. This status change, if approved, would eliminate this
need in the future. The additional responsibilities/tasks of annual driving record
checking, monitor, and follow up, employee restriction notices, clearinghouse work
under new DOT regulations, and the related communication and process management
cannot be completed within a .75 FTE workweek. The additional .25 FTE to make this a
full-time position is much more conducive to carrying out the cited responsibilities of this
role. The position's DOL/Wage and Hour status would also change from non-exempt
(eligible for overtime) to exempt (salaried/not eligible for overtime).
The total annual recurring wage and benefit increase for this status change to a fulltime
position is $33,041. If approved on October 6, 2025, this position would be full-time
effective October 13t". The actual cost in FY26 is estimated to be $22,874. In FY26, a
twelve-month temporary scanning clerk position is included in the first budget
amendment for $25,350. The HRIS implementation that will begin in January 2026 will
require 25% of this budgeted amount, or $6,337, to scan documents into HRIS. Savings
of $19,013 from the scanning clerk position is available to fund the change of this
position to full time. The remaining $3,861 of cost would be funded by Fiscal Year 2025
general fund savings.
In FY26, a twelve-month temporary scanning clerk position is included in the first budget
amendment for $25,350. The HRIS implementation that will begin in January 2026 will
require 25% of this budgeted amount, or $6,337, to scan documents into HRIS. Savings
of $19,013 from the scanning clerk position is available to fund the change of this
position to full time. The remaining $3,861 of cost would be funded by Fiscal Year 2025
general fund savings.
Page 142 of 1264
If approved, future budget years will be factored into the budget process.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
Mic ael C. Van Milligen
J14 0 LTA WA
Attachment
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Shelley Stickfort, Chief Human Resources Officer
I
Page 143 of 1264
Dubuque
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TO: Mike Van Milligen, City Manager
FROM: Shelley M. Stickfort, Human Resources Director
DATE: October 1, 2025
RE: Request to change HIRES position to full-time (1.0 FTE)
BACKGROUND
This request is to change the status of an existing part-time (0.75 FTE) Human Resources
Employment Specialist (HRES) position (grade N1312) to a full-time (1.0 FTE) role. Human
Resources works collaboratively across all city departments. Our current HR Employment
Specialist reviews and processes on average four hundred (400) plus recommendations to hire
and employment offer letters annually, as well as being responsible for all pre -employment
contingencies for each candidate, including but not limited to, education verification, background
checks, employment restriction notices, medical and drug screens, pre -employment paperwork
completion, and payroll/personnel action forms processing. In addition, beginning July 1, 2025,
annual driving record checks and Clearing House inquiries, along with newly required DOT
tasks, are now performed and reviewed for all City of Dubuque departments (21) by the HR
Employment Specialist to continue to improve risk management practices. The HR Employment
Specialist also provides support to the Talent Acquisition Manager with recruitment efforts.
This position is an essential collaborative role in the Human Resources Department that is the
primary point of contact for many workflows, ensuring compliance, and is needed to create an
effective and efficient on -boarding process with the Talent Acquisition Manager.
As City staff numbers increase and hiring continues to evolve toward processes and procedures
that are consistently compliant with best practices, the need for this position to increase from a
part-time status (.75FTE) (6 hours per day) to full-time status (1.OFTE) (8 hours per day) has
become evident and essential for employee retention, improved efficiency, consistent presence,
increased demand and workload, addressing internal gaps, and assuring legal compliance and
risk management.
The current occupant has worked in Human Resources since April 2017 and has been integral
in creating process improvements and work efficiencies. She works with a high degree of
productivity, and in my opinion, if she were to leave and we were to hire a replacement, it is
quite frankly unlikely that new person would be able to carry out the role in a part-time
(0.75FTE) capacity even without the additional duties.
Page 144 of 1264
ANALYSIS/CONSIDERATIONS
Currently, the Human Resources Department utilizes temporary staffing agencies and other City
Department's staff to help support these efforts during peak temporary employee hiring and
offboarding times of the year. This status change, if approved, would eliminate this need in the
future. The additional responsibilities/tasks of annual driving record checking, monitor, and
follow up, employee restriction notices, clearinghouse work under new DOT regulations, and the
related communication and process management cannot be completed within a .75 FTE
workweek. The additional .25 FTE to make this a full-time position is much more conducive to
carrying out the cited responsibilities of this role. The position's DOL/Wage and Hour status
would also change from non-exempt (eligible for overtime) to exempt (salaried/not eligible for
overtime).
During the current occupant's recent FML, the temporary agency staff hired to perform the basic
tasks during the absence was asked to provide information about any identified efficiencies or
process improvement suggestions for the role. Please keep in mind the temporary staff did not
perform all of the role's tasks, merely those to keep the hiring process background checks
moving along. The temporary agency staff person has over 30 years of experience in Human
Resources and provided the following response: "My first thought in the last weeks filling in for
Amanda is how does she get everything done in 30 hrs... I don't know if full-time is available for
this position, but if it isn't, could maybe some of her duties be moved to someone else in the
department? I hope I am not overstepping; this is just my experience and thoughts."'
COST
Laura Bendorf, Budget Manager, has completed a cost analysis should you approve this
change. The total annual recurring wage and benefit increase for this status change to a full-
time position is $33,041, using FY26 wage plan and benefit numbers. If approved on October 6,
2025, this position would be full-time effective October 13th, which is the first day of the next full
pay period. The actual cost in FY26 is estimated to be $22,874, representing 18 pay periods.
In FY26, a twelve-month temporary scanning clerk position is included in the first budget
amendment for $25,350. The HRIS implementation that will begin in January 2026 will require
25% of this budgeted amount, or $6,337, to scan documents into HRIS. Savings of $19,013
from the scanning clerk position is available to fund the change of this position to full time. The
remaining $3,861 of cost would be funded by Fiscal Year 2025 general fund savings.
If approved, future budget years will be factored in to the budget process.
REQUEST
In consideration of the foregoing information, your approval is requested to change the Human
Resources Employment Specialist position from part-time (0.75 FTE), non-exempt status to full-
time (1.0 FTE), exempt status.
Thank you in advance for your consideration of this request.
" The entire email content from Kathy Hannan on July 29, 2025 subject: "Fresh Eyes review/suggestions
for process improvement" is attached for your reference.
2
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