Pay freezes, budget cuts leave room for bonus payments

If you believe you’ve done a good job at work but would like a nice bonus, you might get in touch with Gov. Bobby Jindal or Commissioner of Administration Paul Rainwater.

Never mind that times are tough, that unemployment is up, or that state classified personnel have not received a merit increase going on three years now.

Heck, even if you think you deserve a bonus just for showing up at work, you might place a quick call to Baton Rouge.

For that matter, if you’re taking college courses or taking on additional duties at work, you may already be a winner.

While the Jindal administration has been trying to cut the number of employees on the state payroll and continues to put the squeeze on employees by denying pay increases, several employees received around $250,000 in bonuses in the past year, according to records provided by the Louisiana Office of Civil Service.

The state Department of Children and Family Services paid several classified employees $132,184 in rewards and recognition bonuses. Many of those received multiple bonuses for taking on emergency preparedness duties.

Regional administrator Catherine Michiels received more than $11,000 in five separate payments over and above her $90,000 salary for agreeing to be a lead area manager on emergency preparedness, according to a spokesman for the agency.

The Division of Administration (DOA) paid out nearly $90,000 in payments to employees on top of their regular salaries to help upgrade the state’s computer systems.

In a departure from what has become a familiar routine at DOA, division spokesman Michael DiReso said the administration decided to pay employees extra to take on the project in favor of hiring outside help. The Jindal administration has demonstrated a propensity to hiring contract workers but decided against that in Rainwater’s agency.

Ray Stockstill, an unclassified employee, received $9,000 over three pay periods in December of 2010. Rainwater said he made the decision to pay Stockstill in addition to his $180,000 salary because Stockstill was needed during the recent fiscal crisis and difficult budget process.

“The reality is Ray is 67 years old,” Rainwater said. “There was a possibility of him considering retirement.”

At any given time in state government, there are hundreds of employees who are “considering retirement,” but because Stockstill works for Rainwater, he apparently warranted special consideration over others “considering retirement.”

Rainwater said Stockstill was instrumental in helping win passage of a state operating budget that spared health care and education from drastic cuts. “Ray’s a very strong leader,” Rainwater said. “He’s a good negotiator.”

He said he offered Stockstill the lump-sum payment as an incentive to persuade him to remain with the administration for another. He now plans to retire in November, unless another surplus is in the offing.

Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola Warden Burl Cain received $14,872 and Dixon Correctional Institute Warden Steve Rader received more than $11,000 for “regional warden duties.”

Department of Corrections Pam Laborde said the wardens did not receive lump sum bonuses but that they were added to their pay every two weeks.

Well, that certainly softens the blow to employees who have gone without raises while the costs of fuel, food, utilities and college tuition, among other commodities, has continued to rise.

Laborde said the regional warden concept dates back four years. Cain and Rader help oversee other parts of the prison system, she said.

State Rep. Jim Fannin (D-Jonesboro), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said he would not have made the payments while at the same time talking about budget cuts.

“I certainly would have handled it a different way,” he said.