Kern Calls Two New Employee Holidays ‘No Cash Value’—While Estimating a $1.77 Million Fiscal Impact

A one-day benefit with a seven-figure estimate

Kern County’s October 27 agenda asks supervisors to add one personal holiday in calendar 2027 for two probation bargaining groups. Staff estimates a $1.70 million impact for the Probation Officers Association and $71,500 for the Probation Managers Association—a combined $1,771,500.

What’s the Scoop With Broach reconciled the two amendments rather than treating them as unrelated personnel items. The officer-group estimate represents 96.0% of the combined amount and is 23.8 times the managers’ estimate.

‘No cash value’ does not mean no fiscal effect

Both amendments say the holiday has no cash value and must be scheduled without interfering with operations. That means employees cannot cash out the day; it does not erase the county’s estimate of paid time, coverage or scheduling cost.

The agreements were ratified October 20 and 22 and would take effect October 31 if approved. They modify agreements running through June 30, 2027 and apply the holiday only in 2027.

The packet does not show its work

Neither posted amendment states the number of covered employees, assumed workday value, benefit load, overtime or backfill assumption. Without those inputs, readers cannot reproduce the $1.77 million estimate or tell how much is payroll accounting versus anticipated operational spending.

That is a disclosure finding, not an allegation that the estimate is wrong or the benefit is improper. The original contribution is the combined total, group split and comparison between the no-cash-value language and the fiscal-impact lines.

What the vote would and would not establish

Approval would authorize the negotiated benefit; it would not prove that every covered employee used the day or that the county ultimately spent the full estimate. A later accounting would need actual usage, backfill and overtime records.