NORTH HAMPTON — A total of $58,000 in employee retention bonuses were paid this fiscal year, with more expected in the new firefighters' union contract, all to stabilize the town’s workforce.
The payments were made to North Hampton police officers, DPW workers and non-union employees at a time when communities across the state are struggling with keeping and hiring staff. This is due to significant competition for public service employees, retirements due to an aging workforce, and an extremely tight labor market in the Granite State.
For North Hampton in particular, this year the town endured a sizable exodus of personnel from its police department, as well as losing its former deputy fire chief to retirement. Additionally, just last month, the fire department saw two firefighter/EMT staffers leave to pursue careers outside fire service, according to the North Hampton Professional Fire Fighters Union.
After seven police officers left North Hampton’s Police Department in a matter of about six months, the Select Board publicly announced on June 12 that the town had reopened the police/DPW union contract to make the town’s pay scale more competitive and reward loyal employees. The result was a salary increase of $10,000 a year and a $4,000 retention bonus for all remaining police officers. Department of Public Works employees received the $4,000 retention bonus as well.
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