MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — As employers everywhere deal with staffing shortages, the Martin County School District is trying to get creative to recruit and retain employees.
The district is offering a new bonus to some staff members who have perfect attendance.
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Cesar Rodriguez takes pride in his work, delivering much-needed supplies around the Martin County School District.
"It's always busy. It's always a new challenge, and we're providing a service to the community. So it's great," Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez's team is short an employee right now, driving up his responsibilities.
"A lot of our departments are working with a depleted staff force and it's hard. It's hard for us to take off because of a lack of manpower," Rodriguez said.
But a new incentive in the Martin County School District is designed to help that. It's a potential bonus for the 700 support staff employees including bus drivers, food service workers, custodians, and more, if they have perfect attendance each month.
"We run our buses on time, so we need our drivers on time. We clean our schools all day. We need them here all day to clean our schools," said Julie Sessa, the assistant superintendent of human resources for the Martin County School District.
Here's how it works: arrive on time and work your full shift each day of the month, and you can receive $10 a day. So a month with 20 days of work would give you a $200 bonus.
"It's pretty much a black and white process," Sessa said. "If you take a sick day, you don't get the bonus. If you take a vacation day, you won't get the bonus."
Secretary Elizabeth Rumie is excited to work toward this extra cash and hopes it motivates her co-workers, too.
"In order to be successful, you have to work together. So the incentive, it just helps everyone out," Rumie said. "Also, with the economy how it is these days, it helps the families out."
Rodriguez, too, is sorting out his schedule to make sure he can earn a little extra.
"All of that can help. Unexpected expenses can always come, so something like this is really welcomed," Rodriguez said.
There are currently about 200 job openings across the Martin County School District, which you can see by clicking here.
The incentive program will run each month through the end of the school year.
