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Performance bonuses top $1.2 million Daryl Dolynny says too much money paid to senior bureaucrats for exceeding expectationsLaura Busch Northern News Services Published Friday, Oct 26, 2012
"We don't have money for long-term care beds, as we heard today, in Hay River, we don't have money for a nurse in Tsiigehtchic and we've heard today we don't have money for a school in Trout Lake," said Dolynny during the oral question period. "But we do have lots of money to pay out and dole out $1.2 million in bonuses last year in 2011." Human Resources Minister Glen Abernethy said employees have to exceed expectations in order to receive bonuses. According to a document tabled in the legislature on Oct. 17, the government spent $1,245,763 on performance bonuses in 2011-2012. These bonuses are based on performance during the 2010-2011 fiscal year. Performance bonuses are given to senior managers, assistant deputy ministers, associate deputy ministers and deputy ministers. When asked to justify these bonuses after Tuesday's meeting of the legislative assembly, Abernethy said that since he became a minister, he has worked to ensure all bonuses are earned in the departments he is responsible for. Unlike other government employees, senior managers and deputy ministers' salaries do not step up within their pay grade, he said. These employees have a pay range and the bonuses are often the only way they can see an increase in their pay. "The bonus system actually allows for an incremented (salary) increase," said Abernethy. As a regular member, Abernethy had raised the issue of performance bonuses and salary disclosure multiple times in past sittings of the assembly. However, he said he has never changed his opinion on either of these matters. "I never opposed bonuses, what I did was I wanted to make sure that bonuses were earned and justified," he said. "I believe they have an important place. I do believe that they shouldn't be part of regular compensation - they should be earned."
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