By Kelsey Bent | Listowel Banner
LISTOWEL, Ont. — At the Nov. 3 North Perth council meeting Coun. Marc Noordam requested a report from staff detailing standby pay for seasonal plow operators.
A report from Human Resources Team Lead, Kelly Fraser stated North Perth provides a daily standby allowance to equipment operators who serve as back-up to the on-call operator during weather events.
According to the report, current daily compensation is: $25/day (weekday) and $30/day (weekends) as a stand-by rate, and a on-call rate of $35/day. Additionally, cost of living adjustments are applied to both standby and on-call rates annually.
“In 2025, the standby rate increased by 11% to support attraction and retention efforts,” Fraser wrote. “Recent benchmarking data indicate the local median rate is $32.50 [for a on-call rate].”
The report added that standby and on-call compensation will be included as part of the 2026 compensation review to ensure North Perth remains competitive.
At the Dec. 15 meeting, Noordam thanked staff for the information, citing that it is “important for recruitment and retention.”
He added that North Perth held a Christmas lunch for employees in December, and recognized the longevity of staff, whether it was five or 10 years.
“I’m wondering if we can add seasonal operators to that list as well,” Noordam asked. “I know they might not be yearly staff, but they do work for us six months of the year, and some of our seasonal operators, they’re getting into that five or 10-year range.”
