Committee discusses adopting 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. core hours, adds telework language

A committee reviewing the county personnel policy debated formalizing “core hours” and adding working-from-home language. Speaker 2, a staff member, proposed that “the core hours should be from 8 to 04:30” and that department heads have discretion over scheduling. Speaker 3 said earlier that the hours might shift from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. but agreed department-level flexibility is needed.

The discussion focused on two points: a single countywide core-hours block and whether individual departments should be able to set schedules to meet operational needs. Speaker 2 said department heads should have discretion to “screen to that” core-period requirement; Speaker 1 said some departments, such as courthouse staff, need in-person coverage because of planned facility expansions.

Committee members noted the personnel manual currently lacks a telework policy and agreed that a working-from-home rule must be added. Speaker 3 said the manual does not yet include working-from-home provisions and recommended drafting language for the manual and presenting it to the full commission for approval. Speaker 1 cautioned that some elected officials and constitutional offices (trustees, sheriff) operate under separate policies and may not adopt any countywide telework section as written.

The committee did not adopt final text at the meeting; members instructed staff to draft telework language and return it for further review. That draft will be prepared for presentation to the larger legislative body as part of the personnel manual update.