County adopts updates to personnel handbook and approves employee assistance program

The Richland County Board on July 15 approved changes to its personnel handbook covering vacation accrual, sick leave language and the addition of a wage-scale process, and separately approved implementing an employee assistance program (EAP) for county staff.

County staff said vacation accrual language was updated to reflect the new payroll system (Tyler) and to change from periodic lump-sum payouts to accruals in each paycheck; the handbook language also clarifies payout rules for accrued vacation at separation and allows the administrator discretion to make exceptions in hardship cases. The handbook update includes a wage-scale provision, established last year with David Jones and Associates, allowing eligible employees to move one step on the wage scale on Jan. 1 each year.

On sick leave, staff said employees would accrue four hours of sick leave per pay period under the new language. The board adopted the handbook changes by resolution, with an effective date of April 21, 2025, for most departments and Sept. 1, 2025 for Pine Valley Community Village, per the resolution text.

Separately, the board approved a countywide employee assistance program provided through a counselor network. The administrator said the EAP would offer up to eight counseling sessions per incident, with in-person or remote options through listed local providers. The estimated cost to start the program from August through year-end was $3,676, calculated at about $2.58 per employee per month for the county's approximately 285 employees; the county will budget the ongoing cost in the 2026 budget.

Supervisors discussed questions about vacation accrual caps, payouts on termination or layoff, FMLA interactions and donation of leave; staff said carryover limits and administrator-authorized exceptions were included. The board adopted the handbook changes and authorized the EAP to begin Aug. 1, 2025.