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Residents and county employees urge commissioners to keep telework as board adopts handbook changes
Summary
Multiple residents and county employees urged commissioners to retain telework or adopt flexible alternatives during public comment; the board earlier adopted a set of resolutions that included amendments to the county employee handbook (identified in public comment as removing the telework policy).
Several residents and county employees told the Sussex County commissioners on March 26 that eliminating the county telework policy would harm recruitment and retention and increase costs for workers; the board had adopted a package of personnel-related resolutions earlier in the meeting that public speakers said included handbook language ending telecommuting.
Mary Turk of Wantage Township, who said she had commented previously, urged the board to “implement alternative options for flexible hours” such as 10-hour days or summer hours as a way to maintain work-life balance and retain staff. Amanda Norman of Wantage described telecommuting as a benefit that “reduces stress and eliminates time and costs associated with commuting,” and urged the board to reconsider removing telecommuting as an option.
“Telecommuting fosters a flexible work environment allowing employees to balance their professional and personal lives more effectively,” Amanda Norman said during public comment; she suggested a four-day, 10-hour schedule as an alternative if the board did not restore telework. Andrea Anglima, from Andover, told commissioners she had spoken to many county employees who were “fearful to voice their desire for telework” and offered to provide letters and a drafted proposal to commissioners through staff.
Nut graf: Public commenters emphasized staff morale, retention and burn-out risks if telework or flexible scheduling were removed; county staff and the board said personnel actions were being handled through the employee-handbook amendment process already before the board.
The administration and the board also addressed the county’s competing fiscal priorities during the meeting. Deputy Director Jill Space said the board could cut the county portion of taxes but only at the cost of reducing services; she noted the board increased support for the vocational school this year rather than reduce services.
Context and formal action: Earlier in the meeting the board adopted a group of resolutions (resolutions A through H) by roll call. Public comment referred specifically to “resolution C” as “establishing amendments to various policies set in the Sussex County employee handbook regarding the elimination of the current telework policy.” The resolutions package including resolution C was adopted by roll call (Deputy Director Space, Director Carney, Commissioner DeGroot, Commissioner Hayden and Commissioner Henderson voted yes on the package during the roll call shown in the transcript).
Ending: Commenters asked the board to accept written proposals and letters from county employees and to consider flexible scheduling alternatives if the telework option is removed.
